As a lifelong learner and a seasoned learning professional, I’ve always prided myself on my ability to tackle new challenges. Whether it’s strategizing corporate training programs with brilliant subject matter experts or diving into unfamiliar concepts (hello, thermogravimetric analysis – the first learning program I had to create…. yikes), I thrive on the learning process. 

After 25 years in the corporate learning world, I hold a deep appreciation for education and aim to learn something new every day. After all, I don’t want to become that parent who has to ask their kids for tech help.

But no amount of experience prepared me for my latest endeavor – crocheting. 

Yep, that’s right – crocheting.

Curiosity, Confidence, and Total Delusion

Several years ago, I discovered that many of my colleagues were seasoned crocheters, effortlessly crafting gifts, clothes, and adorable toys. They made it look so easy. Coming in each week with something new they had completed over the weekend. So naturally, I fell into the trap of thinking: How hard could it be? Surely, I can do this.

I’ll admit – there was a bit of FOMO involved. Who wouldn’t want to give friends and family beautiful, handcrafted pieces? Plus, learning something new felt exciting, familiar even. I’ve done it countless times before; I’ll do it again!

This is the first stage of adult learning: Unconscious Incompetence. In this phase, enthusiasm runs high, and the learner believes they will master the skill or topic in no time.

With unbridled confidence, on a Friday afternoon, I found a beginner’s guide, selected a seemingly simple blanket pattern – a really cute striped one – and hit the store. Crochet hooks? Check. Two colors of yarn? Check. A cute basket to keep everything tidy? Umm, obviously, check and check. 

By Monday, I told myself, I’d have a finished blanket to proudly show the team.

The Frustration Barrier Hits Hard

The next step was to wind the yarn into balls – a task I didn’t realize would take 30 minutes per skein. Three balls in, I got bored and abandoned the rest. (The pattern called for 12 skeins of yarn – thus, I had to create a yarn ball 12 times.) Time was ticking. It was time to start my blanket. I had a team to wow.

I queued up a YouTube tutorial, restarted it several times (pure precaution, of course, think typical overachiever), picked up my hook and yarn, and dove in.

Slip knot? Nailed it. Chain stitch? Easy… or so I thought.

Enter stage two of adult learning: Conscious Incompetence. This is where excitement crashes into reality. Scott H. Young calls it the frustration barrier – the miserable phase where, bluntly put, you suck at it.

I chain-stitched my heart out, unraveled and restarted at least thirty times. My stitches were all over the place. Some were so tight I could barely force the hook through, while others were so loose you could drive a truck through them. 

The blanket looked less like a cozy masterpiece and more like a chaotic disaster. Monday was no longer looking promising. I was frustrated, put down my hook and yarn, and told myself I would try again in the morning. Surely, a good night’s sleep would help, and in the morning, my fingers would cooperate.

Learning Through (Humbling) Trial and Error

Humbled but determined to push forward, I spent Saturday rewatching tutorials, restarting my stitches, and trying desperately to improve. This stage – Conscious Competence – is where deliberate practice and perseverance kick in.

At least, that’s the hope.

But despite my efforts, improvement wasn’t happening. My stitches remained uneven, and my frustration grew and grew. I hadn’t made it to the “competent” part yet, and I was doubtful that I ever would. I knew I needed more help than a video tutorial could provide.

By Monday, I swallowed my pride and turned to my teammates, experts who had long since reached Unconscious Competence, where mastery is so deeply ingrained that the skill becomes second nature.

They listened to my struggles, asked smart questions, and promptly informed me that I’d made my learning experience way harder than it needed to be.

Apparently, I’d picked an overly ambitious pattern. My wool yarn was too thick, and my hook was too big. They suggested an easier pattern, smaller hooks, cotton yarn, and tension rings. What? Tension rings? I looked them up and ordered them for next-day delivery.

So, off I went – new supplies, new mindset, new attempt. This skill was not going to beat me. I was going to persevere and become a master. Christmas was approaching, and I was going to gift friends and family my homemade crafts. Sadly, even with new hooks, an easier pattern, more forgiving yarn, and tension rings, crocheting wasn’t meant to be. Self-learning wasn’t cutting it – I needed one-on-one help, so I enrolled in classes at a local yarn shop.

Connecting Learning to the PESO Model©

While reflecting on this journey, I realized something: The stages of learning apply just as much to mastering the PESO Model as they do to crocheting.

When I joined Spin Sucks as chief learning officer, I wanted to immerse myself in the PESO framework, understand it inside and out, and help others do the same. 

I devoured the certification, listened to Gini’s podcasts, and attended her live workshops to sharpen my expertise.

But here’s the catch – corporate learning isn’t always fueled by personal passion. Many professionals “have to learn” because their organization requires it. And that often means they enter training less eager than I was to master crocheting.

Learning PESO (Or Any New Skill) Step-by-Step

Many PESO learners go through the same four phases of learning:

  • Unconscious Incompetence – Like me eagerly selecting yarn, many learners jump in, thinking PESO is simply a checklist of tactics. Paid, Earned, Shared, and Owned media – easy, right?
  • Conscious Incompetence – Much like my tangled yarn and abandoned stitches, they soon realize that PESO isn’t just about listing tactics. Strategy matters. Execution matters. Suddenly, they feel stuck, struggling to make the framework work for them.
  • Conscious Competence – The breakthrough happens when learners acknowledge they need help. Whether it’s workshops, certification, or hands-on practice, structured learning accelerates growth. I learned this firsthand by enrolling in crochet classes.
  • Unconscious Competence – Eventually, mastery kicks in. A seasoned professional navigating PESO feels as natural as my teammates crocheting while watching TV – effortlessly integrating strategies, tweaking campaigns, and adapting.

The Secret to Learning Success

Whether it’s crocheting, PESO Model, or any skill or knowledge topic, learning takes patience, practice, and sometimes a little (okay, maybe a lot of) frustration. 

My challenge to you: the next time you face a learning curve, embrace it. Ask for help. Learn from those ahead of you. Stay persistent.

And most importantly, know that every failed attempt – whether a tangled ball of yarn or a botched PESO Model strategy – is just one step closer to success.

Shelly Verkamp

For more than two decades, Shelly was a transformative learning and development leader at Eli Lilly & Co. Known for building high-performing, adaptable learning organizations that delivered measurable business impact, spearheading enterprise-wide learning strategies infused with AI, her work consistently drove innovation and strategic growth. By pairing business objectives with sound adult learning principles, she has developed and delivered impactful learning initiatives. With a passion for elevating learning as a lever for business transformation, she thrives on helping learners stretch beyond their comfort zones to create lasting, meaningful impact. She brings a dynamic blend of commercial acumen, compliance insight, and global operational excellence to Spin Sucks. Shelly has both undergraduate and master’s degree in Adult and Secondary Education from Purdue University, West Lafayette. She currently lives in Indianapolis where she enjoys spending time with her friends and family. As the Chief Learning Officer at Spin Sucks, Shelly will lead our learning strategy - creating modern, impactful learning experiences to grow capabilities and fuel the future of marketing and communications.

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