chaotic neutral vibes, courtesy of LinkedIn

Doing well online is great. Until you read the comments.

Hey friends, happy Saturday.

So, building visibility online is worth it. It opens doors, builds credibility, and creates business momentum you really can't get any other way.

But even when you know all of that — even when you believe in and know what you're doing — it can still feel really vulnerable sometimes.

I got a reminder of it this morning. This comment popped up under a clip from a podcast episode I recorded with Alex Boyd, the founder of Aware. Alex had posted it to promote the episode (post here), and someone I don’t know commented under his post.

I was out to get a coffee and having a nice little Saturday walk through Harvard Square when I saw it. And even though I know how LinkedIn works — that sometimes people leave slightly vague or off comments just to spark visibility for themselves — it still made me feel super embarrassed, weird, and kind of sad for a few minutes.

My first thought was something like: Wait… is my body language super weird in ways I don’t even realize? What am I not conscious of here? And, finally, of course: DOES EVERYONE HATE ME???

Now, even though I’m a card-carrying, sensitive little bebe (pls read in a Moira Rose voice), I was somehow able to pick up the pieces of my fragile sense of self and finish my latte.

But - BUT! - it reminded me of something we see all the time with our clients:

When posts perform well, and general visibility starts spiking, weird comments almost always show up. And while we haven’t run the numbers, anecdotally we’ve noticed that women tend to pay a steeper price for visibility than men — especially when it comes to snarky or critical comments on viral posts.

Visibility doesn’t just bring opportunity. It also brings projection, assumptions, and noise.

At Medbury, we help leadership teams and brands build visibility that’s strategic, resilient, and human. Part of that work is helping people handle tiny moments like this without spiraling, stalling, or second-guessing their impact.

Here’s how we usually coach clients (and our sensitive little selves) through weird comments or replies:

1. Ignore it. Most weird comments don’t deserve a response.

2. Just “like” the kind of mean comment. Because sometimes being both petty and the bigger person at the same time is... fun?? Chaotic neutral, activated.

3. Delete it. If it crosses a line — hostile, sexist, discriminatory, or just plain mean — we delete it. Protecting your platform is your right. Respectfully, f*ck 'em.

Visibility leads to vulnerability. Discomfort comes with the territory. And, weirdly, becoming more publicly visible can - over time and with lots of good self talk and intentional practice - help you be less overly attuned to people’s perceptions. Worth it.

PS. The Content People episode with Alex, co-founder of the great LinkedIn engagement & analytics tool, was really fun. Check it out on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you like to get your pods.

Hope you’re all having a good wknd,
Meredith

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This newsletter is produced by Medbury. We’re an agency focused on LinkedIn strategy and content for leadership teams and brands. Check out our site, follow us on LinkedIn or book 15 minutes to learn about our work.