I’ve seen too many brilliant founders quietly fold in the last 6 months. More than at any time in my almost 8-year tenure as a freelancer.

Not because they weren’t great at what they do (they are).
Not because they didn’t have the skills, the heart, the vision (they do).

But because the relentless pressure of marketing their business and keeping up with social media gradually wore them down.

On the outside? It all looked rosy.

New offers, polished posts, the occasional big win.

But beneath the curated appearance, something must have been out of alignment. There was a gap between how things looked on the outside, and how it actually felt for that founder inside their business.

Lonely.
Exhausted.
Questioning everything.

But you don’t know until that LinkedIn announcement—you know the one.
"I’m thrilled to share I've started a new role at..."

We don’t talk enough about what’s really going on behind the scenes of many businesses right now.

How many people are still holding up the mask…

Still performing the version of success that looks shiny on the outside, even though, inside, they’re worn down by the weight of it all.

It’s not the challenges of business itself that break people - it’s the keeping up of appearances. The pretending. The exhausting act of presenting a curated version of themselves to the world, while quietly struggling behind the scenes.

The mask isn’t holding people together. It’s what’s keeping us apart.

It’s the thing that stops us from saying what’s really going on.

It isolates us. It makes us feel like we’re the only ones finding it tough, when in fact, so many are quietly feeling the same.

Social media makes it worse with the constant hum of ‘I’ve got this’ energy.
The endless parade of wins, launches, sold-out programs, and ‘8k from one email’ stories (conveniently skipping the main part where they spent 5 years building the list and slogging away for their passions).

If you’re having a wobble, these things just don’t help.

So many brilliant humans are still stuck behind that mask. Not because they want to be, but because the culture of business has made it feel like the only safe option. The spaces we’ve built reward the polish, the highlight reel, the brave face.

And so, founders feel they have no choice but to go along with it, even when it’s slowly eroding their joy, their energy, their belief in themselves.

That’s the bit that breaks my heart.

And that’s the bit I want to change.

I can’t help but wonder if things could have been different…

〰️ If they hadn’t felt like they were the only ones finding it tough.
〰️ If they hadn’t been sold the idea that success had to look all shiny and curated.
〰️ If they hadn’t felt like they had to keep it all together on the outside—whilst quietly crumbling.

What if we built spaces where people could tell the truth instead?

Where we could share the messy middle, the doubts, the questions, the process.

Where people could realise it’s ok to drop the mask and build a business that reflects who they truly are, and that THAT is more than enough.

Wouldn’t it make us feel less… alone? Might it change the trajectory? Sliding doors style.

I think it might.

I believe there is another way to do business.

A way that doesn’t ask us to hide. A way where we can show up messy, figuring it out, real. A way where we don’t have to pretend we’ve got it all handled when we haven’t. Where we can be honest about the hard bits, the doubts, the pivots, the decisions that feel like grief and relief all at once. Where we can be in it, together.

This is what we’re creating inside Kindred Founders. Spaces where you can leave the mask at the door. Where the truth is welcome. Where you don’t have to feel like you’re the only one anymore.

If that’s what you’ve been craving, you’re not alone.

We’re already here, holding space for the ones who want to do it differently.

Lucy x

I’m a brand and web designer, copywriter and HD expert passionate about helping heart-led founders to thrive by ditching the hustle and leaning into more of who they came here to be.

As well as brand, web and copy services to build a business in alignment with who you are, I run a real-life conscious business community: Kindred Founders. Kindred is a safe space offering support, belonging and help to women who are blending strategy and soul to build a successful business in alignment with who they are.

→ Join the community at www.kindredfounders.com

→ Discover aligned brand, web & human design services at www.freshleafcreative.co.uk