What No One Tells You About Starting a Business (From a Real Founder Who’s Been There)

Hey, I’m Seantal, founder of JOA Creative Lab.

I didn’t come from a fancy marketing agency or jump into business with a perfect plan. I started this brand while working at 7-Eleven and studying computer networking. I was trying to make ends meet, not build an empire.

But somewhere in between exhaustion, prayer, and a little bit of grit, something started to form. I didn’t know it at the time, but that simple “yes” would lead me into a journey that required more faith, patience, and persistence than I ever expected.

What I didn’t realize back then was that saying yes to a business wasn’t just about branding or money or marketing. It was about surrender. Identity. Loneliness. Obedience. And growth.

And nobody really talks about that part.

They’ll tell you how to make your first $10K, how to set up your email funnel, and how to build a following on Instagram. But they won’t tell you what it feels like when you’re posting consistently, creating quality work, and hearing nothing back.

They won’t tell you what it's like to keep showing up with zero applause. To launch something and watch it flop. To pour your heart into a project and wonder if anyone even saw it.

They won’t tell you how quiet the in-between is. When you're not a beginner anymore, but you don’t feel like you’ve "made it" either. When you’re watching others grow fast and wondering if your pace is too slow, or if you’re just not cut out for this.

And they definitely won’t tell you that obedience will cost you more than ambition ever will.

But what I’ve learned, and keep learning, is this:

God isn’t in a rush. And just because something is hard doesn’t mean it’s not working. You don’t need constant affirmation to be in alignment. You don’t need a full plan to begin. And you don’t need to feel confident to be called.

Somewhere along the way, I stopped needing people to “get it” and started trusting that what God whispered to me in the quiet was still enough.

And maybe that’s where you are right now. You’ve started something. You’ve put your name on it. You’ve tried your best to stay consistent. But it’s taking longer than you thought. It’s quieter than you expected. And no one warned you how discouraging that silence could feel.

If no one’s told you lately, this is normal. And it doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong.

Growth in business doesn’t always look like more. Sometimes it looks like refinement, hidden progress, or the internal work no one claps for.

You might not have the full picture yet. But what you do have is still enough to keep building. Not because it’s all figured out, but because the seed was real. The vision wasn’t random. And you’re not crazy for believing this business could change your life.

So if you needed a reminder today, this is it:

You're not behind. You're not late. You're being developed. And obedience always produces more than hype ever could.

Stay with it. There’s fruit in this.

xoxo Seantal