When I decided to run a business, I didn’t think I’d be facing the same issues as I did in a corporate work environment. When you write books, you aren’t just writing. You are running an author business.

Have you ever walked somewhere thinking you were going to explore new territory, but then ended up back in the same place only twenty minutes later? That moment when you realize you’ve just walked in a complete circle.

Photo by Christian Gertenbach on Unsplash

That’s exactly how I feel about my relationship with content platforms. I left my corporate job to reclaim my life – to go outside, read books, write, and explore my creative side. I proudly deleted Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, thinking I was breaking free from the digital hamster wheel.

Yet here I am on Substack, feeling that familiar pressure creeping back in – the constant need to produce, engage, and perform. I’ve somehow returned to the same place I was trying to escape: trading my serenity for likes and pennies.

But I truly believe there is life outside of content creation.

Run a Business with Vulnerability for Sales

It’s not that I don’t believe in being real and sometimes vulnerable in my writing. It’s all the “have to’s” that come with it. Whether it’s a cubicle, Instagram, or Substack, I feel tethered to something that just doesn’t suit who I am.

After leaving a soul-sucking job, I’ll be honest – this platform doesn’t feel much different. Sure, people are nicer and more willing to read what I put into the world. But it’s still competition, basing your worth on subscriber numbers, and feeling upset because you never feel like it’s enough. Add to that the constant noise including the occasional rude comment, and I have to ask myself why I’m even doing this.

Do I really have to play this game and jump through all these hoops just to get my name out there — to get my books seen and to grow my business?

Do I have to make myself likable and popular to build a business?

It just doesn’t feel good.

Active Engagement to Run a Business

There’s this unspoken rule that you need to play the platform game to succeed here. But that approach doesn’t align with who I am or how I want to connect with readers.

While everyone else is scrambling for attention on yet another social platform, I’m refocusing on what matters most to me: building genuine relationships through what makes the most sense to me and what makes me feel good about myself. Being a pushy marketer isn’t it. I’m not here to convince you to buy my shit.

I’ve realized I don’t need to trade my soul for visibility. What I need is to reclaim my creative energy and refocus it where it matters most:

• My email list, where I can connect directly with readers who truly value what I share
• My website, a digital home I control completely
• My books, the heart of my work and purpose

Passive Visibility

For fellow introverts, old souls, and sensitive creators feeling trapped in this cycle: there is another way. You don’t have to participate in the content creation marathon if it drains your spirit. Sometimes the bravest business decision is choosing to build connection on your own terms.

Photo by Reign Abarintos on Unsplash

I’m walking away from the circle I’ve been trapped in—not to stop walking altogether, but to finally explore new paths that actually lead somewhere I want to go.

As a start, consider things like SEO, Pinterest, blogging, and your email list. You don’t have to sacrifice your love of writing to be an extroverted content creator pushing sales at people. You can simply be you.

Originally published on my Substack publication: Forest of Words on March 4, 2025.

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