What would you do if you weren't afraid?

No music, no intro, this is The Morgan Snyder Show.

Welcome back, your friendly neighborhood Snyderman here, and I am pumped as ever to help you win on social media, grow your business online, and be recognized for your awesome ideas.

The year is halfway over. Summertime vibes are upon us. Wherever you are listening today I hope you get plenty of sunshine and tons of trips to the local ice cream place. Rocky Road in the middle of July is just magical.

So, over the past few weeks, we’ve explored some awesome topics.

We've talked about the upside of fame, as well as dove into Rory Sutherland’s ideas around the non-linear, unpredictable magic of building influence.

I’ve loved the feedback on the last couple of episodes. I’ve heard from a few who feel energized, who see the potential of what I’m talking about here.

I don’t want to jinx it, but I feel like we’re getting a little bit of momentum here on The Morgan Snyder Show. We’ve had a couple of weeks with 100+ downloads, so that’s a good sign.

But, then comes the quiet, almost embarrassed follow-up question.

The one that arrives in the DMs after you listen to the episode. And it sounds something like, "I love this idea, Morgan, but..."

What if I look foolish?

What if my boss doesn't get it?

What if I post something... and hear nothing but crickets?

That "but" is the wall between theory and action. It's the voice of fear.

And today, we’re going to tear that wall down.

This episode is your official permission slip to be illogical, to be imperfect, and to be human in public.

We're going to tackle the three great fears of personal branding head-on, because as Rory Sutherland reminds us, “It is much easier to be fired for being illogical than it is for being unimaginative.”

The First Fear: What If No One Cares?

This is the big one, isn't it? The nightmare scenario.

You finally get the courage to post something personal, something you think is insightful...and it gets two likes.

One is from your mom, and the other is from a bot in another country.

The immediate reaction is, “I’m irrelevant. This was a huge mistake. I should stop.”

We need to completely reframe the goal.

You are not a teenager trying to go viral on TikTok.

You are an executive building resonant connections. The goal is depth.

I once spent too much time crafting a post about something I thought would really help potential clients. It did okay. What’s weird is most of the time, things that we deem “helpful” to people don’t usually perform extremely well. Oh well.

The next week, I posted a screenshot of myself, making made fun of the self-righteous influencer crowd on LinkedIn. That post did 10x better. :) Sure, some people didn’t get the joke and attempted to be mean, but most people got it.

A few messages trickled in. One was from an acquaintance I didn’t know super well, but told me, “man, that post made me laugh so hard.” He connected to me to one of his friends, who then ended up becoming one of my clients.

That one, single post, where I attempted to be funny, was worth more than a thousand vanity likes.

It started a real conversation with the right person.

For whatever reason, when leaders start posting for the first time, they have this incorrect view of shooting for maximum exposure.

I think one of the primary goals is to find your “Minimum Viable Audience.”

Call it a dozen, or fifty, or one hundred people whose attention can actually change the trajectory of your career or your business.

Success on social media isn't a thousand likes. Success is one meaningful conversation at a time.

The Second Fear: "What if My CEO Hates It?"

Okay, so you’ve overcome your own ego.

Now you have to deal with the corporate immune system: your boss, the comms department, legal team or a CMO.

They are trained to control the message, to eliminate risk, to keep everything in a neat, logical, and approved box.

You will lose if you go to them and ask, “Is it okay if I post more personal stuff online?” That question invites a no.

You need to frame it as the strategic, high-value initiative it is.

Do not ask for permission, rather, present a plan. The next time you're talking with a member of that corporate immune system, say this:

“I'm launching a small pilot program to enhance our executive leadership's reputation. The goal is twofold: First, to act as a talent magnet. The best people want to work for people, not just logos. And by showcasing our culture and values through my authentic voice, we can attract A-players. Second, this is a sign of our confidence in what we’re building. By engaging transparently and personally, we build a level of trust that our competitors, who are hiding behind random press releases, simply can't match.”

Look at what John Legere did as CEO of T-Mobile. If there was ever a case study on why CEOs should do more storytelling and getting more public, this was it.

The telecom industry was an army of gray suits and corporate jargon. Legere crashed the party in a magenta t-shirt, slow-cooking on Facebook Live and calling his competitors “dumb and dumber.”

Was it illogical? To a traditional board, absolutely.

But it was a masterclass in forgetting about the haters, and doing his best to drive attention to the brand. He became the living embodiment of T-Mobile’s
“Un-carrier” brand.

He built a tribe that wanted to root for the underdog.

He gave himself permission to be illogical, brave, and different, and it changed the entire industry. (click on brave and watch a little more on John)

He’s one of a handful of leaders who are really leaning into personal branding and getting big results.

The Third Fear: "What if People Are Mean?"

So you post something. It gets past your boss. It even gets engagement.

And then it comes—your first negative comment.

A critic, a skeptic, a troll. It feels personal, and it can make you want to delete your account and walk away.

Welcome to the club.

Getting criticism is a sign of success. It means you’ve finally said something interesting enough to provoke a reaction.

Silence is the real failure.

The great researcher and author Brené Brown built her entire career on the topic of vulnerability.

In her landmark talks, she speaks about the “vulnerability hangover” and the shame that comes from putting yourself out there. But she sees the critics as proof that she is “in the arena,” as Teddy Roosevelt said.

She's not on the sidelines.

If you're not getting any pushback, you're probably not far enough onto the field.

So here’s my Critic's Playbook. It's a simple framework for deciding what to do.

• Is it good-faith criticism? Meaning, is the person challenging your idea, not attacking you as a person? If so, Respond. Thank them. “That's a really interesting perspective, I appreciate you sharing it.” This is a free consultation. It shows you're confident and open-minded.

• Is it hateful, bigoted, or abusive? If so, Delete and Block. Immediately. Your platform is your home. You are not obligated to host toxicity. Don't engage, don't argue. Just remove it.

• Is it bad-faith trolling? Is someone just trying to get a rise out of you? If so, Ignore. Remember the old saying: “Never wrestle with a pig. You both get dirty, and the pig likes it.” Starve the trolls of the attention they crave. Or…you can troll back, which shows everyone else that you’ve got a sense of humor and you’re not going to take nonsense from bullies. Two good options.

So, there they are.

The three great fears. The fear of irrelevance, the fear of your boss, and the fear of the critic.

Now you have the mindset and the strategy to overcome them.

I’m leaving you today with a challenge. A very simple, low-stakes assignment.

I call it the 5-Post Challenge.

For the next two weeks, I am giving you official permission to be illogical.

Your mission is to post five things that you normally would have filtered out.

Not corporate secrets, but human moments.

Post a question you're wrestling with.

An observation from your commute. A picture of the book you're reading for fun. A lesson you learned from your kid.

Don’t worry about creating five masterpieces.

Your goals is to break break the cycle of fear.

You’re taking the first step into the arena.

Like we talked about last week, go hunt for some butterflies, and see what happens.

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If you enjoyed this episode, give it five stars and leave a review wherever you listen to podcasts. It shows people that this is worth listening to.

Need help with your social media presence? You can find time with me at thoughtleadertoday.com.

Also, I published a book called, Keep It Light. It’s a year’s worth of content starters and posts that you can use to build your personal brand. Read it for free on Amazon Unlimited.

My friends: Keep writing, keep publishing, and I’ll see you next time.