Why Smart People Stay Invisible Longer Than They Should

Ever notice how some of the most skilled, experienced people you know are... barely visible online?

Meanwhile, someone half as qualified seems to be everywhere, booking clients left and right?

Here's the uncomfortable truth: talent doesn't equal visibility. And if people can't see you, they can't hire you.

Today, I'm pulling back the curtain on why smart, capable people stay hidden way longer than they should — and the specific mindset patterns that keep brilliant entrepreneurs playing small.

In this episode, I break down:

• The moving goalpost that keeps you "preparing" instead of growing (and why your next certification won't fix this)
• Why protecting yourself from judgment is actually pushing away your ideal clients
• The weird confidence gap: why people who aren't that good have no problem talking themselves up... and what that taught me about authenticity
• What flowers and bees have to do with attracting clients (seriously — this reframe might change everything)
• The one thing you're probably bored of that your audience hasn't even discovered yet
• A 10-minute exercise that could uncover the credibility you've been sitting on this whole time

Plus: the testimonial strategy that turns bland "she was great to work with!" into emotionally compelling content that actually converts.

Because here's what I know: you didn't build your skills, experience, and expertise just to keep them to yourself.

Staying invisible isn't humble. It's hiding.

Ready to stop being your own best-kept secret? Hit play.

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Transcript

Natasha (00:00)

Hello everyone and welcome to the show. I'm your host, Natasha Clawson And today I'm super excited to get on our topic. But before I even go there, I just have to say how excited I am because I looked out the window and there's just this beautiful flurry of snow and I love snow. I live in Denver and I can just see out of my apartment, this light dusting all over the road and it's kind of foggy.

And it just makes me really happy. We have not had a lot of snow this year and I've just been excited for the snow, probably because it reminds me of when I lived in the Czech Republic and the winters were long and I finally found out what, why people need scarves, hats, gloves. I'm from Northern California and we had snow, right? We went skiing. I just didn't know that, you know, when you live in the city and there's snow all the time, you need knee length jacket, knee high boots.

gloves, scarf, because in California, you know, we get the cold weather, we throw in a jacket, a hat, okay, whatever. So I love thinking about Prague and just all the fun memories there. So it's my little happy space for today. So let's talk a little bit about our topic today. It's one that is really near and to my heart because it impacts so many people. And the topic is why smart people stay invisible.

longer than they should. And over the years, I have seen so many friends and fellow business owners and even myself struggle with this at different points in my business. And the result of it is that they're not making the income they desire. If you are not visible enough, if people don't know what you do, you're just going to have a lack of a pipeline, right? And it's not for lack of trying and it's not for lack of talent. In fact, so many of these people

that I know and have known over the years are wildly talented. Some so much more talented than expensive paid courses I've paid for from really well-known people. And for them, especially if they're running like a 10 % cohort or something like that, the experience with them is actually even more valuable because you can get one-on-one time versus people who have more of like a celebrity status. They sell great courses, but you don't get as much one-on-one time because they're so big and they're selling to so many people.

There's this hidden nugget of value and they're just not getting the business that they're desiring. So what's really going on here and what it is is that they're their own best kept secret. They have hidden their brilliance for so many different reasons. And when people can't see that brilliance, when your audience can't see it, they just are not seeing you for the expert you are because they just don't know. And it's such a simple thing, but it's also a challenging thing. And

In this podcast today, we are going to break down some of the reasons I see holding people back from putting that brilliance on full display. And when you put that brilliance on full display, it really does something to attract, right? Because you are sending a signal to the world, not only of what you're looking for, but what you want. it's you're looking, you're looking out in the world for what you want. So you are aware, you're seeing what's out there.

you're gonna notice those things, because you've defined it. And then you are putting out your own signaling so other people can see that and think, ⁓ I have this opportunity, I can go to her. So it's kind of this push and pull. And actually, I really think that this is the essence of manifestation. And I think a lot of people talk about manifestation in a really woo woo way, right? You define what you want, you put it out in the universe and it'll just come back to you. And...

I like the woo woo stuff sometimes, but in general, I'm very practical and grounded. And what I see in manifestation is that people set an intention. And so just what I said in the first few sentences here, I'll just redefine it. You set an intention. You say very clearly, I am looking for X. And then you open your eyes to that in the world around you. And then you tell everyone else you are looking for that. And so it's this active activation of what you're looking for.

And that's what creates the manifestation. And this is actually why it works, in my opinion. And I'd also just like to use an example of flowers. Flowers are the way they are, the color, the scent, the shape, so they can attract bees and other animals to them for different reasons. Now, specifically bees, they're looking for color.

there's even ultraviolet patterns that bees can see, which can act like visual guides to nectar. And they also have nectar, right? It's a sugar source and pollen as a protein. they attract in these bees and they also bloom at times of years when bees are most active. So in your business, you can think that there's so many different ways to become visible to your audience using the example of bees, right? So you could do color.

You could do nectar, could do a scent. You have lots of different options, but you have to be visible because if none of these things are going on, how will the bees find the flower? How will your audience find you? The good news is visibility is not one size fits all, lots of different avenues. So if you don't like one thing, if it's really uncomfortable right now, you can do something different, but you do have to send that signal into the world so people can find you. So with that.

Let's go ahead and break down some of the common reasons I see people staying invisible for longer than they should. And some of the mindset shifts you might need to make in your business to break free of the things that are holding you back. Because you're already smart, talented, and credible. And I know that you're ready to step into a new season of business that actually feels good. No more stressing about where your next client is coming from. People are actively attracted to your business and services because you're sending out the signal and inviting them in.

So the first one I see is perfectionism and I am so guilty of this one and I've worked hard to move past this and get things out quicker because perfectionism is this idea that you need to be perfect before you start. And that is a goal line that constantly moves. If I just get to this mile marker, I'll be good enough. I'll be perfect enough. But if you're sitting here listening, you know that that marker moves.

Because once you go do the next course, you suddenly think, ⁓ I need this other certification. Once I have that, I'll be good. And many of you, I'm sure, are guilty of this too. You buy the next course and this course. You go get another certification. And then you're like, well, if I just land this client, if I just get this testimonial. But again, with this moving goal post, the destination never arrives. And real growth really happens.

when you are repeating a service to your customers. And so if you're in a position in your business where you're not actively going through lots of clients, you're missing opportunities to really improve and figure out what is wrong. Because in that learning process, you can accelerate seeing these patterns, making adjustments, and really delivering a VIP service. And there's a fear, right, in this perfectionism that if you deliver a new service or product, that it has to be perfect. But I just want to encourage you that

mistakes can happen, especially in, ⁓ like service providing branding, right? ⁓ think this is a great example actually, because the creative process is a challenging one. And I like to say it's not linear. It's a journey. And I follow a process, but that doesn't mean that every time we get the perfect design on the first try. So there's some collaboration and back and forth. And sometimes that takes a little bit longer.

And maybe I missed something or the client didn't provide a piece of information that was important. But because I have a process and we go through revisions, we work through all those pieces. But I'd like you to invite that into your business as well. That if you take a wrong turn somewhere in your service offering that you can make up for that by either adding in another deliverable or whatever you adjust me, you need to make so that at the end of the day, you can over deliver if you felt short and

you can make up for that little bump in the road, but it's just this encouragement that you don't have to be perfect. And it's much better actually to repeat these processes quicker and learn and learn and apply that learning each time. Reflect, figure out what was so important about that experience and why did you hit the road bump and then incorporate that in the next version.

And then the next thing I want to talk about is people being.

I don't even know if rate is the right word, but they minimize their experience and their credentials. And it's because they're trying to protect themselves. They don't want to put a stake in the ground and say exactly who they are and who they stand for because that's a vulnerable position. You open yourself up to be questioned on that authority. Well, who do you really think you are? I don't care about the certification. Well, I'm going to go in your comments on social and ask you questions. And maybe that makes you really uncomfortable. And.

This does happen. think anyone on social media will know that even if you have the most blase opinion or advice, someone is going to have something counter to that. And this is a kind of skin you have to develop as an entrepreneur is a belief that you're going to find your right audience and your message is going to resonate with those people who need to find you. And it's also going to push away those who don't.

And so when you can hold that mindset, we can let those negative comments roll off and not take it so personally. And if there is a kernel of wisdom and some advice that somebody gives you in social, even if it feels uncomfortable, but it really rings true to you, that's a great sign to incorporate it. But don't take every single comment and just make this your new path, you know, because those people who make those comments are likely not your ideal audience. And this mindset,

is a struggle for even experienced folks. So I think this is a practice that you remind yourself, because it is, it is vulnerable to put yourself out there. So I want you to trust that if you are authentic and you show up and you show up to serve the people that you are there to serve, things are going to work out for you because you know that your product or service is going to help them.

It's going to transform something in their life. It's going to make something in their business easier. Maybe it'll help them make more money. Maybe it'll help them spend more time with their family. But that transformation is important. And without you, they might not get to it.

So show up in service and show up in relationship because it is vulnerable to put yourself out there, but it also is where the magic happens.

And then the next reason I think that people keep themselves invisible for too long is that they don't want to over promise. And I'm sure a lot of my audience is like me where you are someone who is hyper aware. You are super empathetic. You never want to promise someone something that you're not going to deliver. You don't want to talk yourself up in a way that isn't an alignment. and you would, you're the person who always wants to.

lay out a product or service and then over deliver. You never want to miss that mark. But because of this, sometimes you are not actually telling the story that's authentic and true about how amazing you are, the results you can get. And this is a piece of confidence, right? If you have delivered amazing results for people over and over again, if you have consistently created transformation for people, you need to step into that confidence and

accurately represent it, but don't don't under under value yourself. Do not undersell yourself. It's such a mistake and it will transform how people see you. If you can show up and confidently talk about the things that you're going to deliver. And I have this story for this one. It's a, it's a reframe. And I was much younger at the time. I was probably in college right after college. Cause I think I was in Europe.

And I remember I traveling and I think we were doing a tour of one of the cities and we were sitting at some area, maybe waiting for everyone to get there. And there's this young man and he had a notebook of all of his art and we were talking about art and he was telling me about how, you know, he worked on his projects and all the things he said. This guy must be an amazing artist and the way he was talking about himself and the things he was saying.

And I just remember looking at him going, gosh, he's great. And you know, at the time I was going to school for graphic design or just graduated and I felt myself in that conversation minimizing myself. Not necessarily because I wasn't good at anything, but because he was talking so highly of himself. And at that point in time, I could never imagine myself.

talking that way.

And yet when he opened his journal to show me his artwork, I was kind of shocked because it just was not really great at all. And I'm sure if he kept practicing, he would be good. And that was amazing. Cause we all start somewhere and practice makes perfect. But it was so interesting to me because I couldn't wrap my mind around the fact that someone else could not be aware that they weren't the level that they were saying they were, or maybe were aware, but still talk themselves up anyways.

And it shifted something in me and made me realize that I needed to present myself a little bit differently, that I was downplaying, that I was underplaying. And if someone who was not that great was sitting here and selling it like it was gold, then I could probably find the confidence and courage to at least accurately display and not undervalue and underplay what I had going on.

And I know you have examples of this in your life too. So think about that example. Find the courage to accurately represent how brilliant you are.

And then the next one is a simple one, but I do think that we have a tendency to forget all of the things that we have done to create credibility over time. And if you just sat down and reflected on the things that you have learned, the experiences, the stories, the past clients, and, know, just take a piece of paper, brainstorm this, you will find some unexpected nuggets that you're not leveraging in your business. And

reflection is so powerful because we you know we have this this layer of thoughts that's going on right now but there's so much more to access but if we don't sit down and reflect if we don't brainstorm if we don't take the time to organize those thoughts we're missing out on these nuggets and gold and this one is just so simple but i know that you have something that you've done that you haven't used in your business that would be a good trigger for you and show some of that brilliance

And the other piece here too is sometimes we're looking for credentials or specific accolades, but your stories are just as important as these other pieces. And if you can go and dig out these authentic stories of time you worked with a client or even just an interaction with someone that relates, these are the things that make you human, that make you a friend, that make you someone who is relatable. So go sit down after this call or podcast, I should say.

and take a piece of paper, take 10 minutes, 30 is probably better. List out all the things that are relevant, the stories, the credentials, and see if there's some things you're missing in your business that might be helpful.

And then the next piece is I think something that a lot of people fall into the trap of even if they've been in business for a while and it's just being afraid to talk about yourself. You don't want to be the person who says, Hey, look at me. And I get that. And it's hard sometimes, right? We don't all have the personality where we want to be on the stage. We're not all the class clown, but the results of that.

is that you end up waiting on the sidelines for someone to get to know you.

What's invisible in your business does not invite conversations or curiosity. doesn't attract. There's no signal. And some of you are sitting in your business and you're feeling that right now. You're feeling that you're doing all the right things. You're putting in all the work, but just no one's finding you because you're not sending that out. And talking about yourself is important and

It's something you can grow more comfortable with as you do it over and over again. And I think another piece of this is that it's not just that, Hey, I don't want, you know, I don't want to be that person who's like, Hey, look at me, look at me, look at me. But it's also that for people to get to know you, they have to see consistency and understand what you're about. And a lot of times that means that you're talking about the same things. Often you're sharing the same stories and

for you, especially if you're a creative person, this can feel very boring. And the truth is you get bored of your stories long before your viewers and audience are. So it's important to have that repetition, but you often stop talking about the things that are gold in your business long before your audience even found it. So some of the ways you can actually help with this is something like this podcast.

I can break it into different reels. I can repurpose it into a blog. I can do all of these things where I am saying the thought leadership once, then putting that into different ways to consume. So maybe it feels a little bit less boring to me. I'm leveraging the same content, but giving people ways to engage with that where it doesn't feel as repetitive for me. Because I do really think that this is a struggle. People think that.

They're bored and you just want to go on to these next things, but you haven't given people the time to really get to know you. So don't be afraid to talk about yourself and don't be afraid to feel a little bit bored by your content. In fact, it's probably a good sign. You can always change it up later, but let's get in a groove. I do want you to be bored. I want you to be bored of your content. I'll give you that as a goal. And then once you're really, really bored of it, then you can invite something new in.

And for those of you who don't want to talk about yourself, or is just not ready to yet, I've got a really great tool for you. And no matter how much you talk about yourself in business or don't, this tool is amazing and it's video testimonials. Let other people do the talking for you. And I think where people struggle with this is, you know, they're like, well, no one will give me an interview or a testimonial. You really need a structure.

a process to collect testimonials. And part of this is having

You really need to structure a process to collect testimonials. And part of this is having really good questions that pull out the feelings of working with you and the results that they got. And I think where people fail is they just send someone an email and say, Hey, I need a testimonial. Give me a testimonial. Well, your client doesn't know exactly what you're looking for. And they'll say something bland and blase like Natasha was great to work with. It was a good experience. highly recommend her.

Do you think that's going to emotionally move someone to work with you? And especially if their video, when someone does a selfie and records it, there's something that comes off that is, can be inauthentic and just not land. And I was having a coffee conversation with a person I met through networking, Jonathan Castor. And he said something that clicked for me and it's something I knew, but I just hadn't thought about in a while. And it's.

interviewing someone for your testimonial. And I've made this recommendation to people before, but it just brought it back to the top level because it creates an organic experience. So instead of sending your client an email and saying, can you me a testimonial? What if you invited them on a zoom call and told them it'd be for a testimonial and be five to 10 minutes of their time, whatever you think it's going to take and ask them a handful of questions. Five is probably plenty about their experience.

And then at the end of this, you can take this video and edit it down to the crucial gold nuggets, right? it's going to be fabulous for reels instead of the full length testimonial. Although maybe that works for something as well, but I think if you can clip out those perfect gold nuggets, you're going to have an amazing testimonial from this. So just record it on zoom, edit it down, and it's just beautiful because it is so much more organic. It's going to connect more and you can really get to the heart of things. What did it feel like working with you?

How did they feel before they started working with you? And how did they feel after? What was that transformation like? What specific result did they experience? What made them choose to work with you out of everyone else they interviewed? These are things that people are looking for, especially when they're researching to find someone for that service. So if you're someone who is struggling to get new clients, or even if you're trying to up level the tier of clients you're getting, this trigger is such.

an amazing one to pull in your business. Everyone should have this and it's so high leverage and high impact and really not a lot of effort. But I think so many people just struggle because they don't get the testimonials because they don't have a process around it. They don't have something that extracts the information in a way like this. So shout out to Jonathan for that, bringing that back to my mind. And he's going to be on the podcast in a few episodes and we had a great coffee chat this weekend. I think he's got a lot to offer. So.

look forward to that. With that, I'm gonna wrap up our podcast today so I can go enjoy looking out my window and drinking some tea with all this snow that we have, but I hope that this has given you some encouragement, some mindset shifts that you're looking for because when you can tell the world what you're looking for, when you can show them what you're looking for, you're gonna create that active manifestation and they're just so

many little mindset things that I know are holding even the best of us back from fully expressing ourselves and showing who we are. So I'll just relist these real quick, but perfectionism, right? Break out of that perfectionism, start before you're ready. Get into the process of growth by getting through more clients, more experience, more learning, more patterns, and then be vulnerable. You don't need to protect yourself by not putting yourself out there.

You can be vulnerable and find the right people. And then don't worry about underplaying yourself. Accurately represent who you are. Show that boldness, show that brilliance. Spend time in reflection and really figure out what credibility and stories you have that will resonate with your audience. And don't be afraid to talk about yourself. Don't be afraid to be bored by the stories that you're putting out there. Get really good at them.

Think of this as a process and that you want to improve your delivery and your stories. And it's just, you're tweaking them each time to make them a little bit better each day. And the last one I'll just reiterate, if you don't want to talk about yourself, don't have other people do it. It's the easiest, most low lift way to frame your credibility. And it takes away actually most of these mindset issues because someone else is doing the talking for you. All right.

Have a beautiful day and I will see you back in the next episode.