How I put myself out there without wanting to die

The learn-do-teach framework for authentically showing up online.

Photo cred: @cait_cavell

In my earlier years I was morbidly terrified of Putting Myself Out There online. Terrified of judgement from friends and family, and that people would think of me as a loser. Terrified of being stalked by some crazy dude or worse, being CANCELLED and hung out to dry.

In my days BC (before content) I was consumed by this fear. I even marinated on this very newsletter for years because I never felt like the timing was right (it never and always is) and that annoying voice in my head wouldn’t shut up questioning whether I had anything valuable to say (we all do). I thought that “Out There” was a special place inhabited by others; an online universe full of people who were more skilled, credible, confident and qualified than me.

But my perspective has changed over the last few years of sharing my opinions with the world. I’ve realised that Out There is actually Right Here, and that everything I want to say is already within me. Everything I’ve learned, everything I’ve done, everything I know, everything I believe. It’s all here, ready and willing to go.

You might think you have nothing to say or nothing valuable to share, but like me, you have ideas, thoughts, beliefs, lessons, knowledge and experiences that are desperate for airtime. That are trying to find their way out of your brain and into the world.

This leads us to an important set of questions…

How do you access your submerged ideas? How do you share them authentically and without fear? And how do you put yourself out there without wanting to die?

The Learn-Do-Teach Framework

Also known as the gateway to building your personal profile online.

1. Share what you’ve learned [beginner level]

If you’re new to showing up online, start by sharing what you’ve learned. It’s a good way to ease into the whole content thing, especially if you have major imposter syndrome or are early on in your career. Maybe you heard something interesting while listening to your fave podcast on your Saturday morning stroll, or learned a big lesson from a client, boss, peer or from your own experience. What struck you? How did it make you think differently? What are you going to change as a result? Sharing what you’ve learned is beginner level. It’s baby step #1.

Sharing what I’ve learned

2. Share what you’ve done [intermediate level]

Once you’ve built a little confidence by sharing things you’ve learned, it’s time to step it up a notch and share what you’re doing and have done. Have you just implemented something new in your business? What’s working? What’s not? To you, this might seem boring but everyone is nosy and curious about how others operate. And who knows? In sharing your process you might kickstart someone else’s.

Sharing what I’ve done

3. Teach others what you know [advanced level]

This is the most challenging level for a couple of reasons:

a) you probably assume that everyone knows what you know, and so think you have nothing to teach

b) you probably think that you’re not qualified because you’re not the world’s foremost expert

HOWEVER!! Don't take your education and experience for granted, because what’s basic to you is groundbreaking to someone else. Someone, somewhere is desperate to learn the lessons you’re perfectly placed to teach. Someone, somewhere is longing to read the words you’ve been hoarding. Not only that, you don’t actually need to be an expert to teach people something. You could share an entirely unoriginal idea (see my Tiktok below) in your own words that reaches someone new. This starts to position you as a go-to. A thought leader. Someone people want to work with.

Teaching what I know

Dig deep, be brave

Showing up online is confronting. Just like standing on a stage and giving a talk is confronting, or how answering the question “what do you do?” at a table full of corporate lifers is confronting (IYKYK).

But it won’t kill you. In fact, it will breathe new life into everything you do. It will generate leads and grow your business. It will help you make friends, build community and expand your world into places you didn’t know existed.

So take a big, brave breath and pick up that pen. Start small by sharing the lessons you’ve learned. Work up to talking about what you’re doing and have done. Eventually, start teaching what you know.

But more than anything stay true to yourself, because despite what you might think the answer isn’t Out There. Your permission to publish isn’t Out There. Your dream career and life isn’t Out There.

It’s Right Here.

Write Now.

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PS. if you’re struggling to present yourself confidently and write online (even though you know it would change the game for your business or portfolio career) check out my 1-1 mentoring sessions. Let’s figure it out together.

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🎙️ Another framework that’s helped me build confidence to write online: the shiny dime.

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