How to stop feeling cringey in your content
One of the cringiest things I’ve ever done…
…is posting on LinkedIn.
(At least, that’s how it felt when I started.)
To me, LinkedIn was “boring.” “Performative.” “Self-indulgent.” “Cringe.”
Plus, all my connections were people I knew IRL — not people who chose to follow my business account. I was afraid I’d look stupid, fail, or annoy everybody I knew into hating me.
But I did it anyway… and now I’ve:
Had multiple posts go viral
Learned a TON about my clients, my trade, and how to grow
Gained 1,500+ followers in just a few months
Got more confident being authentic online and experimenting with content
Built relationships — dare I say, friendships? — with great people
(And none of my connections hate me, AFAIK.)
Why pushing through the cringe is *always* worth it
The biggest question I’ve gotten since starting to post on LinkedIn is:
“How did you stop feeling self-conscious about it?"
The truth: I didn’t. I just got used to the feeling, and did the thing anyway. Because:
The best content is vulnerable, authentic, and personal. And if I’m not willing to do that, I’m not going to reap the rewards that come with it.
The most successful people also feel self-conscious, cringey, or out of their depth when they start
Most people are too afraid to even try — so you’re already a step ahead just by going for it
The most judgmental people are the ones who are watching from the sidelines
Nobody cares how you come across as much as you do
I still feel awkward about it sometimes (especially when it gets brought up IRL). But it gets better with every post.
How to get comfortable getting vulnerable
In business and in marketing, you’re going to fail, get vulnerable, and learn through your experiences. This is good — because it's a sign that you're performing at your full potential.
But I’d be lying if I said that stuff was easy. So here’s how to get used to it:
1.) Start small.
You don’t need to spill your life story in your first post. Share something light but real — like a mistake you learned from, a small win, or a belief you’ve changed your mind about. The more you practice, the easier it gets to open up.
2.) Reframe vulnerability as usefulness.
It’s not about oversharing for the sake of it — it’s about helping. If your story saves someone else a headache, or helps them feel less alone, then you’ve already done your job.
3.) Focus on consistency, not perfection.
Your first “cringe” post won’t define you. What matters is showing up again and again. Vulnerability compounds — every post makes you a little braver and builds a little more trust with your audience.
At worst, you’ll cringe a little and laugh at yourself.
But at best, you’ll connect with people who really get you, relate to you, and want to soak up more of your content. Those are the types of audience relationships that lead to real, long-term results.
This article was originally shared in my embarrassing, brutally-honest newsletter: Sloppy Copy.
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