30. Faceless or Face Forward — How to Decide for Your Side Business (Plus Quietly Digital, Week 1)

The faceless vs face forward question every midlife woman asks before starting a side business

👉 Grab the free Claude Quick Start Guide here: https://www.theboldbiz.com/claude

If the thought of putting your face on the internet makes you want to disappear, you are absolutely not alone. The faceless versus face forward question is one of the biggest blocks midlife women hit when they're trying to start a side business, and in this episode Jenny gets honest about her own years-long faceless journey, the moment she realized fear was running the show, and the slow ladder she climbed to finally get comfortable being visible. Plus, she shares the first weekly update on her brand new business Quietly Digital, including the 4am moment that got the whole funnel built in three hours.

Why So Many Midlife Women Struggle to Show Up Online

This is a generational thing, and naming that matters. Most of us didn't grow up with phones in our hands, and being asked to film ourselves daily as part of building a business is a genuinely big behavioural shift, on top of the very real fear of internet trolls and how we look or sound on camera.

Jenny's Faceless Era Print on demand jewellery. Amazon KDP. Knit & Knot Co. Years of building businesses from behind a logo because being visible felt too uncomfortable. Honest reflections on why that felt safer in the moment, and why it didn't actually work in the long run.

The Slow Climb Back to Visibility Starting with the podcast in November 2025 (voice but no face). The 30-day YouTube Shorts challenge with no makeup and no lighting. Going all-in on YouTube earlier this year. And the teleprompter app that finally unlocked weekly video for her.

The Real Question You Should Be Asking Yourself "Am I choosing faceless because of fear, or because it genuinely fits my brand?" Both answers are valid, but they require very different responses. Jenny walks through how to tell the difference.

Quietly Digital Week One Update The first official follow-along update for Jenny's new faceless brand. What got built, why this one feels different, the 4am Thursday moment, and the strategic 80/20 split between faceless and face forward content.

Resources mentioned in this episode

👉 Quietly Digital, Jenny's new business

👉 The Second Chapter Starter Kit, includes the Four-Filter Framework workbook.

👉 The Bold Biz Collective, free Skool community for second chapter women

👉 Free Claude Quick Start Guide

👉 Systeme.io (affiliate link)

Keep listening

👉 Episode 29: AI As Your Business Co-Founder (And a Surprise Announcement at the End)

👉 Episode 4: Fear of Visibility and Going Faceless, What No One Talks About

Ready to figure out what's really stopping you from being visible?

The Bold Biz Collective is where these conversations happen every day, and it's completely free to join. The link is in the show notes.

Stay bold ladies! ✨
/Jenny x

Transcript

Episode Intro

SPEAKER_00 0:00

There's a specific kind of cringe that midlife women feel when they have to film themselves. And I don't think we talk about it enough, because it's not just about looking older on camera. It's about the fact that we genuinely didn't grow up doing this. And now we're being told that if we want to build a business online, we have to suddenly become completely comfortable having our face on the internet every single day. And honestly, that is a really big ask.

Episode Intro

SPEAKER_00 0:29

Welcome to the Bold Biz Podcast. I'm Jenny Lavalius, and this podcast is for women over 40 who are ready to build something of their own without the hustle, the burnout, or the pressure to be perfect. If you've ever thought, it's too late for me, or that everyone else seems to have it all figured out, you're going to feel right at home here. So let's dive in. Okay, ladies. Today's episode is one I think a lot of you are going to relate to. Because it's about something I've talked to so many women about over the past few years. And it consistently comes up as one of the biggest blocks to starting a side business in midlife. And that thing is the question of whether your brand needs to be face forward with you on camera and visible, or whether you can build something completely faceless and still grow it successfully. And I've got real lived experience on both sides of this question because I've spent years trying to build faceless businesses. And I've also done the work over the past year of slowly stepping into being more visible. And there are real pros and cons to both approaches. So today I want to walk you through how to actually think about this for your own business, share my own journey through it, and then at the end I'm going to give you a quick update on Quietly Digital because we're officially one week in and there is a lot to share.

Why This Is Uniquely Hard for Midlife Women

SPEAKER_00 1:59

So let's start with why this is such a particular struggle for women in our age bracket. Because I think it really helps to name it before we try to fix it. We're a generation that didn't grow up with mobile phones. We didn't come of age constantly updating our social media or filming ourselves at restaurants or on travels or in any of these everyday situations that younger women now do without even thinking. So when we step into building a side business and we're told the way to grow is to film ourselves talking to a camera multiple times a week, that is not a small ask. That is a really big behavioral shift for most of us. My daughter is 12 and she's grown up with phones being completely normal. And for her, recording herself or being on camera or showing her face online is just part of her life. It's not a thing she has to overcome. But for women our age, it can feel completely unnatural. And there's no shame in admitting that. Because honestly, it's unnatural for us. We weren't conditioned for it the way the next generation has been. On top of that, there's the very real fear of the internet trolls. The dreaded comments, the people hiding behind anonymous accounts who will say something cruel about your appearance or your voice or whatever else they can find to pick at. And that fear is completely valid, because it does happen, and it's a horrible feeling when it does. And I don't want to dismiss that because it's a huge part of why I personally resisted being visible for so long.

My Own Faceless Journey

SPEAKER_00 3:40

So let me tell you about my own faceless era, because it lasted a long time, and I built quite a few businesses while hiding behind a logo. I started a print-on-demand jewelry business at one point, and it was completely faceless. Just me uploading designs and hoping people would buy them. I tried Amazon KDP, the coloring books and the puzzle books route, also completely faceless. And then I had Knit and Knot Co., which was my yarn lover accessories brand, also entirely faceless. And honestly, in those early days, hiding behind the brand felt easier because I didn't have to deal with the discomfort of being seen. I didn't want to become someone who constantly had her phone up, filming herself, talking to her own screen, putting things on social media all day long. Honestly, the thought of doing that just felt exhausting and not really like me. And I was very uncomfortable seeing myself in photos or videos, which I think is something a lot of women in midlife quietly struggle with. That feeling of, oh God, is that what I actually look like? Is that what I sound like? Do I really want the whole world to see this? So I stayed in that faceless bubble for years. And on the surface, I told myself it was a strategic choice. But if I'm being honest with you, the truth was simpler than that. I was scared. And being faceless was the safer option.

The Mindset Shift That Changed Everything

SPEAKER_00 5:14

Now here's where things shifted for me, and it didn't happen overnight. It took a really long time to build up. The first piece was just a confidence thing, where over the years I slowly came to a place of, you know what? If you don't have anything better to do with your life than to comment negatively on other people who are out there pursuing their dreams, that's your problem, not mine. And I think that's a mindset most of us have to build slowly over time. You don't just wake up one morning with it, you grow into it. But the bigger shift, the one that actually pushed me into being visible, was this. I realized it was getting harder and harder for my audience to connect with me when I was trying to inspire women to build something of their own from behind a logo. Because my whole brand is about helping other midlife women create side businesses. And if I'm not even willing to show up myself, how am I going to be a role model for them? It felt completely backwards, and I couldn't reconcile it anymore. So I decided that my own personal fears couldn't keep standing in the way of me reaching my goals. Because for years, I had been my own biggest block when it came to building a successful side business. And I was tired of that. I was determined to get out of my own way.

The Visibility Ladder I Climbed

SPEAKER_00 6:39

So what did that actually look like in practice? Because I want to be specific here. Because I don't think anyone goes from being completely faceless to fully visible overnight. You have to climb a ladder. And for me, the first rung of that ladder was actually starting this podcast back in November of last year. Because the podcasts let me show up with my voice, which felt manageable at the time, without the visual pressure of being on camera. That was step one for me. Then last year, I did a 30-day YouTube Shorts challenge just for myself. One short a day, no makeup, terrible lighting, no script, no editing. Just me talking to the camera for 30 to 60 seconds about something related to my business. And I want to be really clear that I wasn't doing it for the views. I genuinely didn't care if anyone watched. The whole point was just to get comfortable being in front of the camera, to stop flinching when I saw my own face on the screen. And to stop obsessing over every awkward pause or filler word. That was step two. And it really worked. Because visibility is a muscle, and the only way to build it is to use it. And then earlier this year, I made a bigger commitment, which was to go all in on YouTube. And honestly, looking back, YouTube was the platform that could have helped me the most this entire time. And I'd been avoiding it for years, purely because I didn't want to be visible. So this year I decided to stop avoiding it and start using it. And what really unlocked things for me was finding a teleprompter app that lets me prepare my script in advance, which means I can stay on track without rambling or sidetracking myself for an hour. And that turned out to be the last piece of the puzzle. Because once I knew I could prepare what I was going to say, the whole visibility thing felt so much more manageable. So now I post a weekly YouTube video, which I genuinely love doing, and I've downgraded my social media accounts to a minimum, where I show up occasionally, but I'm not relying on them to drive the growth. And the funny thing is, I don't cringe anymore when I see myself on screen or hear my own voice, which honestly is a really nice place to get to, even if it took me a few years

But Faceless Can Still Be the Right Choice

SPEAKER_00 9:10

to get there. Now here's the important part, because I don't want anyone listening to this thinking that face forward is the only viable path, because it really isn't. Faceless brands can absolutely work, and for some businesses, they're actually the more strategic choice. So I want to give you the question I think you should ask yourself if you're trying to decide which direction to go in. And the question is this am I choosing faceless because of fear? Or am I choosing faceless because it genuinely fits the kind of business I'm building? Because those are two completely different answers and they need different responses. If you're selling templates on Etsy under a creative brand name, there's genuinely no reason for you to be the face of your business. And you don't have to be on camera at all, and that's a perfectly valid choice. If you're building a niche affiliate site or doing print on demand or running an Amazon KDP business, again, you don't need to be visible. The products can carry the brand. But if your goal is to build a personal brand, or you want to coach or consult or teach or inspire, then at some point you're probably going to have to step into visibility. Even if it's slowly and uncomfortably at first. So the test I'd give you is really simple. If you sat down right now and asked yourself honestly, why am I leaning faceless? And the answer is something like, well, I just don't want people to see me, or I'm worried about what they'll say, or I can't stand seeing myself on camera. Then it's a fear answer. And it's something to work on slowly. But if the answer is, my brand just doesn't need a face to work, then faceless is a real strategic choice and you should run with it without guilt.

Quietly Digital: Week One Update

SPEAKER_00 11:07

Okay, so on that note, I want to bring this around to Quietly Digital. Because last week I announced this new brand I'm building and I told you I'd be sharing weekly updates as a live case study. And we are officially one week in. So let's talk about what's actually happened. First, the basics. I came up with the idea last Saturday morning sitting with my coffee and Claude. I bought the domain on Sunday, and from Monday onwards, I have been building it out in the pockets of time I have around my full-time job. And honestly, ladies, it's been a thrilling week. I have gotten further in seven days than I would have believed was possible. And I think the reason is that this brand is the most aligned with who I actually am that I've ever built. There's this fire in my belly for it that I haven't had with any of my previous side business attempts. And I think that's something to pay attention to in itself. That gut signal when something is actually right for you. And actually, before I committed to building this, I did exactly what I tell you ladies to do, which is I ran the idea through my four-filter framework, the one I talked about in episode 28, and that's also inside the starter kit. So just to walk you through what that looked like in real time. On the skills filter, this is genuinely the most aligned with my actual skills of any business I've ever started, because I've been using system.io for almost five years. I'm a graphic designer by trade, and I've been working hands-on with Claude for a long time now. On the time filter, the funnel package I'm offering can be delivered inside a week, which fits the limited hours I have around my day job. On the energy filter, and this is a big one, I love this topic so much that I could honestly talk about System IO and Claude and Design for an entire year, even if I didn't make a single dollar from it. Which is exactly the test I want you to apply to your own ideas. And on the momentum filter, there's a clear demand for this. Coaches and consultants are everywhere, and most of them are drowning in the tech side. So the path to a first client is genuinely realistic. So all four filters passed cleanly, and I think that's a big part of why this week has felt so different. When all four are green, you get a kind of momentum that's hard to manufacture any other way, because you're not pushing through resistance the whole time. You're actually being pulled forward by the work itself. So if you're sitting on an idea right now and you're not sure if it's the one to commit to, please go run it through the four filters honestly, because it can save you so much time chasing the wrong thing. So practically, here's what I've got done in one week. And I've got the domain, I've built the entire funnel inside System.io, I've got my offer live, and I've got the landing page done, the thank you page, the order page, the email automation set up, all of it. The site at quietlydigital.co is live and you can check it out if you're curious. And I'm really proud of how it's turned out in such a short amount of time. And a big part of that is because I used AI throughout the process, which is exactly the point I was making in last week's episode about AI being your co-founder. And I want to share one specific moment from this week that I think is going to feel familiar to a lot of you, because it speaks to how this is actually being built. On Thursday morning, I woke up at 4 a.m., fully awake, and instead of getting frustrated about being up at that hour and feeling sorry for myself, I just decided, okay, I'm awake, I might as well use this time. So I made a coffee and sat down at the kitchen table, and I worked for three hours straight, before my regular job even started. And in those three hours, I wrapped up the funnel, created the animations for my landing page, and got the whole thank you flow working. Which is more than I sometimes get done in a whole week of evenings. And the point isn't that you should set your alarm for 4 a.m. Please don't do that. But it's that when you find a project that genuinely lights you up, you'll find the time in places you didn't expect. Now on the faceless versus face forward question, here's where I've landed with Quietly Digital specifically, because it's a relevant example of what we've just talked about. Quietly Digital is going to be about 80% faceless and 20% face forward. And that's not because I'm hiding. It's because the business is a service-based brand, and most of what I'm offering is done-for-you funnel work, which lends itself naturally to screen recordings and tutorials rather than me being on camera. So you'll see me occasionally and updates and walkthroughs, but the bulk of the content is going to be screen recordings showing you how System.io and Claude work together. And that's a strategic choice that fits the business, not a fear choice that's hiding me. Whereas the bullbiz is going to stay completely face forward, because this brand is a personal brand, and that is the right call in this situation. So both can coexist, and that's actually kind of fun to design intentionally.

Episode Outro

SPEAKER_00 16:50

Now, if you want to follow along with a quiet digital build week by week, the easiest way to do that is to keep listening to this podcast, because I'm going to be giving you updates pretty regularly. And if you want to see the brand itself, head over to QuietlyDigital.co. The link is in the show notes. There's also going to be a Quietly Digital YouTube channel coming where I will be posting tutorials specifically on how to use System.io with Claude. So if that interests you, keep an eye out for that. And I'll mention it here when the first proper video goes live. And if you're working through your own version of the faceless versus face forward question right now, I'd love to help you think it through. Inside the Bullbus Collective, My Free School Community, we have conversations about exactly this kind of decision making. And it's a really warm place to ask questions and get feedback from other women who are at different stages of the same journey. Also, if you want a more structured way to think about whether your business idea is actually the right fit for you in the first place, the four-filter framework I've mentioned a few times is inside my second chapter starter kit, and it walks you through skills, time, energy, and momentum so you can pressure test any idea before you put real time into it. That's also linked in the show notes.

Main Outro

SPEAKER_00 18:12

Thank you so much for spending this time with me today. And if this episode resonated, I'd love for you to follow the podcast, share it with a friend who might need it, or leave a review. Because it really does help more women find the show. And if you want to keep the conversation going, come find me inside the Bold Biz Collective. The link is in the show notes. Until next time, stay bold, ladies!