You Don’t Owe the Internet Anything: How to Set Boundaries and Show Up Authentically in Your Business

As heart-centered coaches and healers, we’ve all felt it—the constant pressure to show up online, to always be visible, and to share every intimate detail of our journey as we grow our businesses. In today’s digital world, it can feel like you’re always “on,” and sometimes, the weight of that expectation is just too much.

But here’s the truth that I’ve been reflecting on a lot lately: You don’t owe the internet anything.

It’s something I’ve had to remind myself of time and time again, especially as I navigate the balance between being a mom, running a heart-led business, and trying to stay true to my authentic self. And I want to share this insight with you today, in the hopes that it’ll take some of the pressure off your shoulders and help you create a business that feels nourishing instead of draining.

Let’s dive in.

The Pressure to Be Constantly Visible

As entrepreneurs, we’re constantly bombarded with the idea that in order to be successful, we need to be visible all the time. Whether it’s posting on Instagram every day, sharing vulnerable stories on Facebook, or showing up for live videos weekly—it can feel like there’s no room to step back.

I’ve coached so many heart-centered healers and coaches who feel overwhelmed by this expectation. And while I’m a big believer in visibility (hello, my entire brand is about being visible!), I also know there’s a fine line between authentic visibility and forced visibility.

There are seasons in our lives when being constantly visible simply isn’t sustainable. Maybe you’re going through a difficult time, or maybe your energy is lower than usual. Whatever the reason, it’s okay to take a step back. In fact, I would argue that it’s essential to your long-term success.

My Own Journey: Navigating Visibility Through Motherhood

To illustrate this, I’ll share a little personal story.

A year and a half ago, I went through one of the most challenging experiences of my life—becoming a new mom. My pregnancy was difficult, and I developed preeclampsia, leading to my son being born five weeks early. It was a traumatic and transformational time for me, one that I knew I would eventually want to share with my audience.

But here’s the thing—I didn’t feel ready to share it right away. For a long time, I felt raw, vulnerable, and still in the midst of processing my experience. I wanted to share my story from a place of strength, not from a place of emotional fragility. And that’s when my coach said something that hit me hard: You don’t owe the internet anything.

You get to decide when, how, and why you share certain parts of your life. Vulnerability is important in building an authentic, successful business, but you also get to honor your boundaries and protect your energy.

The Reality of Hustle Culture: When It’s Toxic

I’ve spoken a lot about hustle culture and how it can be both empowering and toxic, depending on the energy it stems from. There are times when hustle is fueled by passion, creativity, and excitement—and in those moments, it can be a powerful force.

But then there’s the other side of hustle culture—the side that tells us we must grind endlessly, sacrifice our well-being, and push ourselves beyond our limits in order to be successful. This version of hustle is toxic, and it often shows up in our attempts to be constantly visible online.

When you’re forcing yourself to show up, whether on social media or elsewhere in your business, from a place of obligation rather than inspiration, your audience can sense it. That inauthentic energy creates disconnection, both for you and the people you’re trying to reach.

And if you’re in the midst of a particularly difficult season of life, forcing visibility can drain you even further.

Setting Energetic Boundaries in Your Business

So, what do we do about this? How do we maintain visibility without sacrificing our energy or authenticity?

The answer lies in setting energetic boundaries—boundaries that protect your time, energy, and well-being while still allowing you to show up for your business in a way that feels aligned. Here are a few practical strategies that have helped me, and that I now share with my clients:

1. Batch Your Content

One of the best ways to stay visible without burning out is to batch your content. If you’re in a creative flow and feeling inspired, take advantage of that energy! Record multiple videos, write several social media posts, or plan out a month’s worth of content all in one sitting.

By batching content ahead of time, you create space for yourself to step back from the constant need to be “on” while still maintaining consistency in your business.

2. Plan and Automate

Planning ahead and automating as much of your content as possible is another way to lighten the load. Schedule your social media posts, automate your email campaigns, and set up systems that allow you to step back without your business grinding to a halt.

Remember, automation doesn’t mean you’re being inauthentic—it just means you’re being strategic with your time and energy.

3. Hire Support

If you’re at the stage in your business where you can afford it, consider hiring support. Whether it’s a virtual assistant to handle day-to-day tasks or an online business manager to help with launches, hiring the right support can free up your time and allow you to focus on the things that only you can do.

This was a game-changer for me when I hired my first virtual assistant. It gave me the freedom to step back from the busy work and focus on serving my clients and creating content from a place of alignment.

4. Share from Inspiration, Not Obligation

This is a big one. If you’re feeling like you should be posting or sharing just for the sake of staying visible, that’s a sign to step back and reassess. Visibility should come from a place of wanting to share, wanting to connect with your audience, not from a sense of obligation.

When you’re sharing from a place of inspiration and genuine connection, your audience can feel it—and that’s when visibility becomes truly magnetic.

5. Take Time for Rest

It’s easy to feel like if you stop posting or showing up online, your business will fall apart. But trust me, that’s rarely the case. People live full lives beyond their screens, and they aren’t sitting around waiting to notice whether you’ve posted today or not.

So give yourself permission to step back and rest when you need it. Your audience will still be there when you return, and you’ll come back with more energy, more clarity, and more creativity to share.

You Get to Decide What and When to Share

If there’s one takeaway from this post, let it be this: you get to decide what you share and when. You are under no obligation to share every detail of your life or business in real time. There is beauty in privacy, in processing experiences fully before putting them out into the world.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that my audience is incredibly supportive when I’m transparent with them about needing time away. If you’re attracting the right people into your business, they’ll understand when you need to step back, and they’ll cheer you on when you return.

Creating Systems That Align with Your Energy

As heart-centered entrepreneurs, we have the unique opportunity to build our businesses in a way that honors our energy and respects our boundaries. This is where systems come in.

If the traditional ways of managing content calendars and staying organized don’t work for you, I encourage you to create your own systems. Experiment with different approaches, and don’t be afraid to change things up until you find a rhythm that feels aligned with your energy.

For me, that meant throwing out the standard templates and creating a content calendar that works with my natural cycles of creativity and rest. And guess what? You can do the same. We’re all making it up as we go, and that’s the beauty of entrepreneurship.

You Don’t Owe the Internet Anything

At the end of the day, you don’t owe the internet anything. You don’t owe anyone access to your personal life unless you choose to share it. And when you do share, let it come from a place of joy, connection, and authenticity.

So take a deep breath, release the pressure, and give yourself permission to show up in your business in a way that feels aligned for you.

Ready to Simplify Your Systems?

If you’re ready to create systems that support your visibility without the burnout, I’d love to invite you to join my membership, Tech Mastery for Coaches. Inside, I teach heart-centered coaches like you how to organize their tech, streamline their systems, and show up online with confidence—all while honoring your energy.

I’ve got a special deal coming soon, so stay tuned! In the meantime, check out Tech Mastery for Coaches and let’s create a business that works for you, not the other way around.

XO

Shawne