There was a time when my life was an open book. When every milestone, every messy, beautiful moment of motherhood, and every behind-the-scenes detail of my business felt like something I should be sharing online. After all, isn’t that how we connect? By letting people in, by showing them the real and the raw?

But over the years, I started questioning how much of my life I really wanted to put on display. What parts were mine to share, and what parts deserved to be kept sacred? More importantly, I began to feel the weight of an unspoken pressure—the pressure to share it all.

The Unspoken Expectation to Let People In

In the world of online business and social media, we’re told that transparency is key. That the more we share, the more relatable we become. And honestly? There’s a lot of truth to that. I’ve always been drawn to creators who share candidly, who make you feel like you’re sitting across from them with a warm cup of coffee, chatting about life and business.

But somewhere along the way, I started to wonder—where do we draw the line between connection and overexposure? At what point does sharing shift from feeling empowering to feeling like an invasion of our own privacy?

For me, that realization hit hardest when it came to my children. Especially as they grew older and more aware.

Why My Kids Aren’t Part of My Brand

Motherhood is a huge part of my life. It has shaped me in ways I never expected, and it influences how I run my business every single day. But when it comes to what I share online, I’ve made an intentional choice: my kids are not part of my content online.

Here’s why:

Their privacy comes first. They didn’t choose to have their lives shared online, and I want to give them the space to grow up without a digital footprint they had no say in creating.

Motherhood is part of me, but it’s not my whole business. I can share about my experiences as a mother without making my children the focus of my content.

I want to be present in real life, not just for the content. When I stopped documenting everything, I found myself actually living in the moment instead of thinking about how to share it.

My social presence is about my life and work. I try to make it a reflection of who I am as an individual rather than centering it around my children. If my kids grow up and choose to use social media, that will be their decision to make, not mine to impose upon them now.

My Journey from Photographer to Business Owner

Before I built this business, I was a photographer. My love for photography was deeply rooted in motherhood—it was how I documented the fleeting moments, the quiet details, and the stories I never wanted to forget. Becoming a mother made me want to hold onto everything, to freeze time in a way that felt permanent. It also made me want to share that beauty with others, which led me to photography as a profession.

But as the years passed, I became increasingly aware of the security concerns of sharing too much online. I saw stories of digital privacy breaches, of images being used without permission, of families unknowingly giving up control over their personal lives. And that awareness made me pause.

I realized that, as much as I loved documenting my life, the best parts of it were the ones I wanted to keep private. My marriage. My four children. The small, sacred moments that made up the heart of my world. These weren’t things I wanted to turn into content—they were things I wanted to cherish, away from the spotlight.

Finding Balance as a Business Owner and Mother

Now, as both a business owner and a mother, I am constantly trying to find that balance between sharing enough to connect with my audience and keeping the most precious parts of my life private. It’s not always easy. There are moments when I second-guess myself, wondering if I should be sharing more. If my audience needs to see more of my life to truly relate to me. But I also recognize that it’s not all black and white—what feels right today might evolve over time. The boundaries I have now may shift as my perspective changes, and that’s okay. It’s less about rigid rules and more about being aware of what I share online, particularly when it comes to my children. The more I navigate this space, the more I understand that balance isn’t about perfection, but about making intentional choices that align with my values.

I also recognize that my choice isn’t the right one for everyone. Some business owners feel comfortable sharing their families online, and that’s okay. We all get to decide what feels right for us. For me, it means showing up in my business while making an active choice to protect my children’s privacy.

How to Build an Authentic Brand Without Oversharing

If you’re a business owner struggling with how much to share online, know that you can build a strong, engaged brand without putting your entire life on display. Here’s what’s helped me:

Share your perspective, not your entire life. You can talk about your experiences, your lessons, and your journey without revealing deeply personal details.

Set boundaries that feel right for you. Maybe you’re comfortable sharing certain aspects of your life but not others. Define what’s off-limits and stick to it.

Lean into storytelling. You don’t have to share everything to create a real connection. It’s about how you tell your story, not how much of it you reveal. Getting creative with the type of photos you share can also make a difference. Faceless content, candid shots, and unique angles allow you to share visual moments without revealing too much. It’s possible to create meaningful imagery that represents your life and work while still maintaining boundaries that feel comfortable for you.

Focus on value-driven content. Your audience follows you for a reason—whether it’s insights, inspiration, or guidance. They don’t need to know every detail of your life to feel connected to you.

The Freedom of Choosing What Feels Right

I used to worry that I wasn’t sharing enough. Now, I know that I’m sharing what feels right. I show up in a way that aligns with my values, keeps my family safe, and still allows me to connect with my audience in a meaningful way.

The truth is, what feels right for me may not be what’s right for someone else—and that’s okay. We each get to make that choice. For me, that choice means being able to share my personal life without needing to post about my marriage or my children. The best parts of my life are kept just for us.

If you’ve ever struggled with the balance of sharing and privacy as an entrepreneur, just know—you don’t have to share it all to be authentic. You get to decide what feels good, what aligns with your values, and what works for you.