We live in a world that celebrates the visible wins, the awards, the announcements, the applause, the highlight posts.

But what we don’t talk about enough is the psychology of the seasons before the recognition, the quiet years, the doubt, the moments you wondered if any of it mattered.

And if you’re in one of those invisible seasons right now, I want you to know something:

Nothing you’re building is wasted.

Maybe you’ve been working hard and nobody seems to notice. Maybe you’ve been consistent, disciplined, faithful and the results feel slow. Maybe you’ve watched others get recognized while you quietly question yourself.

That space, that tension between effort and acknowledgment can mess with your mind.

It can trigger self-doubt, comparison, imposter syndrome, and that quiet question: “Am I even good enough?”

Before the Applause

Recently, I received two incredible honors: the Bow Collective Growth Award, recognizing us as a Top 1% Women-Owned Business for growth, and the Entreprenista 100 Award, recognizing powerhouse women in business.

And while I’m deeply grateful, what surprised me most wasn’t the recognition.

It was the emotions that came with it.

Because this month marks Year 8 in business.

Eight years.

And for many of those years, there were no awards. No accolades. No stages. No lists with my name on them.

Just faith. Just consistency. Just showing up.

There were moments I questioned everything, moments I applied for opportunities and didn’t get them, moments I showed up and felt overlooked, moments I wondered if what I was building was being appreciated. 

I actually applied for the Entreprenista 100 not once, not twice but three times.

The first two times? Received No's.

And if I’m being honest, those no’s can feel so permanent. They triggered old thoughts, old insecurities, old questions about whether I was “enough.”

But I kept going anyway.

Not because I was chasing an award. But because I knew this was my purpose.

When the recognition finally came, it didn’t create confidence. It confirmed what I had already built in private.

The awards didn’t make me worthy. They reminded me that I always was.

The Real Lesson Behind the Win

Here’s something important:

Our brains are wired to seek validation.

Psychologists call it external validation dependence, when we unconsciously attach our sense of worth to recognition, praise, or applause. And when that validation doesn’t come, we start shrinking, overworking, or doubting ourselves.

But mental wellness requires something deeper: internal validation.

The ability to say, “I am valuable even when nobody is watching.”

Awards are beautiful. But they are not identity. They are confirmation, not creation of your worth.

If your confidence only rises when applause rises, it will fall when the room gets quiet.

And life has a lot of quiet seasons.

The Trap of Needing Applause

The trap is subtle.

Believing recognition equals readiness.
Believing applause equals purpose.
Believing if you haven’t been acknowledged yet, you must not be impactful.

That’s a lie.

Some of the most transformative seasons of your life will be the least celebrated.

And sometimes, recognition comes not when you need it but when you’re mature enough not to need it anymore.

Delayed validation does not mean delayed purpose.

It often means you’re being built in ways that applause could not sustain.

If You’re in the Quiet Season

If you’re in a quiet season right now, here’s what I want you to remember:

1. Don’t measure your worth by visibility.

2. Keep showing up even when it feels unseen.

3. Build character in private so you can carry recognition in public.

4. Separate your identity from your achievements.

5. Celebrate small wins even if nobody else does.

You don’t need a stage to be significant.

Roots Before Recognition

Think of a tree.

It spends years building roots before anyone admires its height. If recognition had come before the roots were strong, it would’ve toppled under pressure.

Your unseen seasons are root seasons.

The awards were beautiful.

But the discipline, the faith, the no seasons, the tears, that’s what built the woman who could stand on that stage steady.

And the same is true for you.

The recognition will come.

But don’t let it be the reason you continue.

Let purpose be the reason.

You Are Valuable Even Before the Trophy

Whether you’re in a season of applause or a season of being hidden, you are still called. You are still becoming. You are still valuable.

Recognition may come later.

But purpose has been there all along.

Keep The Faith!!! 💚👑