Reflection of the Week

How To Stay Visible When It Feels Safer To Hide

Happy Friday, all!

This week’s solo episode felt especially close to the heart. It was born out of the urgency I’m feeling as a business owner, advisor, and LGBTQ+ person witnessing a chilling climate—where neutrality is being marketed as safety, and where visibility sometimes feels like a risk.

But here’s the truth: your identity is an asset, not a liability. And staying visible, especially now, is a radical act of courage.

In Episode 97, I shared real messages I’ve received from clients as they navigate how to show up authentically without putting their businesses or communities at risk. Many are facing direct pressures: being told to scrub terms like “LGBTQ” or “racial equity” from their mission statements, losing funding, or simply questioning whether it’s safer to stay quiet.

Let me be clear: silence does not equal safety. In fact, pulling back can erode the very trust you’ve worked so hard to build. When someone sees themselves reflected in your language, branding, or leadership, it builds a bridge faster than any sales funnel ever could.

Staying visible isn’t about being provocative—it’s about staying anchored. It’s about ensuring your core community never has to wonder where you stand.

To that end, I offered four practical strategies to stay visible without compromising sustainability:

1. Conduct a visibility audit. Review where you might have gone quiet out of fear. What needs updating to reflect your truth?
2. Update your compliance protocols. Work with legal and HR experts to ensure you’re protecting your values and your people.
3. Strengthen financial resilience. Think income diversification, emergency reserves, and funding strategies.
4. Communicate your values boldly and clearly. Internally and externally. Use language that affirms your mission for your team and your audience.

Questions of the Week

1. Where have I gone quiet in my business out of fear rather than strategy?
2. What do my clients or community need to hear from me to feel seen and safe?
3. What’s one step I can take this week to more clearly affirm my values?

Tool of the Week

Mission-Rooted Business Affirmation

When fear is loud, clarity must be louder. This simple yet powerful exercise from the episode invites you to ground your leadership in purpose—even in times of uncertainty.

Open your notes app or journal and complete the following sentence:

I started this business to serve __________. I believe in __________. Even in this moment, I choose to stay rooted in values by __________. I will lead with clarity and courage.

Let your business be one of the lights that doesn’t go out.

Best,

Brian

P.S. I’d love to know what you think of this episode and how you’re staying visible in your business. Please feel free to contact me at the links below.