The Fear of Being Seen: Why You’re Holding Back in Your Coaching Business (And How to Break Free)

Are you truly showing up for your coaching business? I mean, are you doing everything you should be doing to make it successful? Or do you find yourself resisting some of the work?

Perhaps you hold back from posting, from making offers, from fully stepping into your leadership. Maybe you delay launching, hesitate before pressing publish, and second-guess your pricing, your programs, your voice. You plan, you prepare, you wait for the moment when you’ll feel ready—but somehow, you never quite get there.

This is partially procrastination and it’s also partially ignorance, meaning, you don’t know what to do or how to do something.  But, importantly, it’s also partially fear– fear of being visible and fear of being seen.

Visibility is getting yourself and your message out there, not just in your marketing, but in your entire being. You’ve got to own your coaching work as a passion– owning your story, your message, your expertise.

I’m hosting the “Visible Coach Retreat: Show Up Boldly, Brand Your Message & Slay Your Fear of Being Seen” March 7th through 9th. Ooooh, Baby! This is going to be a weekend where we take a deep dive into the pain and trauma that are keeping you playing it small, avoiding the work you need to make your coaching business pop. We’re also going to be working on your branding, your content, your message, and how you show up. My goal is to help you show up and slay your fears so you show up and slay your coaching business.

I’m talking about standing fully in your power and declaring, “I am here. I am a leader. I am worthy of this work.” And that is freaking terrifying. Because stepping forward means risking judgment, failure, and—worst of all—success.

It is perfectly normal to feel humble when you’re just starting out. Maybe you don’t fully trust yourself yet. You might doubt whether your story is valuable or whether you have enough experience. Maybe you look at other coaches and feel like you don’t measure up.

Hahaha! You wouldn’t be the first person who told me that the thought of putting yourself out there—on video, in writing, in conversation—makes you want to run in the opposite direction!

Most coaches aren’t just afraid of marketing themselves. They’re unsure if their programs are good enough. They hold back on planning, avoiding structure and strategy because it feels overwhelming or too serious. They downplay their expertise, keeping their ideas to themselves instead of turning them into something real.

They hide behind “I need more training” or “I don’t know enough yet” as a way to avoid stepping into leadership.

They fear being visible because they don’t yet trust what they’re bringing into the light.

And that’s why visibility work is healing work.

You’re not just trying to get more eyes on you. You’re trying to get comfortable with your own reflection, with your own voice, with your own authority. You’re learning how to trust the wisdom moving through you, how to shape it into something that can serve others, and how to stand confidently in your own space.

And that process? It’s messy. It’s uncomfortable. It stirs up every insecurity, every limiting belief, every old wound that told you, Don’t be too much. Don’t stand out. Don’t make people uncomfortable with your presence.

But if you want this business—if you want the impact, the freedom, the abundance, the ability to do this work every single day—you cannot wait until you feel ready. You cannot wait for permission. You cannot keep hiding behind “someday.”

The only way forward is to show up, even when it’s uncomfortable.

Friend, show up before you feel like an expert.

Show up before you have everything figured out. Show up in a way that feels real to you—whether that’s on video, in writing, through conversation, or in the way you lead your coaching sessions. Show up with the knowledge that you will get better over time, that clarity comes through action, and that the right people will find you when you stand fully in your truth.

Because if you keep waiting for confidence to arrive before you begin, you will wait forever.

Confidence is not the prerequisite for showing up. Showing up is the prerequisite for confidence.

Remember to sign up for the Visible Coach Retreat!