In this first episode of Core Current, I dive into themes of consistency, creativity, and authenticity, inspired by Samantha Garcia’s book Regenerative Business. I share my personal journey of overcoming self-doubt and perfectionism by simply starting—even when things aren’t perfect—and how consistent effort is the key to growth over time.

I reflect on the idea of a “controlled burn,” a metaphor from nature that’s helped me let go of tools and habits that no longer serve my goals. Instead, I’m focusing my energy on platforms like Substack, where I’ve found an inspiring community and a space to connect with others through creativity. I also open up about my struggles with being seen and learning to create without expecting external validation.

This episode is both an introduction to Core Current and an invitation for you to take action in your own life—whether it’s starting something new or embracing imperfection as part of the process.

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Full Transcript:

I’ve been reading this book called Regenerative Business by Samantha Garcia, whose business is called The Dirty Alchemy—such a cool name. The part that really resonated with me, and kind of put me in front of this microphone right now, is about consistency. It’s about doing the thing—just going out and doing whatever it is you want to do without expecting it to be perfect or even good. That’s why I’m here, in front of this microphone, sharing my thoughts and putting my voice out into the world. Creating a podcast has been something that comes in and out of my awareness. I think about it from time to time, but there are so many reasons not to do it: Do I have the right microphone? Do I have anything to talk about? Will I need to edit it? All these little doubts make it easy to avoid starting.

But here I am, just putting something out there regardless of the outcome. Because if you don’t start, how will you ever get better? If I don’t do this, how will I ever create something worth sharing? Even now, as I record this, I’m judging myself in real-time. You’re witnessing me question my own worth as I do this. But the truth is, if I don’t try, I’ll never improve. It’s easy to show up for things you’re forced to do—like going to work—even when imposter syndrome creeps in. Over time, you realize you belong and can handle the responsibilities. That’s what this is for me: showing up and putting something out there.

I’ve dabbled in podcasting before. I’ve recorded professionally in a studio and done it myself. I’ve uploaded episodes and managed them, but the lack of consistency meant those efforts just disappeared into the void. Consistency matters. So here I am at the beginning again. Check back with me in a year to see if I’ve kept up with it! My hope is that this inspires you to take action—just do something, anything—and let go of the idea that it has to be perfect from the start. After all, how can you do something well if you haven’t even done it poorly first?

Another concept from Regenerative Business that really resonated with me is the idea of a “controlled burn.” It’s a metaphor from nature about clearing out old growth so new things can emerge. This idea has been guiding me as I build my own business. I’ve been reevaluating everything—my website, podcast hosting, subscriptions—and cutting out what doesn’t serve me anymore. There are so many tools out there that can help build an amazing business, but none of them are magic solutions. The key is simply doing the work.

One platform I’m focusing on now is Substack. It’s such a great community! Funny enough, when I first mentioned Substack to my family, they looked at me like I was late to the party. But for me, it’s been amazing—connecting with creative people and reading their short yet impactful articles has been so fulfilling. Fiction is great but often feels like a big time investment; these shorter pieces give me that same sense of quality and inspiration in less time. Substack feels like the right place for me to focus my energy now.

This shift also ties into letting go of the sunk cost fallacy—the idea that because you’ve invested so much time or money into something, you should stick with it even if it no longer serves you. Letting go of old ways of doing things has been freeing for me. Instead of clinging to past efforts, I’m stepping into a space of just doing and being—putting things out there without worrying about success or recognition.

One thing I’ve struggled with is being seen: worrying about what people will think or how they’ll interpret what I say. But how can you be seen if you don’t put yourself out there? As someone who identifies as a projector in human design, this has been a big learning curve for me—understanding my need for recognition while also letting go of bitterness when it doesn’t come. Now, my focus is on finding my flow and doing what works for me without expecting anything in return.

The act of creating and completing this recording feels like success to me. Whether anyone listens or not doesn’t matter as much as the fact that I showed up and did it. If you’re still listening (or reading), thank you! If not, that’s okay too—I’m used to thinking through these ideas alone in my office anyway.

So here we are: the first official episode of what I’m calling Core Current. The first episode on this feed was actually an audio post from Substack about the idea of “normal,” but this feels like the true start of Core Current. This project is an expression of my core authenticity—a passion of mine is helping others identify their own core authenticity too.

If any of this resonates with you, please subscribe or follow along however you prefer! And if not, that’s totally fine too.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit haizhen.substack.com