Ever been too good at staying in the background? That was me, the wingwoman for other people’s success stories while my own personal brand collected dust. For years, referrals kept me afloat… until they didn’t. And when the work dried up, I realized I’d made one huge mistake: I never built visibility for myself.
In this episode of JacQ of All Trades, I pull back the curtain on:
- Why being the best at what you do isn’t enough to get noticed.
- How I helped clients shine while staying invisible myself (and why that was a problem).
- The exact wake-up call that pushed me to start showing up online.
- 3 low-pressure ways you can start building your personal brand without cringing the whole time.
Full Episode Transcript
Hey, welcome back to JacQ of All Trades, the podcast for curious minds, multi-passionate weirdos, and anyone who’s tired of being told to “just pick a lane.”
I’m Jacq, solopreneur, content creator, gaming nerd, and professional avoider of the spotlight… until recently.
Today in episode 7, we’ll be discussing The Harsh Truth About Personal Branding for Experts & Solopreneurs.” And yes, I’m dragging myself a little here too. This one’s especially for the quiet experts, the ones who are amazing at what they do but somehow allergic to putting themselves out there.
If that’s you? Pull up a chair, because this episode might just be the kick in the pants you didn’t know you needed.
You know what’s ironic?
I’ve spent over a decade helping other people shine online. Writing their posts, building their personal brands, hyping them up like I was born to be their marketing fairy godmother.
Meanwhile… I stayed quietly in the background. Comfortable. Hidden. Off-radar.
Word of mouth kept me going for years. Clients would recommend me, work would trickle in, and I genuinely appreciated every single opportunity. It worked until it didn’t.
Because here’s the hard truth: people can’t hire you if they don’t even know you exist.
Let that sink in for a second.
Now, even when I started actively pitching myself, I still felt more comfortable playing “wingwoman” than being front and center. I can write engaging posts for clients, build communities around them, coach them through their content strategy…
But when it comes to promoting myself? Whew. Still a work in progress.
And I know I’m not alone.
What finally gave me the wake-up slap was watching a pattern. Brilliant people…I’m talking keynote speakers, corporate trainers, consultants, absolutely killing it in real life but…. invisible online.
No website. Dusty LinkedIn profile (Not that I’m a fan of LinkedIn but you know what I mean). No blog. Nothing.
Meanwhile, people who were, let’s just say… less skilled? They were the ones getting speaking gigs, high-paying clients, collaborations, all because they consistently showed up online.
Not because they were better. Just louder. More visible.
Let me give you a quick story. I had a client, we’ll call her Nina, a leadership coach who, like me, relied on referrals for years. I encouraged her to start sharing more on social media. Twice a week. Nothing too fancy, just real stories from her coaching sessions, common leadership mistakes, and some helpful breakdowns of her framework.
Within six months, she landed three speaking gigs. Two turned into long-term corporate contracts worth more than what she made in the entire previous year.
Did her skills magically improve overnight? Nope. She just stopped being a well-kept secret.
Now look, I get it. Putting yourself out there can feel… cringe. I still wrestle with it.
But here’s the thing and this isn’t about ego. It’s not about being the loudest voice in the room or chasing followers like a TikTok teen on a sugar rush.
It’s about safeguarding your future income. It’s about making sure all your hard-won expertise doesn’t disappear into thin air after every Zoom call or workshop.
At the end of the day, if you’re always hiding, always depending on referrals, always hoping people “just know” how good you are… you’re playing a dangerous game.
This isn’t vanity. This is survival.
Alright. So, how do you start showing up when self-promotion makes you want to curl up into a ball?
I’ve got three low-pressure ways for you, the kind that don’t require ring lights, 10,000 followers, or suddenly becoming a TikTok comedian.
One: Share what you know.
This is your low-hanging fruit. You already know things that could help someone else; insights from your work, trends you’ve noticed, common mistakes you’ve seen, even “lessons learned the hard way” moments.
Don’t overthink it or wait until you have the “perfect” post. If you do that, it’s gonna stay in your drafts until the heat death of the universe. Start small:
- A quick post about something that came up in a client meeting. It can be on Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn, whichever platform your audience hang out.
- An article sharing the story behind how you solved a tricky problem. It can be on your blog, Medium or Substack.
- A short video answering a question you get all the time.
And here’s a bonus: when you share your knowledge, people will share theirs back because they relate more to real stories than polished nonsense. Trust me, some of my best responses came from the “I messed up but learned something” posts. I’ve learned so much from comments and DMs in response to my own posts. It’s not just about visibility, it’s an exchange of ideas, and that can make you better at what you do.
Two: Make your website more than just a digital CV.
So many experts treat their website or LinkedIn profile like it’s a one-and-done checklist item: “Oh yeah, I made that thing in 2017, it’s fine.” Spoiler: it’s not fine.
Think of your website as your online HQ. It’s the place people check when they want to stalk you professionally. If it looks outdated or bare-bones, it’s like inviting someone over and realizing you only have a broken chair and stale biscuits. Was that a scene from Mr. Bean?
Anyway…
You should give them reasons to stay:
- Add case studies so they can see how you work and the results you get.
- Share testimonials that show off your credibility.
- Keep a simple blog or resource page so there’s something new for visitors to engage with.
These days, building or updating a site doesn’t need to be a nightmare. You can get something clean and professional up in a weekend with tools like Squarespace, Wix, or WordPress. It’s about showing that you’re active, relevant, and easy to reach. Your website should be working for you, even when you’re asleep or binge-watching K-dramas.
Three: Engage. Don’t just broadcast.
You know that person at a party who talks non-stop about themselves, never asks you a question, and leaves you looking for the nearest escape route? Yeah… don’t be that person online.
Instead of only posting your own stuff, be part of the conversation:
- Leave thoughtful comments on posts from people in your industry.
- Join online groups or communities where your potential clients or peers hang out.
- Ask questions and respond to answers, not just to promote yourself, but to actually connect.
This isn’t just feel-good advice. Engagement builds recognition. When people see your name pop up regularly and associate it with value, insight, or even a bit of humor, you become memorable. And being memorable is half the battle in a noisy online world. I do this a lot on Threads, especially around content creation and gaming. And guess what? People connect with you, not just your work.
If you start with just these three, you’ll already be ahead of most people who say they want to build a personal brand but never actually do the work. Keep it simple. Keep it consistent. And most importantly, keep it human.
Here’s the bottom line: staying small and invisible might feel safe, but it comes at a cost.
I learned that the hard way. When client budgets got tight or projects dried up, I was stuck. I hadn’t built the pipeline. I was too busy helping everyone else look good.
And suddenly… the silence was deafening.
Don’t wait until you’re wide awake at 3 a.m., panicking about where your next client is coming from.
Start showing up now even if it’s messy. Even if it’s scary. Even if it’s imperfect.
Because the people landing the opportunities? They’re not always the best. They’re just the most visible.
And if you are really good at what you do, your future clients deserve to find you. So stop hiding.
If this episode gave you a little nudge, do me a solid: hit follow, share it with that brilliant friend who’s still hiding online, or just send me a DM and tell me what hit home for you.
This has been JacQ of All Trades. Thanks for listening, and I’ll catch you in the next episode!
