Every writer or creative entrepreneur has faced it: that gut-punch moment when the numbers take a nosedive. Whether it's email subscribers disappearing, podcast downloads plummeting, or engagement grinding to a halt, the temptation to panic—or quit altogether—is real. In this episode of the Writing at the Red House podcast, Kathi Lipp and her husband Roger Lipp tackle the uncomfortable topic of what to do when the metrics aren't going your way. Drawing from their own hard-won experiences (including losing two-thirds of their email list overnight and watching podcast numbers crater due to algorithm changes), they offer practical wisdom for writers who feel like the ground is shifting beneath them. What Listeners Will Discover This conversation is packed with insights for anyone feeling the pressure of stalled growth or declining numbers: How to reframe a crisis as a season of evaluation—not a reason to shut everything down The danger of over-correcting and how panic decisions can erode audience trust What NOT to change: your core message, your audience, and your values What you CAN tweak: delivery methods, content format, and how you engage your community How to gather feedback wisely—without crowdsourcing or letting outlier criticism define you Key Takeaways Panic shows up in your work. When you're in crisis mode, you may find yourself copying others, working harder with fewer results, or promoting things that don't align with who you are. Recognizing these signs is the first step to course-correcting. Faithfulness beats frantic growth. The goal isn't growth at any cost—it's building something sustainable that you can live with. That means holding fast to your message while being light on your feet about how you deliver it. Feedback informs direction; it doesn't define identity. Not all feedback carries equal weight. Seek out trusted voices, filter the outliers, and remember that you are not the feedback you receive. Whether you're navigating a platform setback or simply feeling the weight of slow growth, this episode offers the encouragement and practical framework to keep moving forward—anchored, not anxious.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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