The Humble Brag: Why Celebrating Yourself Is Not Cringe (It’s a Leadership Skill)
Let’s be real: how many of us feel gross the second we start to celebrate ourselves online?
Especially those of us who lead with heart.
Coaches.
Healers.
Helpers.
We’re told to be real, be raw, be vulnerable, but the moment we try to share a win? The brain starts screaming:
Conceited. Braggy. Too much.
But I’m learning (and unlearning) something big here:
Not celebrating ourselves? That’s not humility. That’s self-erasure.
Why We Feel Weird Sharing Our Wins
We’ve been conditioned to believe that confidence equals arrogance. That being proud of what we’ve built makes us selfish, showy, or somehow disconnected from the struggles of others.
And especially for folks in the healing and helping professions, there’s this collective fear of being “too much.”
But let me tell you something:
Celebrating yourself isn’t in conflict with being authentic. It’s part of being human.
You can share the messy seasons and the moments you’re really damn proud of. You can be vulnerable and successful. These aren’t contradictions—they’re the full spectrum of your experience.
When Oversharing the Mess Becomes Its Own Mask
Yes, performative positivity is a problem. But you know what else is?
Performative suffering.
We’ve swung so far into the pendulum of “being real” that we sometimes forget to let people see the light. The joy. The breakthroughs. The moments where all the healing and effort finally clicks.
When we only share our struggles, we create a warped version of reality that can leave our audience feeling hopeless, like it’s always supposed to be hard.
But your people don’t just need your pain—they need your proof. That joy is possible. Those results happen. That healing works. That all the work we do in our quiet moments actually leads somewhere.
A Real Moment That Shifted Me
During a recent launch prep session, my coach asked:
“What are your fears about this launch?”
And I said:
“Am I even qualified to teach this?”
She asked:
“What makes you qualified?”
And I started listing my own receipts out loud:
“I’ve made over $600k in my business over four years. I have 2,000 followers on Instagram. My email list is like… 800 people. I’ve done this without a big audience. I’ve supported hundreds of clients through deep transformation.”
Even just saying that felt uncomfortable.
She said, “You should share that.”
And I was like… ugh. I don’t want to be that person. I don’t want it to be all money, money, money. That’s not my whole picture. That’s not what I value most.
But the truth is, it’s part of what makes me qualified to teach what I teach.
And sharing it isn’t about me needing applause.
It’s about showing what’s possible.
Bragging Lovingly Is a Leadership Skill
When you share what you’re proud of, you're not just validating your growth—you’re modeling a reality that someone else might not yet believe is available to them.
Your celebration can be a call forward.
It’s not “I’m better than you.”
It’s “Look what’s possible.”
We need more leaders willing to take up space in their joy, because that joy becomes evidence for others.
Main Character Energy Means Taking Up Space
This is what main character energy is all about. Being seen in all of it. Not just the mess, not just the perfection—but the honest, evolving, fully-feeling human behind the business.
Because here’s the thing:
Sometimes the whole beginning of the movie is just the main character getting the shit beat out of them by life.
Roadblock after roadblock.
And yet, there’s always a turning point.
There’s always a moment when they stand back up. When they make a bold move. When they own who they are.
If you were the main character of your business story…
What chapter are you in right now?
What’s your next plot twist?
Try This: A Celebration Practice
If something in this stirred something in you, try this simple celebration practice:
Write down 3 things you’re proud of right now.
- Pick one of them and share it with a biz bestie, in your journal, or even on your Stories.
- Practice sitting with the discomfort. Notice what comes up. Let it move through.
You taking up space in your joy is not cringe.
It’s sacred.
You’re allowed to be proud.
You’re allowed to take up space.
You’re allowed to be seen in your light, not just your shadows.
✨ Main Character Energy Is Coming…
My new 6-week course, Main Character Marketing Lab, opens soon!
It’s for the coaches & healers who are done forcing content and ready to feel safe being seen—on their terms, in their timing, with their whole heart.
[ Join the Waitlist → HERE ] and get $200 off when you sign up on launch day. PLUS, the first two people to join get a free 30-minute 1:1 session with me.
No more shrinking.
No more downplaying your magic.
It’s your time to be the main character.
XO,
Shawne
