The fear of being seen 👀
Why you might struggle to put yourself out there
I used to be scared of putting myself out there (I lowkey still am sometimes). But this year I made it a mission to start building my personal brand and try to be seen.
The result? Over 750,000 people saw my posts on LinkedIn alone.
This is absolutely insane! But you know the best part is? The opportunities and connections you make and how life-changing it can be for your career.
When I first started posting in January, I had 900 followers and no real friends within the industry. I wanted to freelance and really put myself out there to promote my business and now it has become so much more.
I met some of my best friends on there. Have access to opportunities I would not have gotten prior to being on LinkedIn and I honestly think there is more to come.
And before you start overthinking about whether or not you should start putting yourself out there more or build your personal brand let’s get this out of the way:
Yes, people are probably going to judge you even make fun and gossip about you. But the same people who judge you today are the same people who will ask for your help tomorrow. At the end of the day they aren’t the ones paying your bills so who cares?!
Here are some of my tips to start putting yourself out there, the virtual way because lord knows you won’t catch me outside:
If you want to start posting I’d suggest you start with a challenge. It’s a lot easier to start posting when you don’t have to think about what to post. My favourite challenge is the PLM LinkedIn challenge by Sophie Miller.
Follow other creators. When I first started posting I was following other creators who also posted on the platform. Because it seemed like everyone was doing it, I didn’t feel weird about posting at all. Here is a list of BIPOC creators you should follow on LinkedIn.
Build a community or support system. You can either join a group or just reach out to other creators and build friendships. It’s always nice to be friends with other people within the industry.
I hope this motivates you to start building your own personal brand and not be scared to put yourself out there.
(PS. This is my last e-mail until next year. Will be back on January 7th)
📺 Watching: Godmothered | Watch here
I’m making it my mission to really enjoy the winter season and one way I have been doing it is by watching Christmas movies. This movie was SO FUNNY! 10/10 would recommend.
📖 Reading: The Grim Reaper's Lawyer (Life After Death Book 1) | Buy here
So far I am loving it! It’s so easy to read. And again the main characters are POC. I stan!
🎧 Listening: The Business Expert: The SECRET FORMULA That Launches Billion-Dollar Companies! | Watch here
Emma Grede is who I want to be when I grow up. I have such a respect and admiration for her. I loved this podcast episode because she really goes into more of the mindset of it all. Especially her as a woc who doesn’t come from wealth.
🎧 I’ll be a guest on the #CreatorTeaTalk podcast on Thursday! It’s a live LinkedIn podcast hosted by Jayde I. Powell. It will be from 5PM-6PM EST. We’ll talk about our influencer predictions.
📖 My friend Tadzia created her first-ever journal. If you need a journal for the new year I’d recommend hers. I ordered mine already. Get on the waitlist.
🎄 I’m finally on a holiday break. This is my first proper break in years! Super excited about it.
Thank you so much for reading this week’s newsletter! I truly hope you enjoyed it. If you made it this far feel free to reply with 🎄 and let me know your plans for the holiday season (if you celebrate).
Again, thank you so much for supporting Mesa! 🍴
Till next time! 🍷
Qetsiyah