And we’re live! You’ve been told to chase attention, follow trends, and shout louder. Flock Differently is a podcast show for changemakers who want to build with substance instead of hype. Each episode explores honest thoughts on branding, leadership, and finding your voice in a world that rewards noise.

In this episode (ep.1) we’re sharing the moment where I realised the show could go on no longer.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re doing all the right things but something still feels off… this one’s for you.

You might already be leading. Maybe it’s just time to flock differently?

Listen to this episode on Spotify:

Read the transcript below:

Hey and welcome to Flock Differently, a podcast for changemakers growing a platform for the greater good.

I’m your host Ruqayyah from The Brandz Bee and today, to kick off this wonderful space, I have a confession to share.

Have you ever felt like you were doing everything right?

Showing up, putting your message out there, building excitement, getting those invitations and making moves, you’re doing big things, you’re getting seen and you’re receiving that recognition, you’re being admired by people, your peers, even your inspirations, but somewhere deep inside you something is still off.

That’s exactly where I was.

I had built a brand that was buzzing, I knew how to create excitement, how to get people on board with what I was offering, I was publishing a lot of content, letting people into my world, getting personal, launching, running with creative ideas, creating multiple platforms, everything to be as relevant as possible.

And the crazy but expected part is that it worked.

On the surface everything looked beautiful, people were watching, things were growing.

By conventional standards I was achieving, and I don’t have any regrets for that season.

I actually did good work with some really good people but under the surface of everything I wasn’t growing myself, I was performing.

Even if people were coming to me, I felt like I had to keep putting on a show to keep them interested.

I wasn’t giving myself space to pause and ask what I really wanted to say. I didn’t allow myself the time to deepen the roots of my own message, and the moments when I did need rest (because of course these moments they come for everyone, we may be brand leaders but we’re also just humans). In those moments I felt like I was slowing down in a race and cutting myself short.

You’ve been told to separate your person from your business yet one can only be the outcome of the other.

This is a thought that came to me recently and that pretty much sums it all up, it’s exactly what was breaking down.

Now I always had a purpose behind everything that I did, I always prioritised my own values, I even turned down clients that didn’t feel aligned.

And with that hype driven messaging and campaigns that I was putting out there, my heart was always present but I was still building a brand that was driven by energy that I had to constantly create – because I was chasing results and visibility.

In that process I wasn’t asking myself what I really wanted to put out into the world.

Eventually my body caught up with me. I started feeling exhausted but not that “I need to sleep” kind, I mean the exhaustion that’s telling you that something’s not working anymore and something has to give.

A silent whisper was beginning to echo, this is no longer true to me.

I listened and I took a pause.

Now I could see how absolutely ridiculous that looked on the outside because I’d just successfully launched a Leadership Summit, I had amazing clients coming through, I was hosting my own events, having really great testimonials, peers that I respected were recognising my work but I couldn’t pretend anymore and I absolutely did not want to push through it any longer.

So I asked myself, does growing my platform really have to feel like this?

Like is this really what it takes to create something meaningful and sustainable?

And what I came to realise in that time is that I’d been soaking up too much outside advices, too much quote-unquote inspiration and just way too many opinions.

The more that I was consuming all of this, the more inadequate it was making me feel.

I was trying to lead but I wasn’t leading myself,

I was serving others but I hadn’t allowed the deeper and truer mission to be the destination that it was meant to be,

That made me feel lost.

It wasn’t burnout that made me change, it was a desire. An unfiltering of my purpose, and a real dedication to build something that wasn’t just good at being seen – but was good all the way through.

This was the common thread that was fighting to come through from the beginning and this is where I let it shine.

That brings me to why I’ve started this podcast. It’s not here for performance’s sake but to pause and share the ideas behind the energy, to let that substance be enough, to say something without shouting, to have a space where I can show up as a person not as a persona.

And by doing all of this, maybe give you permission to do the same.

This is what I’ve learnt.

Hype itself isn’t bad. It’s not the enemy, it works, it creates momentum and it does get people in the room.

But if what they find when they get there isn’t real, doesn’t have that real depth, purpose, substance to it, it doesn’t last and most importantly it doesn’t feel true.

When that hype isn’t anchored in real clarity it fades just as fast as it comes and I didn’t want to keep building things that fizzled.

I still really love creating energy and I still really love making things that feel exciting and electric but now I want that energy to move people towards something real and grounding, not just something that looks good or performs well.

After my break I returned with such a clearer sense of who I am and what I want to offer through my consultancy and that changed everything.

My expression has changed, my offers, they make so much more sense not just to others but to me. They’re based on what I’m actually good at, how I can truly help and the kind of legacy that I want to leave.

I post a lot less now but when I do it’s intentional. Even if the engagement is lower the alignment is higher and that is what really matters. I’m no longer tailoring my being my sharing to fit what I think people want in order to buy in.

I’m sharing what I believe in, what I want it to exist in the world and that’s what I’m inviting you into.

It’s one where your values in your work are the same as the values in your brand. Where you no longer build from the pressure to perform, and start building from the place that already holds your purpose.

Because you’re already doing things differently, so why shouldn’t your brand do the same?

This is what Flock Differently is about.

It’s about being bold enough to step away from the masses, change direction and take people along another path.

It’s inspired by the saying, “birds of a feather flock together” but I believe in flocking differently.

Not just following what’s always been done or just joining a group because that’s how it is, but leading with your own purpose even if that means breaking away from everything else.

Because when you lead from that place you do create movement, but you’re doing it with intention, and the people that come along they’re not doing that because you shouted the loudest, they’re actually following because they felt something real.

This is what I’m choosing now – branding that makes people feel seen, leadership that comes from alignment not adrenaline, a voice that doesn’t shout but moves.

Flock Differently, it’s not about being quiet – it’s about being authentic and building things that last, that feel like you, not the version of you that needs to be optimised to be liked.

So if you’ve ever felt caught between the pressure to perform and a pull to do things differently, you’re not alone,

You’re already leading, maybe it’s just time to lead your way.

This is Flock Differently and I’m so glad that you’re here.