• by Pearl Servat , July 15, 2025

Fractional CMO & Refront’s Founder writes “Growth is not born from repetition. It’s born from curiosity, discomfort, and the discipline to keep learning even when it’s inconvenient.”

There’s no faster way to kill growth than those eight words.

We’ve all heard them. In meetings, in brainstorms, or quietly whispered when change knocks at the door. It’s a phrase rooted in fear: fear of the unfamiliar, fear of failure, and fear of what it might mean to leave a comfort zone that has served us… until it no longer does.

But the world doesn’t stop. Markets shift, technologies evolve, and AI isn’t waiting for any of us to catch up. If we want to remain relevant, as professionals, leaders, or brands, we must actively unlearn the instinct to default to “how we’ve always done it.” Growth is not born from repetition. It’s born from curiosity, discomfort, and the discipline to keep learning even when it’s inconvenient.

And learning isn’t just for students. It’s not a line on a resume or something to squeeze into a slow quarter. It’s a daily practice, and your greatest competitive edge. The people who thrive aren’t always the ones with the most experience in one domain, but the ones who stay curious and adaptable enough to cross into new ones. They move across industries, grow into new roles, and reimagine what their careers can look like- not because they had it all figured out, but because they kept learning when others stood still.

Here’s my proposed mindset shift: Your expertise is only as valuable as your willingness to keep evolving.

And the daily habit? Carve out 20 minutes a day to stretch your thinking. Read a few pages from a book outside your comfort zone. Watch a short tutorial on a topic not familiar to you. Test out a new tool in your profession. Ask someone in a completely different field how they solve problems. Follow a voice you admire on Substack, or seek out a mentor with a different lens on things. 

The point isn’t perfection, it’s momentum. The more you make learning a reflex, the more agile, creative, and resilient you’ll become. You’ll start seeing patterns where others see barriers. You’ll adapt faster, contribute smarter, and maybe even discover that the next chapter of your career doesn’t look anything like the last- and that’s the point.

As Eric Hoffer once said, “In a time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future.”

And that pursuit isn’t optional- it’s the only way forward.

Pearl Servat is the founder of marketing consultancy Refront (Refront.co) and Fractional CMO.

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