Show Notes
One of the biggest questions I get when it comes to showing up online is this:
“How do I know if I’m being authentic… or if I’m oversharing?”
Where is the line between vulnerability and trauma dumping?
In this episode, I’m breaking down the balance between being raw and real while still protecting yourself and your credibility.
Because here’s the truth: Authenticity builds connection. But not everything belongs on the internet.
I share how I built my brand by documenting my process of becoming — from recording podcast episodes in my car while broke and exhausted with two kids, to building a global personal brand and loyal audience.
You’ll learn how to share your story in a way that creates connection, trust, and authority without feeling like you're exposing every part of your life.
This episode is for you if you're:
• Scared of what people will think online • Worried you're sharing too much • Holding yourself back from being seen • Trying to build a personal brand or business • Learning how to tell your story with power
Inside this episode we talk about:
• The difference between sharing from a scar vs sharing from a wound • How to know if you're oversharing or actually not sharing enough • The storytelling method I call zooming in vs zooming out • Why perfection erodes connection • How vulnerability builds loyalty and community • The question you must ask before sharing anything online
At the end of the day, your story is yours.
And when you learn how to share it intentionally, it becomes one of the most powerful tools you have to connect, lead, and serve others.
In This Episode
• Authenticity vs oversharing • Building a personal brand online • Vulnerability and storytelling • Trauma dumping vs healed sharing • Personal branding and content creation • Confidence and showing up online
Chapters
00:00:00 The Authenticity Strategy That Built My Brand 00:00:29 Welcome to the Confidence Chronicles 00:01:25 The Number One Question About Showing Up Online 00:03:13 When Fear Holds You Back From Being Seen 00:04:19 My Broke, Breastfeeding, Car Podcast Origin Story 00:06:51 When You Have Nothing Else But Your Story 00:07:57 The Loyal Cult-Like Following I Built Through Sharing 00:12:23 Document Your Process of Becoming 00:14:20 Getting Metaphorically Naked on the Internet 00:17:01 The Zoom Out Strategy for Professional Boundaries 00:22:08 The Scar vs The Wound: When to Share Your Story 00:25:49 Intent Is Everything When Sharing Vulnerability 00:30:11 Know Your Audience and What They Need to Hear 00:33:12 The More You Zoom In, The More They Come Closer 00:34:04 Being Imperfect Is Part of My Brand 00:34:42 Thank You for Letting Me Into Your World
Connect With Erika
👑 The Queen’s Table High-level mentorship for women ready to build authority, visibility and legacy. https://thequeenofconfidence.com/the-queens-table/
👑 The Next Level For women ready to grow their confidence, audience and income. https://thequeenofconfidence.com/the-next-level/
📖 Becoming The One (Book) https://www.amazon.com/
📱 Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thequeenofconfidence/
⭐ If this episode resonated with you, share it with someone who needs to hear it.
More from The Confidence Chronicles
My love, I want to bring back a conversation from the Confidence Chronicles archives because I think it's a reminder so many ambitious women need.
Have you ever been so focused on what's next that you've forgotten how far you've already come? I'm coming to you from Florida, where I had a moment by the pool that completely broke me open. Years ago, I looked up at the Florida sky screaming and crying after losing my husband. This week, I looked up at that same sky and cried again. But this time, it was because I finally stopped long enough to see the life I've created. My husband. My beautiful children. My business. Speaking on stages across America. There was a time when I genuinely thought I was cursed. That I wasn't worthy. That my life would never turn out the way I dreamed. And now? I can't believe how far I've come. This episode is a reminder for every woman who's been working so hard to build her future that she's forgotten to acknowledge everything she's already survived, overcome and achieved. IN THIS EPISODE: The emotional moment in Florida that brought my past and present together Why ambitious women struggle to celebrate how far they've come How the hardest chapters of your life can shape who you become Why you can be grateful for what you have and still want more Please take a moment today to look at your life and say, “I'm proud of me.” Because I am so fucking proud of you 👑 🌴 AND WHILE I'M HERE IN MIAMI… If you've been following this journey, you know how much it means to me to be back in America, sharing my story, speaking on stages and doing work I once never imagined would be possible. And if you didn't know already, while I'm here in Miami, I'm hosting something really special with Maha Abouelenein! It's called Positioned, Paid & Published, an intimate, full-day personal branding workshop for women who are ready to stop being overlooked and start becoming known for what they do. We're getting hands-on with your personal brand, your story, your visibility and your next moves. Think media, stages, building your reputation and creating a real 90-day action plan. I'd absolutely love to have you in the room with us. 🎟️ Use code PPP20 for your special listener offer. 👉🏽 https://courses.thequeenofconfidence.com/positioned-paid-published READY TO BUILD YOUR AUTHORITY, CONFIDENCE & PERSONAL BRAND? 📖 GET ERIKA'S BOOKS → Becoming Magnetic (Penguin Random House, 2025) → Confidence Feels Like Shit (2020) Available here: https://shop.thequeenofconfidence.com/collections/book Amazon, Barnes & Noble or any audiobook app 📩 GROW YOUR FANBASE Learn the timeless skill that turned my 1,000 followers into a 7-figure global business. → https://courses.thequeenofconfidence.com/offers/TKhTxM3n/checkout ♟️ THE QUEEN'S TABLE My high-level mentorship for women ready to step into leadership, visibility and legacy. → https://thequeenofconfidence.com/the-queens-table/ ✨ THE NEXT LEVEL Build your confidence, audience and income. → https://thequeenofconfidence.com/the-next-level/ 🎤 BOOK ERIKA TO SPEAK For keynotes, corporate events and women's leadership conferences in Australia and the USA. → https://thequeenofconfidence.com/speaking/ 📲 FOLLOW ERIKA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thequeenofconfidence/?hl=en LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erika-cramer-queenconfidence/ Website: https://thequeenofconfidence.com/about/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thequeenofconfidence 👑 LISTEN & SUBSCRIBE TO THE CONFIDENCE CHRONICLES Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2MUxtupRLNGB8cuNC9mwXI Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-confidence-chronicles/id1439434022 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWtf2VIsUYg-vkERa16r_VcFNz3Bt6kLI All platforms: https://thequeenofconfidence.com/podcast/ 🙏🏽 ENJOYED THIS EPISODE? Please subscribe so you never miss one. It takes 30 seconds and it means everything to us! Chapters
I'm in Miami, and I want YOU in the room! 🌴👑 I'm hosting a special full-day event with Maha Abouelenein called Positioned, Paid & Published. If you're ready to build your personal brand, get visible, land stages, pitch the media and become the obvious choice in your industry, this is for you. This is an intimate, hands-on workshop where you'll leave with a 90-day action plan for your personal brand. 🎟️ Use code PPP20 for your special Confidence Chronicles listener offer. 👉🏽 https://courses.thequeenofconfidence.com/positioned-paid-published
Everyone wants the big vision.
Gina Zapanta is a lawyer, entrepreneur, mother of four and founder of Empowered with Gina.