Why I Quit the Guru Game in 2025 (and What I’m Doing Instead)!
- Jayda Jacobs
- Apr 2
- 5 min read
I didn’t come back to content with a launch plan or strategy in mind.
I came back quietly.
After grief.
After burnout.
After life pulled me away from the hustle and into a season of survival.
At first, I just wanted to feel connected again, to something. To myself. To a sense of purpose.
And like so many others, I turned to what I knew: content. Storytelling. Creating things that mattered.
But the landscape had changed.
And so had I.
Like many, I started by doing what the “experts” suggested. I watched the tutorials, followed the formulas, tried the polished content, the perfect hooks, the newsletters and funnels. I wanted to show up the right way, until I realized those rules didn’t leave much room for real life.
Table of Contents:
The Polished Trap—Why Overly Curated Content Burned Me Out
When I returned to social media after a much-needed break for my mental health, I felt like I had to catch up. The rules had changed. Now everything was about having the right hook, polished visuals, repurposed titles, and mimicking viral formats. I’m usually pretty open-minded when it comes to this sort of thing, so I tried it.
But the more I leaned into what was “working,” the less connected I felt to why I came back in the first place.
I didn’t return to social media to become a content machine, that’s one of the reasons I left.
I came back to rebuild something meaningful. Something rooted in truth. To share my real story. To show up as I am.
What no one tells you is that even when the metrics look good, you can still feel completely disconnected. For me, putting out content that didn’t reflect where I was mentally, emotionally, or creatively started to feel like a performance, and a bad one at that.
So I stepped back.
I stopped worrying about “perfect.”
And I started creating from a softer place. A real place.
Funnels, Lists, and the Pressure to Perform
When I came back to social media, I was bombarded with advice: “Build your email list. Create your funnel. Make that offer. Automate everything.”
I tried to follow that playbook, hoping it would help me reconnect with my audience and build momentum.
But while I was learning and experimenting, I was also in the middle of a real-life reset, battling grief, processing my PTSD, and rediscovering who I really was.
The last thing I wanted was to shove someone into a sales funnel while I was still climbing out of one myself.
I started to see that every link, every CTA, every automated email felt like a transaction rather than a conversation.
It wasn’t about building genuine connection, it was about chasing numbers. And that didn’t sit right with me.
So I paused the funnels.
I stepped back from the constant call-to-action.
Instead of pushing my audience to sign up for yet another list, I began focusing on being present, sharing honest updates, real insights, and my day-to-day reflections without the pressure to sell.
Because at the end of the day, building trust is about listening and responding, not about collecting emails and pushing offers.
I realized that what truly matters is the connection, the shared moments, the genuine conversations, and the mutual growth that happens when we’re not just trading clicks for content.
The Algorithm Doesn’t Care About Your Soul
One of the first things I noticed when I returned to content was just how much pressure there was to keep up. Not just with content volume, but with the algorithm.
Post at the right time. Use the trending sound. Make sure the caption includes keywords. Optimize your titles.
And of course… repurpose it to every platform before the trend dies.
I followed the formula. I posted even when I didn’t want to. I optimized until there was barely anything real left in the message.
And while the numbers weren’t bad, I could feel myself slipping.
What started as a way to reconnect with the community quickly became a routine that disconnected me from myself.
It felt like I was feeding the algorithm instead of feeding my spirit.
And I didn’t come back for that.
So I stopped performing for the feed and started posting with intention.
Not because a trend told me to, but because I had something meaningful to say.
And not to “keep up,” but to slow down and actually connect.
Letting go of algorithm-chasing didn’t tank my growth, it made room for a deeper kind.
A kind that isn’t measured in reach or clicks, but in resonance.
So What Am I Doing Instead?
I’ve replaced performance with presence. Metrics with meaning. Strategy with soul.
Instead of obsessing over what will go viral, I ask myself what will feel real.
I post when I have something honest to say, not just because the schedule says I should.
I lean into slower content that builds trust over time, not just visibility for a day.
I create space to breathe, both for me and the people engaging with my work.
I’m not rushing to grow.
I’m not rushing to sell.
I’m not rushing at all.
Because growth built on urgency doesn’t last.
But growth built on alignment?
That’s the kind that sustains.
Now, my content is quieter, but it lands deeper.
It’s softer, but it’s rooted in truth.
And the connection I feel with my community? Stronger than ever.
The Challenges of Slowing Down
Letting go of the guru game wasn’t some instant, feel-good epiphany. It was uncomfortable.
There were moments I questioned myself:
Am I doing enough?
Will people still care if I’m not posting every day?
Am I falling behind?
Truth is, going slower felt like going against the grain.
Everywhere I looked, someone was shouting about 7-figure launches, viral growth hacks, and hustle-proof strategies.
But I reminded myself:
I’m not building a brand that depends on urgency.
I’m building one that can breathe.
One that can last.
And yes, some days I felt invisible. Some days I felt unsure.
But every time I showed up in a way that felt true, someone messaged me and said,
“I needed this.”
That’s when I knew: I wasn’t behind.
I was just taking a different path.
A Quiet Shift Forward
I didn’t ditch the guru game because I’m anti-strategy.
I ditched it because I’m pro-alignment.
This chapter of my life isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing what actually matters.
It’s about building something rooted in real connection, not performance.
And letting my work speak, softly but clearly, for itself.
I’m not here to shout over the noise.
I’m here to create what feels honest, to share what I’ve lived,
and to build something sustainable, both for myself and for this community.
If you’re also in a season of rebuilding, slowing down, or questioning everything you were taught about “success,”
just know, you’re not alone here.
We’re doing it differently. And that’s the point.
More to Come—But Only What’s True
I’ll be sharing more about what this shift means for the site, the membership, and upcoming offers over in the Announcements section.
That’s your space to stay connected, without the pressure of an inbox.
Quiet updates. Real-time insights. All in one place.
Thanks for being here.
We’re just getting started.
Great insights Jayda