She kept her victory to herself. Instead, she penned a journal entry.
A little-known Instagram account called @bingefreebestie shared a grainy picture with the statement, “Yesterday, my whole life changed,” seven months ago. Most people thought the story would go like the typical founder narrative: a triumphant moment, aided by mentors, followed by inspirational teachings. However, it was not the case.
Rather, the caption delved deeply. She had just landed a coveted place at Diary of a CEO, $100,000 to grow her firm, and one-on-one mentoring from Jay Hoovy and Steven Bartlett. But instead of celebrating, she admitted to feeling worn out, uncertain, and even aloof. She hadn’t had a party. She had kept her parents in the dark. For someone whose career just took off, the post was surprisingly unique in that it was uncensored.
| Key Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Subject | Viral diary entry by startup CEO (@bingefreebestie) |
| Event | Won $100,000 business grant + mentorship via Diary of a CEO competition |
| Emotional Trigger | Instagram diary entry expressing doubt, fatigue, and imposter syndrome |
| Platform Amplification | Referenced Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO + broader podcast culture clash |
| External Reference | Grazia article: Steven Bartlett controversy (Jan 2026) |
Her remarks have subtly gone viral in recent months, being reshared in startup Slack channels, included in Medium essays, and even brought up at strategy off-sites. The fact that winning doesn’t always feel like arrival is something that founders frequently repress. It feels like a collapse at times.
This entry was very powerful because of the larger context in which it was placed. Once seen as a source of tenacity and entrepreneurial wisdom, a CEO’s diary has recently come under more scrutiny. After a number of its guests expressed opinions deemed “red pill adjacent,” Steven Bartlett’s podcast empire is currently facing harsh criticism. Despite being loud, the pushback has been very evident.
After Bartlett proposed the notion of systemic matchmaking for permanently celibate men, which many compared to dystopian control tales, one resurfacing instance with psychiatrist Dr. Alok Kanojia raised concerns. A swarm of artists started dissecting the podcast’s slow shift into less neutral ground after comments likened it to The Handmaid’s Tale.
The discussion then shifted to gender roles, population decline, and contraception in a subsequent episode with Chris Williamson. Williamson criticized a TikTok creator known as The Girl With the List for her reasons for not having children and discussed the rise in “anti-family” sentiment among women. Abigail Porter, the creator, quickly responded with wit and comedy, having already made a joke about being used as a scapegoat for the birth rate fear.
At the same time, a BBC investigation into a CEO’s diary revealed recurring health disinformation, including assertions that diet alone could improve chronic diseases including PCOS, autism, and others. The results were extremely concerning, especially since Bartlett’s program frequently attracts young, aspirational listeners who are looking for solutions.
The anonymous CEO’s diary post resonated more deeply against this more complex background. She presented a gentle, open-ended reality, in contrast to other podcasts that promoted certainty and ideology masquerading as understanding.
She described how, following the major news, her hands shook when she attempted to open a bottle of wine. Her boyfriend was asleep already. Instagram and Slack notifications piled up. All she wanted was to go to sleep. I just wanted to sleep became a catchphrase that was used in morning briefings, sewn into TikToks, and shared on social media.
She unintentionally expressed what many business founders go through in private through her openness: the burden of duty that frequently comes with being visible. When the money comes in, even happiness becomes performative, but you can’t appear worn out.
She defied expectations by posting her diary entry instead of a press announcement. She also did this at a time when people were becoming weary of the very staged sensitivity that was frequently displayed on huge podcast venues.
Grand studios did not reverberate with her voice. It reverberated throughout investor Zoom calls, mentorship circles, and comment sections. She never said she knew the answers. She just spoke the facts as they were at the time.
It’s interesting to note that her decision to remain silent ever since—no interviews with the media, no podcast, and no Substack—has only helped to root her message. The sole follow-up she has left is the pinned comment, “Still figuring it out.” Instead of lessening her impact, that ambiguity made it feel much more genuine.
As I read her caption again in the fluorescent light of an airport gate, I recall thinking that perhaps this is what true thought leadership looks like these days: unbranded, unmonetized, and profoundly meaningful.
She caused a tidal change that was significant but not seismic. It prompted contemplation on how we present recommendations and who has the opportunity to speak. It served as a reminder to viewers that credibility is derived from the ability to express something that is widely understood but infrequently said, rather than from follower counts or studio polish.
Diary of a CEO is probably going to continue in the upcoming months. Steven Bartlett might recover or change his style. However, the ecology has been gradually pushed in the direction of something new, something more subtle, less polished, and perhaps more human.
That change could be especially advantageous for founders in their early stages. They may find themselves listening to something calmer, such as their own hesitancy, their own rhythms, or their own journal entries, rather than copying podcast soundbites.
And occasionally that’s where the real job starts.
