You Don’t Have to Be the Brand
Why visibility isn’t performance – and how to grow without selling yourself
This month on Strategy with Soul, we’re in Gemini season – exploring a four-part series on voice, visibility, and the power of clear expression.
Not the loud kind. Not the polished kind.
The kind that says what you actually mean – in your work, your marketing, your decisions, and your pricing.
You don’t hate visibility.
You just hate what you think visibility has to look like.
The filtered face. The awkward pause. The slightly-too-long caption that says “I’m just being honest” while giving away your life story.
The whole “personal brand” machine that says:
Show more. Be more. Share more.
Or disappear.
No wonder it feels exhausting.
Let’s be honest:
Most of us don’t hate showing up.
We hate pretending.
Pretending we’re fine.
Pretending we’re sure.
Pretending we’re not filtering every word through the lens of how it will land.
The problem isn’t visibility.
The problem is performance.
I spent years teaching small business owners how to ‘be the brand’. How to show up, share their story, and make it resonate.”
But here’s what I noticed…
Some of them loved being on camera. They lit up on lives. They could talk to their phone like it was their best friend.
Others? Froze. Dreaded it. Avoided it for weeks.
Being the face of your brand can grow your following faster.
But it doesn’t always translate to sales.
Because sometimes what you’re building isn’t a client base.
It’s an audience of nosey followers.
I still remember the first time I flinched at the phrase “personal brand.” It wasn’t the strategy that bothered me – it was the expectation that my face had to do the selling. That I had to be likeable, visible, always on. I didn’t want to be a character. I wanted to be a coach.
And I knew things had gone too far the day my stories about a dog walk got more clicks than a well-crafted offer. That was the moment I realised I was performing more than I was marketing.
You are not an influencer.
Influencers market other people’s products. Their personality is the brand.
Their life is the business.
You are a business owner.
Your ideas, your expertise, your offers – that’s the business.
Your personality can support your brand.
But it shouldn’t be the brand.
If you want to grow your business, you don’t need to be on camera every day.
You just need to:
▸ Know what you stand for
▸ Say it clearly and consistently
▸ Share your work in a way that builds trust
Not perform trust.
Build it.
The truth is: people don’t need more access to your life. They need more access to your work.
You don’t have to be the brand to be trusted. But you do have to stop performing.
So if you’ve been hiding not because you’re scared – but because you’re tired of performing – let this be your permission slip to do it differently.
❤️ If this landed, tap the heart to give it a Like (even if you’re reading on email) or Restack 🔁 to share with others – it helps more than you know..
🔐 This month’s toolkit expands on this – perfect if you’re ready to shift how you show up, without selling yourself.
🔐 If you're a paid member, your toolkit resource is now in the library:
Show Up Without the Spotlight
A grounded guide for staying visible – without selling yourself
This isn’t just about Instagram. These shifts can apply to your emails, Substack, website, or anywhere you show up in your business.
If your strategy feels off because you’re tired of selling yourself, not your work – this is for you.
3 no-pressure ways to show up online – even if you’re camera-shy, burnt out, or over it
Messaging prompts to help you speak clearly without oversharing
Simple shifts to stay consistent without performing
Not yet a paid member?
This resource is part of my Members Toolkit – a growing library of tools, prompts, and grounded strategies to help you build a sustainable, soul-aligned business.
If you're ready to stop performing and start showing up on your own terms, you’ll find everything you need inside.
Questions to sit with:
▸ Where are you still performing in your business – and calling it ‘strategy’?
▸ What would change if visibility felt safe, not performative?
▸ What fear is really hiding underneath the idea that you have to be the brand?
See you next week for our final Gemini season post.
This part right here: "Your ideas, your expertise, your offers – that’s the business.
Your personality can support your brand. But it shouldn’t be the brand." I could not agree more. For non-influencers the "you are your brand" has always landed as bad advice to me (especially as someone who once had her entire sense of self-worth wrapped up in her career).
Sam this is a breath of fresh air. It’s like you’ve handed us a permission slip to be real. I think the pressure to perform often stems from a deeper fear of not being enough unless we’re seen. But we can flip that script and see visibility as an act of service instead. Thank you so much for this