Editor’s Letter: 30Seconds Is a Google “Featured Publisher” & Why There’s No Such Thing As “Overnight Success" by Elisa Schmitz


Editor’s Letter: 30Seconds Is a Google “Featured Publisher” & Why There’s No Such Thing As “Overnight Success"

I am thrilled to share that Google has selected 30Seconds as a featured publisher. The team at Google noticed the quality of work we’ve been producing over the years, and they reached out to us in order to recognize it. Google is sharing our story on its website and social media channels. We are so honored, and we are so grateful.

This recognition by Google is gratifying, because it means that every single thing we’ve been doing, day by day and overnight by overnight, made a difference. All the big and all the little things we did along our journey – it all mattered.

That’s why I’m sharing a story about the myth of “overnight” success.

You know how when you work really hard at something, you hope that it will be a huge  success? And then when it doesn’t happen right away, you’re disappointed. Especially when you look at some people who seem to “have it all,” and appear to be “overnight success” stories.

The reality is, there’s no such thing as overnight success, and no one truly has it all. What appears to be quick success or huge success is most often preceded by years of hard work, trial and error, and iteration by people with a passion – people who just wouldn’t give up.

Success means different things to different people. For one founder, success could mean running a business that pays the bills. For another, success could mean a unicorn-like exit.

When I started 30Seconds, I had a simple goal to make life better through content and community, 30 seconds at a time. Using that simple metric, I succeeded fairly quickly. We grew our inspirational content, article by article. We grew our powerful community, interaction by interaction. We grew our loyal tribe, meetup by meetup. (The photos in this article show some of our amazing team and tribe members at meetups all over the world – from across the United States to across the ocean).

But success defined by business metrics did not happen that quickly. In fact, the only overnight successes were the long days and nights spent hard at work testing different business models, and expanding the mission, platform and reach – in order to make a bigger impact.

When you’re truly passionate about your purpose, it’s OK if big success doesn’t happen right away. Mission-driven people who believe they’re making a difference, and who believe in what they’re doing, will find a way forward – one overnight at a time.

Then over time, you start to realize that you’re making more of an impact. People may tell you that something you wrote about, or something you shared from someone else, really resonated with them. That it made their life better in some way. And then the business metrics start to align.

So you work even harder, because you see the effect you’re starting to have. That your mission actually may be moving the needle. And still, you wonder if all that hard work and all those overnights will eventually result in a breakthrough.

Then more people start to notice what you’re doing. You start to get feedback not only from readers, but also from amazing organizations that want to partner with or promote you. The business community notices, and things start to happen that can really help propel your efforts and your brand.

Here at 30Seconds, that’s where we find ourselves. We are grateful to be continuing to grow and serve our community – especially during these most challenging times, when connection is needed more than ever.

We’re giving a huge thank you to Google for seeing us for who we are, and for what we’re trying to accomplish. Being recognized by this amazing company is not only good for the business, but also for the community. It lets us know we’re on the right track, and hopefully it will help us continue to expand our mission and inspire even more people. Especially because the world needs inspiration now more than ever before.

But the biggest thank you goes to our growing audience, our thriving community, and our loyal tribe of contributors and “passionistas.” We are so grateful for your support throughout the years. You recognized and appreciated us long before anyone else did, and we will never forget that. We do what we do with you, because of you, for you – and we love you.

Here’s to more “overnight” success, 30 seconds – and one overnight – at a time.

Want to Contribute?

If you have some inspiration you'd like to share, we invite you to join our tribe and become a 30Seconds contributor. On 30Seconds, we realize that time is your most precious resource, and we’ll help you make the most of it. We look forward to having you join our thriving community.

You can learn more about me at ElisaSchmitz.com, and get my inspiration for achieving career and life success at BecomeTheFire.com.

Want to Work With Us?

We work with companies we feel good about. To learn more, get in touch with us at info@30seconds.com.

Take 30 seconds and join the 30Seconds community, and follow us on Facebook to get inspiration in your newsfeed daily. Inspire and be inspired.

Inspiration In My Closet: How Six Dresses Inspired & Empowered My Friends & Me During Turbulent Times

The Power of Community: How a Birthday Party Inspired the First 30Seconds Summit

Border Blogging: How 30Seconds Helps Mom & Daughter Keep in Touch Across the Miles

Editor's Letter: What "Become the Fire" Means (Plus What's Trending On 30Seconds This Week)

Elisa Schmitz
Thank you, Google, for this amazing recognition! We are so grateful. And thank you to all the team and tribe members who helped us get here. Tagging as many as I can who are in these photos, but hope you know ALL of you are in our hearts. And thank you to each and every reader and community member. We wouldn't be here without you! xoxo Donna John Ann Marie Gardinier Halstead Renee Herren Chef Gigi Belinda Lichty Clarke Francielle Daly Tori Ulrich Teresa Washington Erica Hornthal Sandy Greiner, NCPT Cheryl Leahy Sheryl Gould Kim Kusiciel Kelli Porcaro Meredith Schneider Holly Budde Angela Chee Kandice Cole Brannan Kenny Jan Mostrom Jennison Grigsby
Kandice Cole
This is amazing Elisa and so inspiring! I am so excited to be a part of this special tribe. Kudos to you for keeping the vision in front of you and never giving up🥰😊
Elisa Schmitz
Thank you so much, Kandice Cole ! We love having you as part of our special tribe and shining a light on amazing YOU! 💗
Dieter Schmitz
Elisa, you are a true pioneer who brings inspiration to your entire tribe and so many more! And, that’s why Google selected you and 30 Seconds as the best of the best. Congrats!
Elisa Schmitz
Thank you so much, Dieter Schmitz ! I absolutely couldn’t do it without you! ❤️
Tribe
Wonderful news, congrats!!
Meredith Schneider
Elisa A. Schmitz 30Seconds this is so exciting! Big congratulations to you! 🎉 I am so happy for you and so honored to be a part of 30Seconds journey. I have a bunch of tips on my laptop busting to be posted. Stay tuned! Congratulations beautiful! Cheers! 🍾🍾🍾🍾🎉🎉🎉
Elisa Schmitz
Thank you so much, Meredith Schneider ! We are so thrilled that you are a part of our amazing tribe and could not imagine it without you! Can't wait to see what else you have to share with us. We appreciate all of your support and contributions. And can't wait to celebrate with you in person again, hopefully soon. Big love to you, my friend! XOXO Donna John
Ann Marie Patitucci
What a fantastic- and well deserved- honor, Elisa A. Schmitz 30Seconds! 30 Seconds has such great content and the community here is second to none. I’m grateful to be a part of it. It’s nice to see your hard work, passion, and dedication paying off! Congrats!
Elisa Schmitz
Thank you so much, Ann Marie Gardinier Halstead ! So grateful that you're such an impactful member of our tribe. All of your contributions make such a difference. Thank you for helping us to fulfill our mission of making life better, 30 seconds at a time. You inspire us all! XOXO
Direct Mail Lists
I have learning more. The reality is, there's no such thing as overnight success, and no one truly has it all.

join discussion

Please login to comment.

recommended tips

Happy International Women’s Day: Celebrating Women's Achievement & Driving Gender Equality

Volunteering: Gain Marketable Jobs Skills Through Helping Others!