What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?

Every industry has its myths—stories insiders repeat until they sound like truth. But behind the slogans and the spin are unspoken (and sometimes unnoticed) realities – we asked some of the wisest folks we know to share what lies they’ve noticed in their industries.

Martina Robledo

Being in the modeling and entertainment industry has its perks and setbacks. Especially in a highly competitive field like modeling or content creation, so many people are striving for the same opportunities. After working in this game for some time, it can be hard not to let it get to me when I see other girls like me hitting different or bigger milestones. Read more>>

Nils Davey

Lies is a very strong term. I think where the experiential industry gets it wrong is its reliance on data driven metrics and adherence to consumer or client thinking rather than exploring the emotional side of the business. Read more>>

Yuliia Khomynska

One of the biggest lies in the wellness and nutrition industry is the idea that health comes from quick fixes. The industry loves to tell itself that a single supplement, a detox tea, a trendy diet, or a ‘miracle’ ingredient can replace consistency, balance, or real lifestyle changes. It sells the fantasy that results should be fast, effortless, and Instagram-ready. Read more>>

Brian Lambert

Two words: ‘You can’t.’ Never, ever listen to that. You can do whatever you want, even more so now that technology has put all the tools in everybody’s hands. You can write. You can shoot a movie on your phone. You can edit on your laptop. There are tools EVERYWHERE, and it has, in many ways, leveled that playing field. Read more>>

Dana Waldie

One of the biggest lies the beauty and wellness industry tells itself is that staying young forever is the key to happiness. There’s this constant pressure to erase every sign of aging, as if growing older isn’t a natural, sacred rite of passage. I try to remind my clients that wrinkles are normal. Texture is normal. Change is normal. Read more>>

Justine Wentzell-Chang

The biggest lie of marketing is that you’re always selling or that you always have to sell. No, you don’t always have to sell. In fact, marketing isn’t about pushing people to buy. It’s about shaping culture, building trust, and helping people make better choices. To really grow your business and build a lasting legacy, you have to serve, connect, and create value. Read more>>

Carmen Cortez Ortega

One of the biggest lies in the healthcare and PA school world is the idea that you have to be ‘perfect’ to succeed perfect grades, perfect experience, perfect confidence. It creates a pressure that isn’t real and pushes a lot of good people out of the field before they even start. The truth is, medicine needs real humans with real stories, not robots. Read more>>

Grace Hancock

That nervous system regulation is about calm. It’s not. I don’t want you calm, I don’t want you complacent, I don’t want you numbed out—I want you present. Real regulation is about capacity. It’s about being able to hold more—more awareness, more visibility, more aliveness—without shrinking and without your system short-circuiting. This is why I call this work a rebellion. Read more>>