How to Overcome Your Fear of Being Seen to Become the Face of Your Business

Do you dream of starting your own business, getting paid to vacation on the beach, or making sales while you’re playing in the backyard with your kids? I won’t say it’s impossible to do with an anonymous blog, buuuttttt, it becomes so much easier when you ditch your insecurities and let your soul shine online!

This one's for my solopreneurs with a secret. The one's hiding behind stock photos and SEO strategies. The one's reading every article they see that swears you don't need social media to grow your business...

This article may not reinforce what you want to hear, but I still think it's worth your time to read. Because you are worth showing up for your business in every single way. We can make it easier 💜

My Story with Visibility

It was June of 2020 when I left social media and vowed never to return again. As an empath and highly sensitive person, the stress of the pandemic and the international chaos that ensued was just too much. Remember what the world was like at that time? Ick.

I thought if I cut myself off from the world, I could rise above that drama and ascend into some sort of enlightened state of being that the mere social media-using mortals could never understand… Obviously, that wasn’t the case lol.

Eventually, I realized that my refusal to use social media wasn’t coming from a place of empowerment, but a place of fear. I feared putting a mirror up to myself and looking at the woman I’d become (anyone else gain The Quarantine 15??). I felt embarrassed, ashamed, and unaesthetic-AF.

What Changed…?

It wasn’t until I became pregnant with my daughter that I realized just how important it was to allow myself to be seen. What if she has my eyes that I hate so much? What if she’s got a tummy pooch like mine that I’m constantly covering up? There’s no way I’m going to model to her that any of those things should be hidden from others.

I knew I couldn't be the only one feeling this way. So I started showing up.

I swapped out all the stock photos on my ads and replaced them with my own. And you want to know what? My organic Pinterest engagement actually tripled!

RELATED → Learn More About Building Your Own Business

Why Showing Your Face is So Beneficial

Some of this information may seem super obvious to you, but, you may want to read it, anyway. A big part of building an online business is staying up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices.

I’m all about following your intuition and the principles of a soul-led business. However, I’m also grounded enough to admit that sprinkling in a little technical strategy can help rip that invisibility cloak off of your business and skyrocket sales. Here’s why.

You Become Relatable

People don’t buy from automated e-mails, sales pages, or killer branding. They buy from other people–usually people who remind them a little bit of themselves. Showing your beautiful, perfectly imperfect face lets others know that there’s a living, breathing soul on the other side of your content.

If you lean towards self-consciousness over self-confidence, think of some of your favorite brands/influencers that you follow. Are they all model-perfect? Probably not! The people that probably stick out in your mind have a defined brand voice or lovable personality. They’re different in some way.

Please, don’t feel like you need to be a skinny, rich model to succeed in online business. Honestly? People might trust you even more if you aren’t…

Your Proof is in Your Story

You are your best testimonial (especially if you are just starting out in business). This is another important piece of your brand when it comes to that soul-led business model I was talking about. Speaking from the heart will always get you further than just saying what you think others want to hear.

Chances are, your story is also what drives your business. It’s your purpose, your why, and your reason for sharing with others. In many ways, your story is the most important part of your business. You don’t have to be an “expert in the field”. You just have to share what’s worked for you. Because it has the power to change someone else’s life, just like it did your own.

Your story isn’t as emotionally engaging when it comes from a grayed-out emoticon on someone’s screen. We want to put a face with the name.

Video Killed the Radio Star

Okay, maybe I’m showing my age a little with this reference, but hopefully, you get what I mean. We are living in a very visual age. Instagram, TikTok, Youtube, they’re all popular for a reason: because today’s society loves to watch.

If a picture says a thousand words, just imagine how many words you can fit into a 60-second video! This is exactly why more and more social media platforms are favoring video content. You don’t have to dance like a pre-teen in front of the camera to reap the benefits, either (although if that’s your thing, go for it).

Static, faceless posts just aren’t shown the same love they used to receive. You stand out from the crowd by being unapologetically, undeniably, you.

How to Change Your Mindset Around Being “Seen”

HINT: The key to healing your sense of self lies in your own self-awareness (not those 10 pounds you want to lose).

You don’t need to change the way you look, you just need to change the way you think! Here are some practices that may help.

01. Find Your Angles

This may sound counterintuitive, because there’s nothing worse than putting yourself in front of the camera, just to feel disheartened by the end result. Trust me, I’ve been there. But you know what? On the other side of that coin, there’s nothing better than loving the way those photos turned out!

Set up a safe space for yourself to take some super cute headshots. Get all done up, maybe more than you think is necessary. Put on your favorite outfit, one that makes you feel confident. And get to snapping. You’ll quickly find your favorite poses that make you feel (and look) like a million bucks.

Bonus Points: I highly recommend taking some time to get the lighting just right. It’s like having a built-in filter. I bought a ring light for like, $13 on Amazon that makes me feel and look a thousand times more professional than I really am 😝

P.S. There's more to this part than feeling confident in the way you look. Your physical environment and state of mind probably make up like, 85% of this process. Case in point: the photo on the left was taken by a professional photographer in a vibey cafe downtown. I thought I was doing everything right, yet it almost looks like I'm about to cry?

The photo on the right was taken by me and my iPhone, from the comfort of my own home, with my handy-dandy $13 ring light. I felt so much more comfortable, and it shows! Although, the long, luscious pregnancy hair definitely helped!

02. Reparent Your Inner Teen

For many of us, our junior high/high school eras were the most awkward, self-conscious, people-pleasing times of our lives, so it makes total sense that this part of ourselves would feel apprehensive around visibility and authenticity.

Remember how we all owned the same pair of American Eagle jeans and Abercombie & Fitch t-shirts?? Our sweet little souls craved acceptance and belonging at that age and unfortunately, that's how we got it.

But we aren't that sweet little soul anymore. We're adults who love and accept ourselves. Trying to be something we're not only crushes our spirit but when it comes to online business, it attracts clients who aren't aligned with who we truly are.

So let's get our inner teen on board by helping her to heal from any traumatic experiences she may have had to made her feel isolated, lonely, or less than. Do any specific memories around body or self-worth come up? Was there a mean girl at school who always had something to say about your outfit? Maybe you overheard some older boys discussing your looks from the neighboring lunch table?

These experiences can be super traumatic to our teenage brains and end up sticking with us for years after the fact. To help your inner teen heal from these experiences, it’s important to shut the door on those emotions completely. Remember, we’re adults now and we stand in our power, not anyone else’s.

Consider writing letters to anyone who contributed to your feelings of self-consciousness as a teen. Explain to them the experience and relay to them how it made you feel. Then, write a letter to that version of yourself. Tell her everything she needed to hear in that moment and let her know that you will protect her from that type of pain from now on.

GET THE FREE WORKBOOK --> Inner Teen Healing for Your Online Business Glow Up!

03. Consider Your Corner of the Internet a Safe-Haven

Cuz guess what? It seriously is. You’ve built this house and everyone who steps into it has to play by your rules. Ain’t nobody got time for trolls and negativity.

Your social platforms/website/community is yours to police. If you have visitors who don’t fit the vibe, you have every right to politely assist them out. Imagine, how would you feel showing up online if you knew you wouldn’t receive any negative feedback?

Now, start showing up as if all those negative nancies were blocked from your content. Or if it makes you feel better, actually block them! Cuz again, if it doesn’t feel safe, it doesn’t have to be a part of your business.

I had a marketing coach once say to create content as if everyone who sees it already loves you. SO HELPFUL! Imagine how you would talk to your best friend, then write your content in that voice. Not only will this foster a sense of safety in yourself, but your soul-mate audience will feel nurtured and connected to you, as well.

04. Create a Business That Helps You Heal

You don’t have to heal yourself first. Let me say that again: you do not have to heal yourself first!

So many businesses thrive while sharing the journey, not the destination. Simply share what’s working for you now, what’s helping you now, what’s alive for you right now.

Build a business that fills your cup, that nurtures your soul, that helps you grow. Then you can’t NOT show up. Sharing with others is such potent medicine that we rob ourselves of when we choose to hide. In using self-discovery as a pathway to online business, we find that we don’t need all the answers. All we need to do is start showing up.

Next Steps

I’d like to wrap this up by saying, only you know what’s right for you. My job isn’t to shame you into doing something you’re not comfortable with. However, I do feel responsible to let others know the quickest, most effective way to find success in online business. This is what has worked for me and is being proven to work in the current online space.

Sometimes, taking that leap of faith is just what we need to catapult our life in a different direction. So start before you’re ready and see what happens! Create that Instagram account, take that course, and see where the journey takes you. Download my free resource guide to get started.

Learn More

If you have any questions for me about online visibility, blogging, or the Build Your Own Blog Course, send me an e-mail at haley@hippie-ology.com We can discuss your path moving forward and whether BYOB is the right course for what you need! Plus, I'm always excited to meet new friends and connect with other like-minded people in this space.

So much love,

Haley