This past summer, we had ants invade our apartment. In all my years of living in NYC, this was a problem I had never encountered before. At first, we saw a couple here and there. But one afternoon, when we came home, we found them swarming a dime-sized cracker crumb by the front door.
I was in pure shock, and as I always do, I went into deep research mode.
What I learned is that ant colonies continuously send out scouting ants. Their job isn't to bring food back, but to explore–to search, to test, to observe. If they find something promising, they return to report their findings, and others follow. As they move, they leave a trail of pheromones so the next ant can find its way to the food. Which means that after you get rid of them, you have to wipe a very large margin around wherever they've walked to erase the scent trail.
So why am I telling you this story?
Because all week, I've felt like a scouting ant.
No– I am a scouting ant.
Last week, I launched a new set of Meta ads. The first since I stopped working with my coach back in the spring. Literally the day we wrapped our sessions, I checked out. Without her guidance, a little voice inside me whispered, "You can't do this on your own. You don't have enough knowledge or experience."
It took seven months to quiet that voice and muster the courage to try again. And now, as I watch the numbers roll in, I've realized that I've become the scouting ant.
I'm out here searching for leads, following trails of data, testing and adjusting. Every metric, every click, every small result leaves a faint trail for me to follow. A clue that helps me learn, refine, and eventually, find the people who will truly connect with what I create. Without this part, the wandering, experimenting, exploring, I would never get to the discovery.
So here I am this Sunday morning, giving my all to become the best scouting ant possible.
With love,
Maria.