The Difference Between Trying and Building for Real
On choosing a base, building community and taking your ambitions seriously.
Hello Producers,
Today, I dropped a new video on YouTube this week. It’s about why most creators track the wrong thing, chase views and still feel stuck, while others grow quietly and build something real. If you’re building anything long term, this will likely save you some time and confusion. Watch it and if it lands, feel free to comment, subscribe and keep the algorithm gods on our side.
Also, quick shoutout to RA Optics. I’ve been using their glasses daily and they’ve quietly become part of the routine. They look great, help with screen time and make me feel one step closer to being either Rick Rubin or Erling Haaland, depending on the day. Protect your eyes and look stylish!
She moved across the world without a long term plan. Within a week of arriving in Bangkok, she decided she was not going back.
I had been following Hannah for a while before we recorded this episode. We had connected on LinkedIn and Instagram, and I already knew parts of her story. But hearing it directly from her felt different. She quit her London 9 to 5 with 2K followers, £4K in savings, and no clients, and chose to take her own dreams seriously. What stood out was not just the move itself, but the mindset behind it. She stopped waiting for certainty and started building the life she actually wanted.
From Freelance to Founder: Stepping Into Creative Leadership | 146: Hannah del Herrera
Hannah del Herrera is a brand strategist and founder of ALSK, where she helps creator founders transform their visibility into scalable brand ecosystems. After quitting her London 9 to 5 in 2023 with 2K LinkedIn followers, £4K in savings, and no clients, she decided to take her own dreams seriously and build in public. Since then, she has grown a 55K plus audience, evolved her freelance practice into a creative studio, and launched Rebel Design Club, a platform helping designers step into the creator founder era. Her work sits at the intersection of branding, business strategy, and the psychology of showing up.
In this episode, we explore her unexpected move from London to Bangkok, a trip that began as a backpacking experiment and turned into a permanent life shift within a week of arriving. Hannah shares what pushed her to stop playing safe, how LinkedIn became the engine behind her growth, and why community, consistency, and personality matter more than chasing viral moments. It is a conversation about building two businesses, designing a life that feels aligned, and exploring how ambition and enjoyment can coexist.
Lessons:
Freedom Is Not Always the Fastest Way to Grow
Trying Is Safe Building Is Serious
Build Community Not Just Attention
Freelance Pays Leadership Builds
Do Not Wait to Live While You Build
1. Constant movement feels free but a base builds momentum
Travelling while building a business sounds like freedom. New places bring inspiration, fresh energy and a sense of possibility. Hannah experienced that excitement when she first left London. But over time she noticed something important. Constant movement created friction. New environments meant new routines, different time zones, inconsistent focus and shallow work. When she chose Bangkok as a base, her output became more consistent and her thinking clearer. The decision was not about settling. It was about creating the conditions for growth. Stability did not reduce ambition. It supported it.
If you are building a personal brand or creative business, consider how many moving parts you are managing. Growth requires depth, and depth requires focus. Choose one location, one primary offer and one core message for a defined period. Commit to building from there. Review what improves when your environment becomes predictable. Momentum often comes from subtraction rather than expansion. Stability is not the opposite of freedom. It is often the structure that makes meaningful progress possible.
2. There is a difference between trying and committing
Many people say they are building something. Fewer people decide that it is no longer optional. For Hannah, leaving her nine to five was not an impulsive escape. It was a deliberate shift in identity. Moving abroad reinforced that decision. It forced clarity. Once she committed, her behaviour changed. Planning became more intentional. Content became more strategic. The way she spoke about her work became more confident. Commitment is not loud, but it is visible in daily actions.
If you feel stuck in between ideas, ask yourself whether you are experimenting or committing. Trying keeps risk low and doors open. Committing raises standards. It affects how often you show up, how you allocate your time and how seriously you treat opportunities. Choose a defined period where you operate as if success is your responsibility. Set clearer metrics. Protect time for long term thinking. Commitment changes behaviour, and behaviour compounds into results.
3. Build a room, not just an audience
Growth on social media is often measured in followers and impressions. Hannah’s approach is different. Through Rebel Design Club, she is building a space where designers evolve into creator founders together. That focus on depth shapes her strategy. An audience can scroll and forget. A room encourages participation, conversation and accountability. Community is slower to build, but it creates loyalty that algorithms cannot remove. Depth creates resilience.
If you are growing online, define what kind of space you want to create. Are you building reach, or are you building belonging. Instead of focusing only on content that attracts attention, design experiences that invite engagement. This could be a membership, a workshop series or a smaller private group. Pay attention to recurring names, recurring conversations and recurring questions. Sustainable growth often comes from strengthening relationships, not constantly chasing new visibility.
4. Freelance is a starting point, leadership is a decision
Hannah began as a freelance brand designer, delivering individual projects. Over time, her thinking expanded beyond execution. She began positioning herself around vision, strategy and long term brand building. The shift towards creative direction did not happen because someone handed her a new title. It started when she began thinking in terms of systems, structure and bigger outcomes. Moving from freelancer to founder is less about revenue and more about responsibility.
If you want to evolve beyond freelance work, begin by redefining your role. Clarify what you are responsible for beyond deliverables. Document your processes. Standardise how you work. Communicate outcomes rather than tasks. Leadership begins internally before it becomes visible externally. When your identity shifts, your positioning follows. Growth at this level is intentional rather than accidental.
5. You do not have to postpone life to build something meaningful
There is a common belief that you must sacrifice lifestyle first and enjoy life later. Hannah’s move to Bangkok challenges that narrative. She did not treat relocation as a reward after success. She integrated it into the building process. She is growing her business while living somewhere that energises her. Ambition and enjoyment are not competing priorities. When aligned properly, they reinforce each other.
If you are building something ambitious, examine whether your environment supports your energy and consistency. Consider what location, routine and lifestyle allow you to show up at your best. Designing your life alongside your business can reduce burnout and increase clarity. Long term growth depends on sustainability. Sustainable ambition comes from alignment between work and life, not from postponing one for the other.
Hannah has now grown a community of more than 55K people on LinkedIn, but as you will hear, it did not happen overnight. It took years of consistency, experimentation, and real friendships. Today she is building two businesses, evolving her creative studio, growing Rebel Design Club, and structuring her goals in a way that keeps ambition sustainable. I was especially curious how she manages all of this while still enjoying her life in Bangkok, so we talk about that too.
This episode goes beyond LinkedIn tactics. It is a conversation about courage, creativity, and designing a life that feels aligned. If you have been sitting on an idea or playing safe with your ambitions, this might be the gentle push you need.
Keep producing,
Tommen
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