Is Trisha Paying Your Mortgage? What’s Really Holding You Back from Being Seen?
Me at the Content Ready Camp in Phoenix, AZ. That’s me standing with Sybil, who enlightened us about ‘Trisha.’
Sometimes the most powerful mindset shifts don’t come from self-help books or years of therapy…
They come from one perfectly timed mic 🎤 drop.
At a recent Social Media Content Ready Camp, founder Sybil Imel asked a question that instantly cut through the noise:
“Why are you worried about what Trisha from your 8th-grade soccer team thinks of you?”
And then she followed it with:
“Is Trisha paying your mortgage?”
We were all laughing so hard!
And it also deeply resonated.
The Invisible Audience We’re Performing For
So many women—especially those of us raised in Gen X culture—were conditioned to monitor how we’re perceived.
We learned to:
Be likable
Stay agreeable
Avoid standing out too much
Anticipate judgment before it even happens
Over time, that conditioning becomes internalized.
We start editing ourselves before anyone else even has the chance.
We were paired in groups of three, and we took turns photographing each other.
When Self-Protection Becomes Self-Abandonment
That instinct to “keep the peace” can quietly turn into something else:
Self-abandonment.
You don’t post your photo.
You don’t share your message.
You don’t show up consistently. Sybil shared that Gary Vee says to post 19 stories a day on Instagram!
Not because you don’t care…
But because you care too much about the wrong voices.
Visibility Isn’t About Perfection—It’s About Presence
In my work as a brand photographer, I see this every day.
Incredible women step in front of the camera feeling unsure…
And then something shifts.
Not because they suddenly become someone else
But because they stop trying to be who they think they’re supposed to be.
They land in themselves.
And that’s when the image works.
Because people don’t connect with perfection.
They connect with presence.
We met at a beautiful co-working space in Phoenix, AZ, and could capture content almost anywhere.
Who Gets a Vote in Your Life?
So here’s the real question:
Who are you still giving power to?
Is it:
A past version of yourself?
Someone you haven’t spoken to in years?
A vague, imagined audience?
Or someone like… Trisha?
Different expressions and detail shots are important to get. We had only 90 minutes and 2 outfits with three people. The time went fast!
A Simple Way to Start Showing Up
If you’ve been holding back, start small.
Let yourself be seen—on your terms.
That might look like:
Posting the photo you love (even if it’s not “perfect”)
Reusing content that still matters
Showing up more consistently than feels comfortable
Or…
Stepping in front of the camera and practicing being fully seen.
Ready to Step Into Visibility?
If you’re in Arizona, my upcoming Headshot Party on May 31st is designed for exactly this moment.
It’s not about becoming someone new.
It’s about letting go of the idea that you have to perform to be accepted.
And capturing the version of you who is already enough.
Reserve your spot here:
[Insert link]
Because at the end of the day…
Trisha isn’t paying your mortgage.
But your visibility?
That just might.
If you want, I can also turn this into:
a high-converting Instagram Reel script (this story will crush on video)
LinkedIn posts (you could easily get 3–5 from this)
or a website layout with image placement suggestions
This one has real momentum behind it.
Now that I have this content created, I need to post more often and keep ‘Trisha’ out of mind.
Ready to Step Into Visibility?
If you’re in Scottsdale, Denver, or Richmond, I’m in your neighborhood.
It’s not about becoming someone new.
It’s about letting go of the idea that you have to perform to be accepted.
And capturing the version of you who is already enough.
Because at the end of the day…
Trisha isn’t paying your mortgage.
But your visibility?
That just might.