Fear of Being Seen: How to Overcome Visibility Blocks and Show Up Confidently in Business
Hello my loves,
I’ve just got back from the most incredible few days in Brighton. Sunshine, sea dips, beach box saunas, and the kind of conversations that fill your soul. I was there with the incredible Jasmine Joan and Amber Jay, attending their event Brave, Bold and a Little Bit Weird (which, let’s be honest, is the perfect vibe).
It was such a nourishing trip, full of inspiring speakers, powerful energy, and plenty of space to reflect. And what landed for me most, amid all the inspiration and connection, was this:
So many women are still afraid of being seen. Afraid of feeling like a big fcking deal (because you are!) and owning who they are - fully and unfiltered.
I remember a time when this was me. When going to a networking event (even booking a ticket!) seemed like a huge leap. The thought of trying to talk to strangers would see the heat rise in my cheeks and chest and cause that dreaded feeling in the pit of my stomach that came with a bout of nausea.
On some level, we all know that being visible matters, especially in business. It’s how people find you, connect with you, and ultimately work with you. But visibility isn’t just about posting more or speaking louder.
It’s emotional. It’s exposing.
Because when you truly show up, when you let yourself be seen, people can judge you, misunderstand you, or even reject you. And for many of us, that touches something deep: that old fear of not being enough, or being too much.
So instead of letting ourselves be visible, we find clever ways to hide. We tweak. We perfect. We convince ourselves we’re “just not ready.”
Sound familiar?
It was my story too. I used to hide behind words that I knew people would relate to, pictures put through a filter and when I did attend a networking event or meeting, I would attach to someone and spend the whole time talking to them about anything other than what I was doing in business! I remember being so embarrassed, and feeling like I didn’t have a clue what I was talking about (I did!) but the feeling was there. A kickback to being in class and wanting the ground to swallow me up when the teacher asked a question.
Then there’s the buzzword floating around right now - authenticity. Everyone’s talking about it, but I think a lot of us have started performing it instead of living it.
We mimic what authenticity should look like, how it sounds, how it posts, how it performs, and in the process we lose the very essence we were trying to capture: ourselves.
Being authentic isn’t about proving you’re real. It’s about being willing to show up as you are, even when it’s messy. But also leaning into your power. This is the part I often see women struggling with. Authenticity gets lost in the pursuit of ‘relatability’.
We also get to have boundaries with how much we decide to share in public. I think that the fear around vulnerability & authenticity is also worry about having to share everything. I am certainly a big believer that you can show up authentically and be HUGELY visible and still have privacy.
When you say you’re afraid of being visible, what you’re often really afraid of is being seen as yourself.
You built this incredible business, or you’re building it, but there’s still that part of you that wonders if people will really like you. If they’ll value your work. If you deserve to be celebrated, well paid, and recognised for what you bring.
But here’s what I need you to hear: You do.
Visibility isn’t about shouting louder. It’s about letting yourself be recognised by the right people for who you already are and what you already do. It’s about allowing yourself to FEEL like a big fcking deal and then EXPRESSING that.
It’s not about proving your worth - it’s about remembering it.
So next time you feel that resistance rising, ask yourself where it’s really coming from. What part of you is trying to keep you safe? And can you thank that part for trying to protect you while still choosing to show up anyway?
Because you don’t need to perform your way to success.
While at this beautiful event I was reminded that no matter what stage or phase your in with life and business - own it. Success is relative and if you are always chasing a version of success that’s someone else’s, you will never learn to enjoy the stage that your in and the gifts that you’re being given in the moment.
We get to challenge the norms around what women get to sound like, speak like, look like - and that requires us all to do this work around our fear of visibility.
I want to remind you that your fear and feelings are VALID.
They have developed over your life to keep you safe. They come from your nervous system - and it’s done a really good job for you.
When we decide to move on, to expand, to understand the fear and process the emotion behind the wounds and blocks - we need to follow the emotion.
I mentioned earlier that feeling in the classroom at school. It came from a place of feeling like my voice + opinions + knowledge had no value. I was a deeply introverted weird kid who liked philosophy and culture, and when I spoke to people, I could visibly see them tune out, and then speak over me.*
That feeling was shame.
I had to go through the process of taking the surface level of the wound deeper, to it’s core, and exploring where in my life I had created beliefs and meaning behind a set of circumstances. I then had to explore that and see where my belief was made a ‘fact’ in my mind.
Once you have done that with your own wounds, you can start to process the emotion that was formed.
You can start to clear the wound from the root, and remove the belief from your subconscious mind and into your conscious - so that you can examine and shift it.
Only then can you start to take action to integrate your new belief and way of being.
Only then can you start to change the patterns and behaviours that will build your confidence and capacity for visibility and being seen.
This is the work I do with my clients, and time and time again I see them start to see and feel their truth which has been lying under years and years of performing or masking their voice.
It’s a beautiful journey to undertake as a woman. Your authentic voice will truly free you.
I invite you to start with just one memory that evokes emotion around your voice + worth, and see where it takes you.
And if your ready to fully explore what awakening your voice can do for your life + business, you can visit my website to find out more about my Awaken program. It’s made for women like you who need the deeper work on their wounds and fears around their voice + visibility.
You can also listen to this episode of my podcast where I go into this topic deeply to help you overcome your blocks.
Amy xx
*developing your voice will also take you on a journey to finding people who love what you love. not everyone will ‘get you’ but if you don’t master authenticity you will continue to be surrounded by people who don’t value you. Topic for another day!!