How to build trust through vulnerability and storytelling in business

Hi, healers.

Today, I want to talk about something a little different—vulnerability in business.

The idea for this came from a conversation I had on LinkedIn the other day. Someone messaged me saying they’d been enjoying my content and that I looked like I was having loads of success. And honestly? That comment stopped me in my tracks.

It gave me a bit of an emotional reaction because it made me realise how social media, being as curated as it is, doesn’t always show the full picture. My content is planned, my branding looks polished, and my posts are all neatly put together. It looks professional, fun, and successful. But what I don’t really share is the behind-the-scenes stuff—the full story, if you will.

To be honest, last year was tough for me, emotionally. I was living in a different place, completely cut off from my friends and family. So much was changing all at once, and the environment I was in just wasn’t one where I could thrive.

And I do think environment matters. Obviously, we’re all responsible for our own mental health, but if we’re in a place where we don’t feel supported, where we’re isolated, or even just culturally or spiritually disconnected, it’s bound to have an impact.

At the time, I didn’t share any of this online because I was living through it. And maybe that says something about my own hesitations around being vulnerable.

Am I Showing Enough of the Human Side?

That LinkedIn message made me realise I might not be showing enough of the human side of my business. I don’t really share the realities of what running a business is like, and I wonder if that’s something more of us do without thinking.

I ended up writing an Instagram post about it—about the struggles of being a healthcare professional who’s now working in a creative space. If you’re curious, I’ll link it in the show notes. But basically, I wrote about the challenges I’ve faced, and I imagine it’s something a lot of you might relate to as well.

So that’s why I wanted to talk about vulnerability in business today—why it feels scary, maybe even a bit risky, but also why it’s one of the fastest ways to build trust and connection with your audience.

Why Being Vulnerable Builds Trust

It’s easy to curate the heck out of what we show online. We share the wins, the glowing testimonials, the ‘laptop in a coffee shop’ moments. But we don’t necessarily show the late nights, the clients who don’t pay their invoices, the launches that flop. And that’s understandable, especially if you’re doing something completely different from what people around you expect.

When you’re stepping into a new space, disrupting norms, or taking an unconventional path—like many of you are, moving from healthcare into creative industries—it’s a lot to deal with emotionally. It makes sense that you’d want to control how you present yourself online. It feels safer that way.

But here’s the thing—what actually creates trust and connection is when we are real. People talk about ‘authenticity’ all the time, but I think what they really mean is just being real. And real is often a little bit messy.

I couldn’t talk about vulnerability without mentioning Brené Brown. She’s done so much research on this, especially on the link between vulnerability and shame. She describes vulnerability as the birthplace of trust. It’s not about being weak, and it’s not about oversharing—it’s about selective openness.

When we show up as human, we create space for others to feel safe with us. Whether that’s a client, a customer, or just someone scrolling past your post, there’s actual research that shows psychological safety is key to connection. Even in teams, people perform better when they feel like they can be themselves without fear of judgement. So it’s not a huge stretch to say the same applies to your audience and how they feel about your brand.

How Much Should You Share?

That’s always the question, isn’t it? How much do you actually share? Do you just put everything out there? At what point does it become oversharing?

Being vulnerable works because of storytelling. Research shows that when people hear a story, they’re more likely to trust what’s being said. They’re also more likely to remember it and—even in a business sense—more likely to buy.

I mean, how many times have you bought something just because there was a great story attached to it? I know my husband and I once bought a completely ridiculous pen simply because the salesperson told us an amazing story about it. That’s the power of storytelling—it taps into our emotional selves in a way that facts and figures just don’t.

But what does that actually look like in business?

It’s a reminder that you don’t have to be perfect. You can show up and share the real stuff. That might mean talking about a project that didn’t go to plan and what you learned from it. It might be sharing how you felt sending your first client pitch. It could even be as simple as filming your messy desk instead of tidying up first, or posting a photo where you don’t look perfect.

I was actually talking to a client the other day, and they told me that part of their brand values is being real. And one way they live that value? By deliberately posting unflattering photos of themselves—pictures where they look silly or where the lighting is bad. Because for them, that’s what authenticity looks like.

Of course, there’s always a balance. If you’re sharing something personal—especially something tough—it’s important to ask yourself, ‘Am I sharing from the wound or from the scar?’ That’s something Brené Brown talks about too.

You don’t have to drag people through something you’re still processing. You can, if you want to, but sometimes it helps to have a bit of distance first—to make sense of it yourself before putting it out there.

What Feels Safe For You?

So I’m curious—

Is there something in your business you’ve been hesitant to share? Something that feels vulnerable, maybe because you’re worried it’ll make you seem less credible, less of an expert, or just struggling a bit too much?

And if so, is there a way you could share it that feels safe for you?

That’s what I thought about when writing that Instagram post. I asked myself—what would resonate with my people? What have they been through that I’ve also experienced? Where’s that shared connection?

Because at the end of the day, that’s what vulnerability is really about. It’s not just sharing for the sake of it—it’s about creating connections that make people feel seen.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. If you’ve got an experience in business that felt vulnerable, let me know.

Thanks so much for reading, and I’ll catch you in a fortnight’s time.