🧂Are you tempted to copy others' style and success?

I need to tell you about something I struggled for so long, and I’m wondering if you’ve felt this too.

I am obsessed with learning how to write and build an online presence. I bought courses from Justin Welsh, Matt Gray, and subscribed to Dan Koe’s paid newsletter. They are all amazing writers and creators that built a massive amount of followers online.

For the past months, I’ve been trying to write content like them. I love Dan's content - the brilliant content creator who delivers these sharp, no-nonsense insights that cut straight to the truth. His voice is so authoritative, so clear about what people need to do to stop wasting time and start building something meaningful.

I admire his deep thoughts so much. His content makes me want to immediately fix everything wrong with my approach to business and life.

So naturally, I thought: if I could just write like him, I’d build the same kind of engaged, loyal audience.

Here’s what’s been happening: I sit down to write, and I try to channel that same sharp, direct energy. I craft posts about productivity. I write tough-love advice about what successful entrepreneurs do differently. I try to poke at the pain points that keep people stuck.

But every time I hit publish, something feels… wrong.

The words don’t feel like mine. The engagement is terrible - like, embarrassingly bad. And the worst part?

I’m starting to dread content creation, something that used to bring me joy when I sit down to journal.

I keep telling myself I just need more practice, that maybe I’m not disciplined enough to stick with it. But deep down, I’m starting to wonder if I’m missing something fundamental.

The voice that's trying to break through

The thing is, Dan’s approach works brilliantly for him. But the more I try to replicate it, the more I realize how different our stories are.

Dan grew up in the US, had his party phase in his twenties, then found purpose and clarity. His sharp, authoritative voice comes from that specific journey - the journey of someone who learned to cut through distractions and get serious about his goals.

But my story is completely different.

I grew up in China, where achievement was the only path to success and recognition. After immigrating to the US, I thrive to achieve all the major things: school, visa, green card, jobs, marriage, kids, and building a business. I’ve been so goal-driven my entire life that I couldn’t even watch a movie at normal speed without feeling guilty. I was the person who forgot to eat lunch because I was too busy optimizing my productivity. I literally criticized myself for every moment that wasn’t “productive.”

Here’s what I’m beginning to understand: when I try to write in Dan’s voice, I’m essentially trying to give advice from his experience while living in my completely different reality.

When he talks about getting focused, stop wasting time and take actions, it resonates because his audience needed that push. But when I think about my past self - that woman who was so driven she couldn’t relax - she didn’t need someone poking her pain points about productivity. She needed someone to tell her it was okay to slow down. She needed permission to rest. She needed comfort, not criticism.

The voice that’s trying to emerge when I write isn’t sharp and critical. It’s gentle and encouraging. It’s the voice that wants to tell over-achievers that their worth isn’t measured by their output. It’s the voice that says “everything will be fine” to people who are burning themselves out chasing success.

What resistance is really telling you

I’m starting to realize that my inability to stick with Dan’s style isn’t a failure of discipline. It’s amazing insights. It’s my authentic voice trying to break through.

Maybe the resistance I feel when I try to copy his approach isn’t something to overcome - maybe it’s something to listen to.

Maybe the fact that his sharp, critical tone feels forced when I use it isn’t because I need more practice. Maybe it’s because my natural voice is fundamentally different, and that difference is exactly what the world needs from me.

This makes me wonder: how many of us first-time founders are trying to squeeze our voices into successful people’s molds?

We see someone crushing it with their content, their business model, their approach to marketing, and we think: “If I just do exactly what they did, I’ll get the same results.”

But what if that’s backwards? What if their success came not from following a formula, but from being authentically themselves? And what if our success requires us to be authentically ourselves too - even if that looks completely different?

Permission to be exactly who you are

Here’s what I’m starting to understand: my voice matters exactly as it is.

The gentle encouragement that wants to come through my content isn’t a weakness - it’s my strength. The desire to comfort rather than criticize isn’t less valuable - it’s differently valuable.

There are people out there who need exactly what I have to offer, exactly the way I naturally offer it. People who are burned out from too much tough love and need someone to say “it’s okay to rest.” People who are over-achieving themselves into anxiety and need permission to slow down.

If you’re struggling to find your authentic voice as a founder, maybe the struggle itself is the guidance.

Pay attention to what feels hard to stick to. Notice what feels forced when you try to copy others. Listen to the resistance that comes up when you try to be someone you’re not.

That resistance isn’t telling you to try harder - it’s telling you to try differently.

Your voice is trying to emerge. Your unique perspective is trying to break through. Your authentic message is waiting to be heard.

What the world needs from you

I want you to know something as you navigate this journey of finding your voice: you can still copy and try because that means you are taking the action but know that you don’t have to sound like anyone else to be successful.

Your gentle approach or your analytical mind or your quirky perspective - it all matters. The experiences that shaped you, the struggles you’ve overcome, the wisdom you’ve gained - it’s all valuable exactly as it is.

There are people waiting to hear from the real you, not the version of you that’s trying to be someone else.

Stop trying to be the founder you think you should be. Start being the founder your past self needed. Trust that your voice, your timing, your unique path is exactly what this world needs.

You were designed with your specific voice and perspective for a reason. There’s room for you exactly as you are.

Everything will be fine.

With love and growing clarity,

Li Zeng

P.S. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” (Jeremiah 1:5) - You were created with your unique voice for a purpose. Stop trying to be someone else and start trusting who you were made to.

Summary

That’s it! Creatives often fail in business because they focus too much on perfecting their projects, stick rigidly to their rates, lack a clear focus, and get stuck in unscalable models. I hope you learned something through this newsletter and let me know what topics I can cover next!

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