Being good at what you do doesn’t help much if nobody knows you exist. In this episode of Flying Solo, Cec Busby speaks with visibility mentor, author and communications specialist Bec Sands about putting your work in front of the world without becoming someone you’re not.
Bec Sands explains why capable people wait for permission to feel ready, how to work through judgment and rejection, and why visibility is less about chasing attention than building trust. She shares the practical system that helped her overcome a three-year resistance to live video, including scheduling visibility work, showing up consistently and choosing platforms where your ideal clients already spend time
The conversation also covers healthy personal branding, sharing “from the scar, not the wound,” using AI without losing your personality, and what to do when your first attempts meet nothing but crickets .
Bec reflects on building a business through illness, caregiving, IVF and uncertainty, and why there’s no such thing as leaving it too late.
Key topics
1. Moving beyond “not ready”
Bec Sands says many people wait for a “permission slip” before sharing their work, even after gaining the necessary knowledge and experience 01:57.
“I’m not ready” can become a visibility block, especially when client work feels more urgent than building a personal brand 03:41.
Visibility can trigger fears of judgment, rejection, failure, and getting things wrong 04:29.
Confidence doesn’t need to come first. Bec Sands recommends building evidence that you can handle difficult things by taking practical action 05:45.
2. Making visibility consistent and manageable
Bec Sands resisted live video for three years, then improved by going live on Instagram every Friday 07:01.
The most practical starting point is scheduling visibility work in the calendar, because it’s important but rarely urgent 10:28.
Consistency builds trust. A weekly post, monthly article, or regular podcast appearance is more useful than showing up intensely for one week and disappearing 11:28.
Batch content where possible, and focus on the activities most likely to move the business forward instead of trying to use every platform 12:41.
3. Building trust without oversharing
Trust comes from doing what you say you’ll do, following up, delivering quality work, and communicating your values through your ideas 16:56.
Bec Sands advises sharing “from the scar, not the wound.” Personal experiences should be processed first and shared because they offer value, not simply validation 14:20.
Healthy visibility includes personality and uniqueness, but it doesn’t require sharing your deepest personal details 14:20.
Cec Busby and Bec Sands discuss how genuine personality helps cut through generic AI-generated content 25:03.
4. Finding your voice and starting before certainty
Start where ideal clients already spend time, then choose a format that feels slightly uncomfortable but still achievable, such as audio before video 18:26.
Bec Sands says authority develops through action, testing, iteration, and noticing what resonates with both the audience and the business owner 19:27.
A quiet response doesn’t necessarily mean the work has failed. Bec Sands recommends reviewing engagement, refining the message, and continuing without taking it personally 21:32.
The immediate next step is to schedule recurring time for the idea you’ve been postponing and prioritise the work you “came here to create” 38:29.
Time-stanped overview
00:00 Waiting for Permission to Start
04:29 Fears and facing judgment
08:07 Building confidence for visibility
10:28 Prioritizing and scheduling personal brand tasks
15:21 Sharing personal challenges in business
20:21 Finding your passion and starting point
23:26 Engaging with social media posts
25:37 Using AI as a tool
28:44 Sharing positive content online
32:34 Prioritising personal well-being
34:55 Finding joy in business tasks
38:29 Prioritising your creative goals
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