Independent, but Invisible?

You finally left the 9–5. But now no one sees you, and no one told you how to fix that.

Going independent sounds like freedom.

No more micromanagers. No more meetings that drain your soul. Just you, your skills, and the kind of work that actually matters to you.

But then it happens:

You step out… and it’s quiet.

No inbound leads. No DMs. Just a blank page and a creeping doubt:

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“Am I invisible?”

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I’ve been there.
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I was doing good work — but no one saw it.
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And as a designer in government, I wasn’t just unseen. I was undervalued.

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People around me — scientists, policy advisors, sales folks — saw my job as "just making things look nice." Never mind that I was helping build usable, human-centered systems.

When your work isn’t recognized, it changes you. You start pulling back.

You give less. You stop raising your hand. You wonder what the point is.

That feeling didn’t leave me when I went independent. It just… followed me.

Because being good at your craft isn’t enough.

At some point, you realize: you have to learn how to be seen.

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But that’s hard when you’re an introvert. Or when you’ve always been the one behind the scenes. Or when posting online feels like shouting into a void full of louder, flashier people.

What helped me — and what I now help others with — wasn’t some hypey content formula.

It was figuring out how to show up in a way that felt aligned with who I am.

That starts with story.

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Take a client of mine — a localization expert building an app on the side, bouncing between jobs, unsure what her future looked like.

We didn’t start with tactics.

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We started with, What’s your story?
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What do you want to be known for?

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She started writing about her work. Her process. Her why.

Two weeks later, she landed a job.

A few weeks after that? She was preparing to pitch her app to investors — with clarity, momentum, and confidence.

Not because she followed a content calendar.

Because she stopped hiding her voice.

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Here’s the truth most consultants miss:

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You don’t get seen by waiting to be discovered.

You get seen by practicing visibility — in a way that’s true to you.

That doesn’t mean becoming a personal brand influencer.

It means saying what you do, showing what you care about, and making it easy for people to remember you when the right opportunity comes.

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A few months ago, I had a client tell me:

“I have a thousand ideas, but I don’t know which one to start with.”

We spent 45 minutes on a free call, unpacking her story, her influences, and the people she wanted to help.

By the end, she said:

“I think we got something there.”

She didn’t need a rebrand. She didn’t need more skills.

She just needed help naming what was already inside her.

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And that’s what I do.

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Not as a coach with a perfect plan. But as someone who’s walked this road.

Who helps you figure out what you actually want to say — and how to say it in a way that feels real.

Because if you’re independent but invisible…

You’re not lost.

You’re just unspoken.

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If this is where you are right now — stuck, unclear, or quietly overthinking — I’ve got space for a few free clarity calls this month.

No pressure. No pitch. Just an honest conversation about where you are, where you want to go, and what might be getting in the way.

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Book your free session HERE.

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Because going independent doesn’t mean you have to go it alone.

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