Stop Hiding

🔑 The Unlock

From Hiding to Helping

The shift from hiding to sharing isn't about confidence. It's about service. When you reframe marketing your work as generosity, everything changes.

1️⃣ Document
Gary Vaynerchuk built Wine Library TV by simply recording himself tasting wine. He wasn't performing, he was documenting his genuine passion.

The authenticity made it magnetic.

Your version: 

• Instead of creating content about your expertise, document your actual work. Show the spreadsheet that changed your thinking.

• Share the email template that gets responses.

• Record the conversation that sparked your breakthrough.

The shift: From "What should I say?" to "What am I already doing that might help someone?"

2️⃣ Teach Your Pain
Austin Kleon wrote "Steal Like an Artist" because he struggled with originality.

He turned his creative block into a book that helped millions of other creators.

Your version: 

The thing you're wrestling with right now? Someone else is three steps behind you, facing the same challenge. Your current blocker is their future solution.

The shift: From "I don't know enough" to "I know exactly what it's like to not know enough."

3️⃣ Share the Structure
Most people share the finished building.

The valuable part is often the scaffolding—the process, the mistakes, the iterations that led to the final result.

Your version: 

• Show your research process.

• Share the questions you asked.

• Reveal the dead ends that taught you what didn't work.

The blueprint is often more useful than the building.

The shift: From "Here's what I made" to "Here's how I made it."

4️⃣ Make It About Them
The most powerful sharing isn't about you, it's about what becomes possible for your audience.

Your version: Instead of "I figured out how to..." try "You can..." Instead of "My journey to..." try "What if you could..."

The shift: From autobiography to transformation.

📌 Remember: Marketing isn't just about being seen. It's about making sure your ideas can be found by the people who need them.

💡 Creative Edge

Generosity

The most generous thing you can do is also the most selfish thing you can do.

When you share your work, you help others solve problems. That's generous.

You also build relationships and establish expertise. That's selfish.

Both can be true at the same time.

Consider this framework:

Level 1: Hiding - You help nobody, including yourself
Level 2: Extracting - You help yourself at others' expense
Level 3: Serving - You help others at your own expense
Level 4: Aligning - You help others in ways that also help you

Most creators get stuck at Level 3, burning out from unsustainable giving. The goal is Level 4, where your success and your audience's success become the same thing.

Level 4 examples:

• Teaching what you're learning (mutual improvement)

• Building in public (you get feedback, they follow the journey)

• Creating tools you need (solve your problem, they benefit too)

Stop asking "How do I promote my work?" Start asking "How do I make my work more useful to the people who need it?"

📌 Mindset shift: The best marketing doesn't feel like marketing because it's actually just better service.

🎲 Prompt Playground

The “Am I Hiding?” Audit

Use this to identify what valuable work you're keeping hidden:

Copy + paste the prompt below into your AI tool of choice (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, etc.) and fill in the blanks.

Prompt:
I want to identify valuable work I'm keeping hidden and find generous ways to make it visible.

My situation:

• What I do: [your work, role, or expertise]

• Problems I solve regularly: [for yourself, your team, your clients]

• Questions people ask me: [what do people come to you for?]

• What I'm currently working on: [projects, challenges, learning]

• What I avoid sharing: [ideas, processes, insights you keep private]

Help me find generous marketing opportunities:

First, identify my hidden value: What knowledge, processes, or insights do I have that could help others facing similar challenges?

Second, spot my teaching moments: What am I currently learning or struggling with that someone three steps behind me would find valuable?

Third, find my scaffolding: What's the "how" behind my work that I usually keep private but could be more valuable than the final result?

Fourth, reframe for service: How can I share each of these things in a way that focuses on what becomes possible for my audience?

Finally, suggest one specific piece of content I could create this week that documents my actual work instead of trying to "create content."

Give me a simple way to test whether sharing this would feel generous or self-promotional.

✅ Bonus Prompt:
"What would I share if I knew it would help someone avoid a mistake I made, even if it makes me look imperfect?"

📡 Industry Pulse

• Spotify Removes 75M "Spammy" Songs – Platform cracks down on AI-generated content with new policies targeting fraud and impersonation — Music Business Worldwide

• TikTok's Global App Strategy Unclear – As U.S. gets potential new M2 app, questions arise about international user access and content sharing — Tubefilter

• Romance Marketing Goes Viral – Brands tap passionate book fandoms for authentic connection — Marketing Brew

• AI Search Changes Brand Discovery – Conversation becomes the new content as LLMs pull from Reddit, YouTube, and social platforms instead of brand websites — MediaCat UK

• Spotify and TikTok Launch BookTok Hub – New co-branded space turns viral book recommendations into audiobook playlists — Spotify Newsroom

🛠️ Creator Tools

• MagicLight.ai – Transform ideas into captivating story videos with AI-powered script generation and consistent character creation.

• AudioConvert.ai – Free AI transcription service that converts audio to text with speaker identification and multiple export formats.

• Waveloom – Visual AI agent builder that turns simple text descriptions into working automations without code.

💼 Open Opportunities 

Project Manager – Mom+Pop Music (NYC) View Role →

Senior Program Manager – The Athletic (remote) View Role →

Your next move in Music
Explore the MBW Job Board →

Crack into Podcasting
Check out the Sounds Profitable Job Board →

📌 Know someone looking? Forward this to them!

⚡ Your Next Move

JMedia is my strategy shop, where I help leaders and creators turn their ideas into media that builds audience.

Here are a few ways we can work together when you’re ready:

1. 🗓️ Get 1:1 Support from Me: Need a thought partner to help shape what's next for your project or team? Let’s talk.

2. 🎙️ Audit Your Podcast: Get pro-level eyes on your podcast without hiring a full-time producer.

3. 🚀 Speaking Engagements & Workshops: Looking for a speaker for your next live (or virtual) event? Or someone to lead your next strategic workshop? Drop me a note.

NEW! The Red Threads Podcast: Apple | Spotify

Thanks for spending time with Red Threads this week, I’m glad you’re here :)

~ Jaime