Let me be real with you for a second: I didn’t want to record this podcast episode. Some days you just don’t feel like doing the things you need to do to keep your business running—especially when it comes to showing up online. But here’s the thing – I didn’t have another day to record, and I couldn’t let a week go by without showing up for you. So here I am, notes-free and unscripted, because sometimes that’s exactly what we need to do as business owners. And today, I want to give you permission to feel the same way while still taking care of your business and yourself.
You Don’t Owe Anyone Your Opinions
Here’s what I need you to hear: You are not a bad person if you don’t have the emotional energy to talk about every world event. You’re not any less compassionate or empathetic if you’ve decided to keep your political beliefs, non-beliefs, or gray areas private.
The pressure to speak up about everything happening in the world has become overwhelming. People are being bullied into sharing their thoughts on every tragic event, every political situation, every crisis. But guess what? You are not obligated to do that.
As business owners, there’s this constant tension between “be personal, be human” and maintaining professional boundaries. You get to decide how much people know and see and hear from you. You’ll never hear me say you need to share every detail of your life – the good, the bad, and the ugly.
The Reality of Being an Online Punching Bag
Want to know why people aren’t speaking up? Because there are a lot of people who can’t handle differing opinions, and you become a punching bag. Not everyone has the emotional capacity to handle that kind of backlash.
I work with clients who have real trauma. It would be absolutely devastating for them to put themselves in a position where they could be attacked by people who don’t understand them, misinterpret them, or flat-out disagree with them. It’s simply not worth it to many of us to speak out about every single thing happening in the world.
People have made it so difficult to share even a simple condolence post because everything “means something” to someone. The scrutiny is exhausting.
You’re Already Doing Enough
I’m here to give you permission to not worry about it. You are already doing enough worrying. You’re already thinking about it, ruminating over it, feeling sick about it, crying about it. I talk to clients who tell me they’ve cried all day over world events.
Just because someone didn’t make a post about something doesn’t mean they care less. You would have to not be human to not be affected by the collective weight of everything that’s happened in the past five years. Everyone is affected by this stuff.
Do you really want me to add to the online echo chamber? Do you want me to say the same thing that thousands of other people have already said? For what purpose?
Your Business Obligations Matter
You’re running a business. I regularly have clients ask me: “Should I be posting today? Can I sell today? Can I keep talking about my offer? Is it insensitive to continue with business as usual?”
Here’s what I always tell them: You’re a small business owner. You have an obligation to yourself, to your clients, and to your family to continue doing what you’re doing; you need to show up financially.
You don’t see big businesses closing down because a horrific world event happened, you can still shop at Walmart and Target, go to the bank, get gas. So who’s getting hurt when you stop your business activities? You are. Your family is. Your clients who need your services are.
Post From Alignment, Not Fear
If you want to share something, I’m absolutely not telling you not to. But I don’t want it to come from a place of “What will people think if I don’t?” or “What will people think if I do?”
I want it to come from a place of genuine desire: “I want to share this, talk about this, have this conversation with my community.” If that’s where you’re coming from, then absolutely do you.
This isn’t about telling business owners not to use their voice. It’s about giving you permission – permission you don’t even need – to say “No, that’s not aligned for me right now.”
Protect Your Energy
Maybe you’re so sick to your stomach that you literally can’t take another thing. One mean comment will send you over the edge. You need to conserve that energy so you can greet your kids with a smile when they come home from school, make them dinner, take them to sports, and yes – sell that offer next week so you can pay your bills.
You are allowed to conserve your energy. You’re allowed to protect yourself emotionally, physically, and mentally. Absolutely no one on this planet gets to tell you what you can and cannot talk about.
The Reality of Being Always “On”
Being an online business owner means you’re constantly connected. As one of my clients told me today: “I really wish I could throw my phone in the ocean.” When you’ve got to be on your phone to do business, it becomes this double-edged sword.
No one intended for us to know about every tragedy, every crisis, every horrible thing happening around the world. It’s always been happening – we just didn’t have access to it all before. Now it’s at our fingertips, and every time we open our phones, we’re hit with content we didn’t consent to seeing.
It’s hard to be an online business owner when there’s so much going on in the world, plus everything you’re dealing with in your own life.
Take Care of Yourself First
Sometimes I have to ask my clients: What’s harder – showing up today and doing the money-making activity you don’t want to do, or next month not being able to pay your team members?
At the end of the day, doing what you need to do in your business is so much easier than stressing about money and how you’re going to pay for things. Money stress is one of the worst kinds of stress.
Your Next Steps
Take care of yourself today – mentally, physically, and yes, in your business too. Do your money-making activities. If you come across someone online who makes you question your own compassion (which you know you have), mute them, block them, forget about them.
You know your heart, you know your values. You don’t need to prove your humanity to strangers on the internet.
Let’s talk about creating systems and boundaries that protect your energy while growing your income. DM if you have any questions.
Remember: You’re not required to set yourself on fire to keep others warm. Take care of yourself first – your business, your family, and your community need you sustainable and strong.
