This comes up a lot.
Especially from people in bigger companies where there’s office politics and unwritten rules about who gets to have a voice.
I used to feel this way too. When I started posting, I was terrified. Genuinely obsessed with the idea that I might say something that would damage my business. So I played it safe. Didn’t share opinions. Kept everything bland. Said nothing that anyone could possibly disagree with.
The result was that nobody engaged. Nobody cared. My content went nowhere because there was nothing to grab onto. That fear cost me years.
Here’s what I’ve learned about who’s actually watching and what they actually think.
Your Colleagues
Some of them will think “bit cringe” or “who do they think they are.” I’m not going to pretend otherwise. But they won’t do anything about it. They’ll lurk. They’ll watch. They might mutter something to each other. That’s it.
Your posts make them uncomfortable because it forces them to ask whether they should be doing this too. It’s easier to dismiss you than deal with that question. Impact on your career is almost zero. These people weren’t going to help you anyway.
Your Managers
They care about risk. Reputation risk. Legal risk. Are you badmouthing the company. Are you leaking confidential information. Are you making them look bad.
They don’t care about you sharing useful knowledge or building a profile. If anything, having someone on the team with visibility makes them look good for hiring you. Keep it professional and you’re fine. Most managers will quietly appreciate it.
Your Clients And Prospects
This is where people get it wrong. Clients don’t know your colleagues are rolling their eyes. They don’t see your office politics. They have no idea about any of that context. They just see someone who seems to understand their problems. Someone who looks like they know what they’re talking about. Or they scroll past and forget about you. That’s it. There’s no scenario where they’re judging you the way you’re imagining.
The Silent Majority
Most people who see your posts don’t judge at all. They skim and forget. Posting feels like standing on a stage with a spotlight on you. Everyone watching. Everyone forming opinions. To the people scrolling, you’re background noise. They’re barely registering your post before the next one appears. We massively overestimate how much people care about what we’re doing.
The Actual Risk
The real risk isn’t judgement from colleagues. It’s posting the wrong stuff. Ranting about things. Vague motivational nonsense. Oversharing personal drama. Criticising your employer. That stuff can genuinely hurt you.
But sharing professional insight doesn’t hurt you. Teaching something doesn’t hurt you. Explaining your experience doesn’t hurt you. If your content helps people and you’re not attacking anyone, the worst that happens is a few eye rolls from people who were never going to support you anyway.
What Happens When You Actually Commit
I know a guy called Jared who was in a corporate sales role. He felt all the same awkwardness about posting. Worried about what the office would think. Worried about being seen as that guy.
He did it anyway. Within 6 months, the company was championing him as a brand advocate. They loved it. 12 months later, he’d built enough profile and pipeline to leave and start his own firm.
Your ideas and opinions become a filter. They draw people who think like you, who align with how you see the world. That alignment opens doors you didn’t know existed.
The colleagues who judge you weren’t going to help you anyway. The clients who find you through your content will.
Play it safe and nobody engages. Share what you actually think and the right people find you.