There’s a trap I see all the time in the online space, especially among heart-led women who got into business to help people, to create freedom, to build something meaningful.

It usually starts with a seemingly harmless piece of advice: “Just show up consistently.”
Followed closely by: “If you’re not getting traction, you’re not being visible enough.”

Cue the panic, the guilt, the “Why am I not doing enough?” loop. Then, the late-night scheduling marathons, batch-content bootcamps, and wondering if you’re ever going to crack the algorithm code that everyone else seems to know.

It’s exhausting, and worse, it’s not even effective long-term.

This isn’t a consistency problem. It’s a system problem.

The Visibility-Exhaustion Loop Is Real (And It’s Designed That Way)

The way visibility is taught in most marketing circles is not built for humans with rich inner worlds, creative minds, and responsibilities outside of business. It’s optimized for volume, virality, and platforms that profit off your burnout.

It doesn’t care if you’ve been up all night with a sick kid, or if your ADHD meds wore off halfway through your content calendar. It doesn’t care if you’re in a season of grief, growth, or gut-level transformation.

It just says: “More. Louder. Again.”

If you're anything like me or my clients, you’ve tried to play along. You’ve diligently followed the advice, even when it made your stomach twist. You’ve built reels when you would’ve rather written. You’ve shared “personal” stories that didn’t feel quite like yours to tell.

You kept showing up, because that’s what we’ve been told good business owners do. Until it all starts to feel flat… Or forced… Or like you’re slipping further and further away from the reasons you started in the first place.

This Isn’t Your Fault. It’s a Symptom of a System That Rewards Performance, Not Presence.

I’ve had so many conversations lately with brilliant women—coaches, therapists, creatives—who are questioning whether they’re “cut out for this,” and I keep telling them the same thing: You’re not the problem in all of this. You’re just tired of abandoning yourself for a visibility strategy that never felt good to begin with.

You’re not “bad at content.” You’re not “too sensitive.” You’re not “behind.”
You’re playing by rules that were never designed for someone like you to win.

When your messaging is murky, your strategy is duct-taped together, and your capacity is maxed… no amount of “consistency” will fix it.

Visibility without clarity is just noise.
You deserve more than noise.

You deserve a strategy that reflects the way you think, create, and connect; one that works with your brain, your values, and your current season of life.

That’s what I help clients build, inside the Clarity Call experience, and especially inside the Dream Business, Dream Life Roadmap. It’s not about doing more, it’s about doing what actually works for you, in a way that feels grounded, honest, and sustainable.

Let’s Talk About That Funny Little Reel

After a week of deep mentorship calls and a full CEO weekend (filled with passion work, strategic visioning, and high-level problem-solving), I thought I was thriving… And in a way, I was. I was in my zone. Energized. Lit up. Creative. Serving clients. Getting sh*t done.

Then, about 48 hours later, my brain peaced out. No warning. No gentle “hey, we might be overdoing it.” Just… gone. I tried to focus and found myself staring blankly at my screen, giggling at nothing in particular, and mixing up simple sentences mid-conversation.

So I did what any professional, silly-brained entrepreneur might do: Made a reel about it.

Because that’s visibility too.

Not the polished, prepped, high-performing version. The real, human, “my brain left the chat” version that shows people who I actually am.

I didn’t feel burnt out in the traditional sense. I was doing work I loved, but love doesn’t make you immune to depletion. Even aligned work has an energy cost. Especially when it requires you to hold space for others, constantly think 12 steps ahead, or move through deep internal shifts.

You don’t need to be miserable to be overwhelmed. Sometimes joy is sneaky. Sometimes it gives you a high that’s so fulfilling, you don’t realize you’ve overdrawn your energetic bank account until you’re too foggy to function.

This is why visibility needs to be supported, not just scheduled.

You Deserve a Visibility Strategy That Gives Back More Than It Takes

When I say I help clients show up without self-abandoning, I mean it.

I’ve seen the difference between performance and presence. Between trying to “be visible” and actually being seen. I know which one leads to sustainable success, long-term resonance, and the kind of magnetic brand that doesn’t need to shout to be heard.

Inside our work together, we ask better questions than “How often should I post?”

We ask things like:

• What kind of expression comes most naturally to you?
  If you're a writer, why are you forcing yourself to dance on camera every day? If you process slowly, why are you trying to follow a TikTok trend calendar?
  
  
• Is your message honest, clear, and rooted in something you believe?
  No more chasing trends that make your stomach twist. You can’t fake resonance. If a caption makes you cringe while writing it, it’s not the one.
  
  
• Do you have the structure to support your strategy?
  Winging it every week = visibility roulette. Flying by the seat of your pants works until it doesn’t. Especially if your pants are already fraying at the seams.

The goal isn’t to go viral. The goal is to stay visible in a way that feels like you; even during messy seasons, even when your brain checks out, even when life does what life does. #lifebelifing

When you build a system around your unique rhythm and energy, showing up becomes restorative, not just reactive.

If that’s what you’re craving, I’d love to explore it with you.

👉 Book your Clarity Call
💡 Or explore the Dream Business, Dream Life Roadmap if you’re ready for a fuller reimagining of your business ecosystem.

🔀 Follow Shauna Van Mourik – I’m sometimes funny, mostly endearing, and always thinking up new ways to make the world a better place.