How to be visible in a way that makes sense for you in 2022

Reluctance to talk about ourselves and our work is common among women in every sector at every level. Some of the typical reasons we avoid such "empty" and "self-indulgent" behaviours are; ?

??"If I have to "show off' to get noticed I'm not interested"??

??"I believe great work and a good work ethic speak for themselves"??

??"The very idea of marketing myself is cheesy and narcissistic"??

??"This stuff is beneath me - my value speaks for itself"?? ??

These are understandable but every single one is flawed. Each one of these beliefs will hinder you from progressing and I don't want that to happen. I've learned a lot about visibility and self-promotion over the last 15 years. Particularly about how our relationship with these things changes depending on our gender, race and class. Some of these lessons have been personal but the majority have come from you; the hundreds of women in The Global Bond, the women who talk to me at the end of an event, the women I've never met who open up to me in an email. ?

I want to share what I know with you. I want to introduce you to tools and methods you can use to talk about yourself and your work in a way that feels good, strong and right for you. ?

Do you believe that far more women could and should have more power and influence? I do. If talking about yourself is something you struggle with or is new behaviour for you, you are in the right place. With this in mind, let’s get underneath the three most common objections I’ve seen many women face when confronting visibility and how to make it work for you:

Objection 1: I don't have time to be visible

Talking about yourself and your work will increase your network, help you clarify your thoughts and your ideas, and help you progress. ? ?

You will know it will improve your visibility, your reputation, and increase opportunities but you just can’t find the time. ? ?

Where do you find time to talk about yourself and your work? ? ?

Try this: It’s a bit like exercise or reading - you don’t have time - you make time. Once you decide you are going to be proactive and you are going to take responsibility for being visible you make an ACTIVE CHOICE to make time.?? ?

Make it a habit???

Ideally, you want this behaviour to become a habit. The exact same way eating, texting, or watching Netflix is. On average, it takes more than 2 months before a new behaviour becomes automatic — 66 days to be exact. Things to bear in mind when you want to make a new behaviour stick; do the habit at the same time every day, don’t give up if you miss a day and be clear on exactly what the habit entails and what you want to achieve.??

Focus on the benefits???

Remind yourself of the benefits of being visible; ?

• increased authority?
• sharing your ideas?
• increase your reputation?
• help you progress in your field ?
• build your network ?

Then make an achievable goal - decide that you are going to send one tweet every Friday sharing what you learned that week or decide you are going to write two blog posts - one a letter to your future self and one a letter to your past self - or decide you are going to write a post on Linkedin about HOW you landed your current job. It doesn’t matter - what matters is it’s achievable and you feel like you can and want to do it. ?

Start small, start today, and make the time.

Objection 2: Who am I to be visible? There are already too many people doing what I do ?

Do you ever feel like there’s no point in showing up to write, talk or create something new? Who would listen? I don’t want to add to the noise? Who even cares? ? ?

It’s natural this happens - we have curated our own lives to see and hear some of the best people on the PLANET talking about the things we care most about. You are likely comparing yourself to authors with entire media teams, speakers with professional coaches and folks who have been in business for decades. ? ?

This is one way the internet skews your perspective. I often get lost thinking everyone is talking about women and work and business and how we find our power - but that’s only the case in my little bubble. There are millions and millions of people who aren’t talking about this and they are keen to learn.

Try remembering these three truths;

1. The world is big enough for everyone ?
2. There is no such thing as originality
3. What are others NOT talking about? Where are the gaps?? ??

Objection 3: What if my success makes others feel bad?

This concern is valid. This is a natural response, especially if you were taught to put other peoples feelings before your own. For many of us, “success” is a trigger; it inspires some to rise higher, it might inspire others to feel jealous or bitter. None of this is on you - it’s completely out of your control.

Try this; You are not in control of other people’s feelings. If you are honest and humble, your experience will always be of benefit to those willing to listen. For every one person that feels bad, there may be five others who feel inspired to take action. And that’s what this world needs right now, women who put themselves out there.

Share the journey, not the highlights.

Showing the work, your journey to the work, and what you learned along the way is a greater service, it will make that journey shorted for others if you really share wholeheartedly.

You can’t be what you can’t see

The world is awash with male role models; we need more women shouting from the rooftops about what they’ve done and how they’ve done it!! 5. If you rise, this helps other women rise There is enough success, opportunities for growth and accomplishments to go around. Let others be responsible for their own emotional responses. After all, what’s the alternative? To stay quiet? To dial them down? No thank you.

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