Hiya 🌊,
On Friday night, I shared a picture of me and my husband entering the paediatric urgences in Nice. I thought it would be yet another “my child got glued back together” funny anecdote.
But what looked like a deep cut turned into emergency surgery on Saturday morning to repair nerves and tendons. This is the sixth time I’ve had a child in the operating theatre. It doesn’t get easier.
If I’d known how serious it was, I might not have shared it in the moment. But the upside of posting was that local friends reached out straight away with offers of support.
When you’re self-employed there’s no compassionate leave or office whip-round. The only way you get support is if people know what’s going on.
It got me thinking: what have I learnt about sharing (or not sharing) when I’ve been “in it”? How do we strike the balance between being honest and not using personal circumstances as a grubby sales tactic?
This post is for when life throws something at you. I’ve pulled together stories, advice and a few takeaways at the end.
In the eye of the storm
Psychotherapist Shelley Bradley-Scholey, founder of Fortitude Psychology Therapy has had her fair share of hospital trips as a parent, and explained how repeated emergencies can set a “template” response of fear and worst-case scenarios.
“It absolutely sets my nervous system on edge. Every single time. Even though I know the pattern, even though it’s my job, it’s primal. Trying to rationalise is like trying to put out a fire with a thimble of water.”
She reminds herself to pause once the immediate emergency has passed:
“I check in with my body. Racing heart, tense shoulders, that physical response is reinforcing the idea that something terrible is still happening. Pausing helps break the loop.”
Most of all, she reframes these moments as part of her story:
“We are all a product of our story. We can’t go back to the person we were before those things changed us.”
That hit home for me. I wouldn’t be writing to you from France if I hadn’t walked through some of my hardest days.
Navigating grief
Jane Galloway, founder of Quiet the Hive advises letting the wound heal before you share:
“Use the story when you’ve processed it, not while it’s roaring.”
If people respond negatively and you’re still raw, you won’t have the resilience to cope. Jane was later able to share powerfully about her mother’s death through gratitude journalling.
Meanwhile, freelance writer Emma Cownley wrote in Freelancer Magazine about preparing for her mum’s death by building a financial cushion in her business. She paid herself a set amount and saved the rest, so when she needed to, she could give herself paid compassionate leave.
Navigating illness
Yasmin Ibrahim, psychic healer and spiritual mentor told me how she’s reframed her life and work since her diagnosis:
“I had to get in touch with what I know. I stripped everything back, simplified my offerings, changed my diet, started supplements. We had a family meeting where I asked for help — cooking, appointments, keeping things normal. Friends bring food, check in, share little wins. It took me learning how to ask for that support, because when you’re the ‘strong one,’ you often don’t.”
Her mantra: Do what you can and ask for help with what you can’t.
She keeps nourishing work in her diary a retreat, a manifesting day so there’s something to look forward to.
“Get your audience to work for you. People like you. They’ll share your posts, they’ll refer you. Sometimes my former clients have held better space for me than I expected. Pivot into creative, joyful projects — they raise your energy.”
Showing up, she says, has to be personal:
“Know how you want to show up. Only do it if it’s in alignment. Pace your energy. Do less.”
Navigating heartbreak
Kirsty Lewis, founder of School of Facilitation spoke to me about the end of her five-year relationship — a one-hour WhatsApp call in November 2020.
“I was shocked, but looking back the signs were there. It was the start of me being more open and transparent than ever. My best friend just said, ‘You’re coming to stay,’ and I spent ten days with her. I didn’t try to do it on my own.”
At the end of that month, she chose to write publicly on LinkedIn — not with forced positivity, but honesty:
“Instead of ‘Come on team, we’ve got this,’ I said: I’m devastated, I’m sad, I’m miserable. And it landed, because it was human.”
She grieved not just the breakup but the future she thought she’d have — moving to France, skiing every winter. She processed through journalling, meditation, leaning on friends, and being open with her team.
“I didn’t hide my emotions. If you don’t let them out, they pop up in other ways. I used to be told I was ‘too much,’ but really people just didn’t know how to handle me expressing myself. I’m not ashamed of that anymore.”
The toolkit: a few things you can do
- Shrink the stage → Small actions count. Send one email, share one post — not 20.
- Borrow energy → Use templates, automations, or community support. When I shared, people sent kind words that propelled me forward.
- Lead with honesty → “I’m showing up differently this week…” builds connection.
- Rest is strategy → Hype includes knowing when to pause. As Shelley says: take the time you need, and let your family rebalance.
- Be kind to yourself → Each new challenge adds layers to the old ones. Give yourself grace.
So what am I doing?
Next week childcare resumes, though I may need to be on call. My main priority outside mothering is passing my B1 French exam in six weeks, so I’m bingeing French TV, doing a daily class, and practicing hard.
The Hype Directory (the most concentration-heavy thing I create) is bumped to next week. Scheduling next month’s live class will also go out then. Instagram and LinkedIn posts are dropping off, and I’ll face the wrath of the algorithm gods later. Inbox: ignored, unless urgent.
Because sometimes hyping is simply saying: I’m a real person, going through real things. I’m still here.
In the past, I’ve been guilty of pushing hard promotions in heavy moments. I don’t want to be there again. I’m grateful I’ve built a business where I can step back when family needs me.
Don’t let awkwardness about selling stop you from sharing. If you can post today — even just one thing — do it. It all compounds.
And if you’re in a heavy chapter, remember: you don’t need fireworks. A small flame is enough.
Next week I’ll be announcing new dates for my September 2026 retreat. Want to be first to know? Hit reply and I’ll add you to the waitlist.
Keep on hyping.
Lucy x
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