Hello There!
After almost three years of officially starting my business, there were times when I felt like I was living in witness protection. I built my skills and quietly grew my client base.
I learned to move strategically, to protect my energy, my reputation (which is important, of course), and pretty much just avoiding unnecessary exposure.
I have to say that there was a weird comfort in staying under the radar. There was less judgment from others and fewer risks for me. But there was a downside too, because no one really knew I existed. Opportunities were passing by while I kept a low profile.
I realized how suffocating it was. I felt like I couldn’t tell anyone my real story.
At least, that’s the plan.
Witness Protection
Running my business like this was only useful for a while. I was advised that at some point, I had to step out. Not exposing everything, but showing up in a way that felt safe, yet visible. Because the truth is, our skills, our expertise, our story—they’re all valuable. And hiding them keeps the wrong people away, but it also keeps the right people away too.
So, I slowly started shifting and experimenting, opening up and talking about some challenges that I faced and even admitting when I was frustrated. It was a vulnerability that I was uncomfortable with, but I was open and ready to step out of my undercover mode and still keep control of my story.
A year ago, after I shifted to a more strategic visibility by showing up to networking events and having one on one connections with other solo professionals, the right opportunities and clients started to show up. I received a Google Review shortly after from a very satisfied client:
It’s really not about showing off. It’s important to know that when we stay hidden it may keep us safe, but staying invisible is never good for business. It keeps opportunities at bay.
The Bottom Line
We can still protect what matters to us. We don’t have to risk it all to be seen, but we also don’t have to disappear. And when we start showing the right parts of our story, the right people will start showing up too.
Chuckle of the day! 😂
I tried to join a witness protection support group… but no one showed up.
Shamayne Brown is a virtual assistant and the founder of Camp Virtual Assistance.
She works with solo professionals and small business owners who are ready to invest in their business and need the support that she offers.
She specializes in creating email newsletters as well as other admin and creative design tasks.
Click here to connect on LinkedIn.
Click here to set up a discovery call.
