You tweak the headline.
You redo the landing page.
You lower the price — again.

And still… crickets.

So you start guessing:
“People just aren’t buying right now.”
“Instagram’s dead.”
“My audience must be too new / too broke / too distracted.”

But here’s what might be happening:
You’re not hearing silence.
You’re hearing your own projections echoing back at you.

What You Think They Think (But Don’t)

Projection is a psychological term that sounds a little clinical — until you realize how deeply it plays out in your business.

At its core, projection is simple:
You assume that someone else is thinking or feeling something that’s actually coming from you.

So when you tell yourself things like:

“They’re going to think this is too expensive.”
“People will roll their eyes if I talk about this.”
“No one wants to hear another story about my life.”

That’s not your audience speaking.
That’s you, playing both sides of the conversation — and losing.

*“I’m trying hard to protect myself but maybe I should let myself be seen…”*

The Real Risk of Assumption Marketing

The danger isn’t just that projection makes you anxious. It’s that it waters down your message.

When you start pre-editing your voice based on imaginary feedback, your brand becomes diluted. Indistinct. Passive.

Here’s what projection can turn into:

Generic copy that tries to “sound professional”
Discounting your offer before it’s ever tested
Hiding your personality to “play it safe”
Apologizing for your rates or timelines
Burying your big idea under disclaimers and caveats

You think you’re protecting yourself.
But really, you’re just making it harder for the right people to recognize you.

You Can’t Be Magnetic and Self-Protective at the Same Time

Here’s the tough-love moment:
You cannot attract aligned clients, customers, or collaborators if you don’t trust yourself enough to speak clearly.

Your audience can’t believe in what you offer until you do. And if you’re constantly projecting rejection, resistance, or disinterest into the conversation before it even starts — you’re not giving them a chance to surprise you.

I say this not as judgment, but from experience.

When I first started putting myself out there, I assumed people would think I was “too much.” Too intense. Too witchy. Too complicated. So I softened everything. I stripped the edge off my voice. I made my messaging neutral — and as a result, forgettable.

And you know what happened?
No one rejected me.
They just ignored me.

Silence is what happens when your brand has no clear signal.

Projection Has Roots in Your Narrative

Most people don’t realize how deeply personal stories shape professional behavior.

If you grew up being told you were “too sensitive” or “too dramatic,” your business voice might reflect that. If you were raised to be agreeable, to not upset anyone, to be liked at all costs — your copy might tiptoe. Your sales calls might shrink.

That’s not a marketing problem. That’s a narrative wound.

In Archetypes of Success, this is where our coaching goes deep. We don’t just look at your brand from the outside. We ask:

What stories are you carrying into your message?
Who taught you to make yourself smaller before speaking?
What do you assume people think about you — and where did that story come from?

When we unravel those answers, your voice comes back.

A Practice You Can Try Today

Before you post your next offer or piece of content, try this:

Write the post exactly how you want to say it — bold, unfiltered, in your true voice.
Pause. Notice what insecurities come up.
Ask: Whose voice is this fear in? Is it actually your audience — or a memory dressed as feedback?
Choose not to shrink. Publish the original version.
Watch what happens when you stop filtering for approval.

Your job isn’t to outguess the crowd.
It’s to speak with enough clarity that the right people find themselves in your story.

Let Your Audience Surprise You

People are paying more attention than you think. But they’re tuned to authenticity, not apology. They don’t want safe. They want real.

And you — the version of you who’s honest, vivid, and fully expressed — is exactly what they’re hoping to find.

You just have to stop ghostwriting them with your insecurities.

Ready to Stop Shrinking Your Message Before It’s Even Heard?

Subscribe to the Archetypes of Success newsletter.
Every week, you’ll get tools, prompts, and gentle provocations to help you write from your real voice, not your projected fears. Let’s rebuild your brand from the inside out — one powerful story at a time.

Stop Blaming Your Audience. It’s Your Insecurities Talking.