You know that adage (and book and whole philosophy), “Don’t sweat the small stuff?” I get it, but I’m here to say sometimes it’s the small stuff that actually matters the most.

Think about it:

• A smile or kind feedback can turn a bad day around and keep you from calling it quits altogether. Or the inverse can send you spiraling.
• Minutes with a sleepy baby can mean the difference between drifting into peaceful dreams and hours of overtired screaming.
• I recently broke my pinky toe and let me tell you, this tiny, seemingly inconsequential digit made for a logistical nightmare. (No driving for 5 weeks, 4 flights of stairs in 1 house, 2 tiny kids…you get the picture.)
• “If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” — wisdom supposedly from the Dalai Lama. (IYKYK—maybe you’re a camper. I’m decidedly not. Maybe you’ve lived somewhere where the mosquitoes dominate the night. I definitely have.)
• I recently wrote !!! on a sales page and someone in a peer feedback group said, “I immediately know that this is a person I’d get along with.” Just 3 little punctuation marks made that impression!
• Sending that 86th email turned into a sale after 3 years of someone silently sitting on your list.
• If you have perpetual typos, random images and fonts, or constantly use insensitive turns of phrases, that can be really off-putting, especially if you work with conscious, caring, intentional clients and collaborators.
• Including a little personal detail—on your website, in your social content, via real live conversations—makes such a difference in building trust. One of my recent Peer Pod members saw that I studied and lived in Senegal and instantly trusted me because, “It takes a certain type of person to study in Senegal.” (She’s right.)

So, am I advocating for you to send an apology email when you have a barely noticeable one-off typo in your weekly newsletter? No.

Am I suggesting you need to walk on pins and needles so as to never rock the boat because of the potential ripple effect every word and action has? Also no.

But I am saying you can lean into the little stuff and potentially feel and see and create some big results.

Maybe don’t sweat the small stuff, but do think about it.

Your vision matters. Your voice matters. Your values matter.

And every little thoughtful detail adds up to a complete brand experience.

Just keep on keeping on.

And if you don’t want to do it all alone, book a free Alignment Call with me so we can chat about what’s working and what’s missing as you connect with the real humans who need and want exactly what you have to offer. ✨

This is an excerpt from Toward Purpose & Progress, my newsletter where I share business tips, good news, shoutouts to Founder Friends, and other juicy snippets. Subscribe here for more rants, reflections, and resources.