Don’t Compare Your Day 1 to Someone Else’s Year 10

In life, every step we take, every challenge we face, every delay, and every breakthrough is shaping us in ways we often can’t see yet. It’s easy to feel like you’re just trying to survive the season you’re in, but the truth is this: nothing you’ve walked through has been wasted. Your story, your resilience, and even your quiet persistence in the unseen moments are building something far greater than you realize, something that will not only transform you but has the power to inspire others too.

If you’re in a season where you’re working toward something big or even holding onto a dream that feels impossibly far away, let me remind you of this: you are not behind. You are not forgotten. You are not failing. You are simply in the process and the process is where the real action happens.

I know this because I’ve been there. And today, I want to share a story that increased my faith, a story that taught me how to keep building when no one else could see it yet. My hope is that it gives you the encouragement, the tools, and the faith you need to keep going, brick by brick, until the vision in your heart becomes reality.

The Early Days No One Saw

In 2017, I was mixing and formulating products in my kitchen. I didn’t have a big team, no fancy setup, and definitely no guarantees that it would all work out. I had nothing but faith, a vision, and the willingness to do the work.

By 2018, we launched Strands of Faith and I was running everything out of my home. Eighteen months later, I made one of the scariest and most defining decisions of my life: I resigned from my job.

It didn’t make sense on paper. I didn’t have any family and friend investors or any safety nets or back up plans but I did have a vision that wouldn’t let me sleep. Sometimes, that’s what faith looks like: stepping forward when there’s no blueprint and no certainty, just a quiet belief that if you plant the seed, something will grow.

And that’s what I want you to understand: your current season, no matter how small or hidden it feels, is not wasted. Small beginnings don’t mean small impact.

Why Your Journey Matters

When you look at someone else’s success story, it’s easy to think they’ve always been where they are. But every person you admire had a “day one.” What you don’t see are the late nights, the risks, the sacrifices, and the moments they almost gave up.

You might be in that stage right now. Maybe you’re working toward a dream while balancing a 9-to-5. Maybe you’ve started something but it feels like it’s growing slower than you hoped. Maybe you’re fighting off comparison, wondering why it looks easier for everyone else.

Let me tell you something: the journey is what equips you for the destination.

If everything came easy, you wouldn’t develop the discipline, creativity, or resilience that would sustain you when things get bigger. Every “small” season is a training ground. It’s where your faith grows, your character is built, and where the roots of your vision run deep enough to withstand storms later.

The Birth of the Faith Shed

At one point, my business was growing but I had outgrown my home. My garage, living room, and kitchen were overflowing with products. Logically, the next step would have been to move into a warehouse. But I wasn’t ready to take on that overhead prematurely because I didn’t want to bite off more than I could chew before I was ready.

That’s when God gave me a vision: Multiply what you have in front of you.

I didn’t have much but I did have a backyard.

And that’s where the Faith Shed was born.

It wasn’t super glamorous. It wasn’t what most people would call “successful.” But it was what I could do in that season and it got the job done. And that small leap of faith changed everything. For nearly two years, every single order was packed from that shed.

Looking back now, I wouldn’t trade that season for anything. Why? Because it taught me one of the most powerful lessons of all: you don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to be willing to do what you can with what you have and trust that God will multiply it.

And that’s what I want you to remember: your “Faith Shed” season is not the end, it’s the foundation.

Don't Compare Your Day One to Someone Else’s Year Ten

One of the biggest traps we fall into is comparison. We scroll through social media and see the highlight reels, warehouses, teams, financial wins, and even things closer to home, like neighbors buying new cars, friends taking big vacations, or someone sharing their picture-perfect home renovation. Suddenly, we feel behind. But hear me: you cannot compare the start or even the middle of your journey to someone else’s finish line. 

When I was in the shed, there were businesses that seemed light-years ahead of me. But I had to learn to stop looking at them and to keep the focus on my lane.

Your pace is your pace. Your timeline is your timeline. And if you stay faithful in the season you’re in, you will get where you’re meant to go.

What This Means for You

If you are in a season that feels hidden or slow, I want you to take these truths with you:

1. Don’t Despise Small Beginnings

Every big thing starts small. The job you hate, the side hustle no one knows about, the late-night studying, it’s all part of something bigger. Embrace it. Learn from it. Let it sharpen you.

2. Have Faith Even When Others Can’t See It

Not everyone will understand your vision. Some may even doubt it. But you don’t need their confirmation, your faith is enough. If God gave you the vision, He’ll give you what you need to see it through.

3. Put in the Work

Faith without action is just a wish. You might not be able to do everything today but you can do something. Send the email. Make the call. Write the plan. Pack the order. Do what you can with what you have.

4. Serve Others Along the Way

Your story isn’t just for you. Every lesson you learn, every challenge you overcome it’s meant to encourage someone else. Share your journey. Be honest about the process. You never know who needs the hope you carry.

5. Stay Patient and Trust the Process

Growth takes time. Roots grow underground before you see anything above the surface. Keep showing up, even when nothing “seems” to be happening. Your breakthrough is closer than you think.

Think of the Bamboo tree. When you plant it, nothing happens for the first year. Or the second. Or the third. Or even the fourth. For four long years, you water it, nurture it, and see absolutely nothing.

Then, in the fifth year, something extraordinary happens: the bamboo tree shoots up over 80 feet in just six weeks.

Did it really grow 80 feet in six weeks? Of course not. It was growing the whole time laying down a root system strong enough to sustain what was coming.

Your dream is the same. Just because you don’t see visible results yet doesn’t mean nothing is happening. You are building roots, strength, character, discipline, and faith. And when the time is right, your growth will be unstoppable.

Growth takes time. Roots grow underground before you see anything above the surface. Keep showing up, even when nothing “seems” to be happening. Your breakthrough is closer than you think.

What feels hidden right now is only preparation for your rapid season of growth.

The Harvest Will Come

When we were in the Faith Shed, there were days I wondered what would come next. But deep down, I held onto one truth: the “next” was coming. And it did. We outgrew that shed and moved into our first warehouse, a step I once could only imagine.

That’s when I realized something: the harvest doesn’t come overnight, but it always comes in due season.

And here’s what’s even better, your harvest won’t just be for you. The same way my story might be encouraging you right now, your story will one day encourage someone else who’s standing where you are today.

So, keep sowing. Keep trusting. What you’re building, even if no one else sees it yet, is preparing a future that will not only bless you but overflow into the lives of others.

What You Can Do Right Now

If you’re feeling stuck, here’s a simple roadmap:

1. Write down your vision. Keep it in front of you so you don’t forget why you started.
   
   
2. Break it into small steps. Don’t focus on the warehouse if you’re still in the shed. Focus on today’s step.
   
   
3. Celebrate small wins. Every bit of progress matters.
   
   
4. Stay connected to your faith. Pray. Meditate. Remind yourself that you are not walking this road alone.
   
   
5. Encourage someone else. Sometimes, the best way to find hope is to give it.
   
   

Your Journey Is the Testimony

The Faith Shed was never really about a shed. It was about learning that everything I needed was already inside of me. It was about trusting God’s timing. It was about believing that my small “yes” was enough to unlock something bigger than I could see.

And now I want you to believe that for yourself.

Whatever your shed looks like right now, whatever small, hidden, humble place you’re in, keep going. Your story is still being written and the chapter you’re in today is preparing you for the one you’ve been praying for.

Don’t give up. Don’t rush the process. And most of all, don’t forget:

What you’ve lived through wasn’t just for you. Someone else’s faith depends on your story.

Keep The Faith!