It’s not self-promotion—it’s stewardship. Too many of us shrink back, afraid of looking like we’re bragging, when in reality, we’re just hiding.In this episode, we’re tackling the mindset that keeps people playing small—the fear of putting themselves out there, the hesitation to own their gifts, and the excuse of “I don’t want to self-promote.” But here’s the truth: If you have something valuable to offer the world, it’s not arrogance—it’s responsibility.We’ll unpack how to shift from insecurity to confidence, why visibility isn’t vanity, and how embracing your worth can create opportunities for others. It’s time to step up, show up, and bring your best to the table.Quit playing small. The world needs all of you.
Chapter 1: What does it mean to play small?
Hello, my friends. Welcome to the Ryan League podcast. I hope you're having a fantastic day. Today, I want to talk to you about something I've been noticing more and more lately. It is an epidemic of people playing small. You know what I mean? It's like there are these people with phenomenal ideas, incredible talent, and a massive amount of untapped potential.
But what they do is they consistently talk themselves out of showing up. It's like they're having an endless internal meeting with themselves and always coming to the same conclusion that what's on the inside of them It's not worth sharing. It's not worth pursuing. It's not worth posting. But here's the thing.
While they're busy debating themselves, someone else is out there doing it, sharing their ideas, posting their content, and taking that leap of faith.
Why? Well, because they didn't talk themselves out of it.
Chapter 2: Why do people avoid self-promotion?
So why do people play it small? I want to break it down because, you see, I believe for some people, it's a fear of failing, which I talk about a lot. Nobody wants to risk putting themselves out there and falling flat on their face. Sometimes it's actually perfectionism. That's why people play small. You see, they think their idea isn't polished enough yet. I play it small because it's not ready.
Other times, it's the fear of judgment. Yeah, that's another reason I think people play small. They have this, what will people say if I do this? What will people think of me? That's another episode, by the way. And then there's the classic assumption. Someone else could probably do it better. So why should I even try? Another one. Oh, the one that I really want to hone in on today.
Oh, the one I got to double click on today. It's the one I hear the most. Oh, I hear this over and over again. Woof.
The one I hear the most is, well, I just don't want to be self-promoting. Yeah, I just don't want to put myself out there. I don't want to be one of those people.
Chapter 3: How can fear of judgment hold you back?
But here's what's funny. In the process of avoiding self-promotion, so many people end up becoming self-diminishing. It's like they're hiding their light under a bucket and wondering why it's dark. Let me ask you this. What would it look like if you got over it?
Yeah, what would it look like if you started to believe that your voice, that your ideas, that your contributions could genuinely add value to somebody else's life? What if you believe that your life, that your dreams, that your books, that your podcast could genuinely add value to someone else's life? Let me tell you how I broke out of that cycle because I used to feel the exact same thing.
Chapter 4: What are the consequences of self-diminishing?
I think I had three or four years not on social media because I didn't want to be self-promoting. You see, I broke out of this cycle because, well one, I started believing that I had something to share that mattered. There's something that I know. There's something I've experienced. There's something that I do that could inspire someone else to improve the quality of their life.
And maybe it's a book that I've read and I could share something with somebody that could help them have a breakthrough. Maybe it's a friend of mine that I know that has a new podcast and you should start listening to it. And it could be the thing that heals somebody's marriage or perhaps it's just a perspective that could help somebody get through a tough day.
Chapter 5: How can you overcome the fear of putting yourself out there?
I just one day woke up and started thinking, Man, you know what? What if instead of making this thing about self-promotion, what if I just woke up every day and tried to add value to somebody's life? Could I have a career? Could I have a life? Could I make all of my content about adding value to somebody else's life? That's what helped me break out of it. That's what helped me break the cycle.
Let me make this personal for you. I've got this friend who has recorded, okay? This person has already recorded 20 videos for social media displaying his remarkable art. Okay, he's an artist and he's cold with it, okay? But guess what?
Chapter 6: What value can you offer to others?
You already know what I'm going to say. You already know what I'm going to say. He has not posted a single one.
I know people who have business ideas written in notebooks, but they haven't shared them with anybody. I know someone who drafts emails to pitch their services, but they never hit send. I've seen people who actually rehearse what they say in meetings, yet they never raise their hand to say a word.
I've talked to people who've got plans to write books, but they can't even bring themselves to type the first word. word. If you've ever been in a place where you had something deep down inside of you that you know you wanted to do, but you just couldn't do it because you just didn't want to put yourself out there, I just want you to know you are not alone. But here's the thing.
If you already recorded the video, hit post, dude. If you've already got the business idea, you already wrote it down, it's already in your notebook, share it with a friend and do some research.
Chapter 7: Why is it important to share your talents?
If you've already rehearsed the pitch, just say it out loud in the meeting.
If you've dreamed of writing a book, start with just one sentence because the courage to act is what sets you apart. Here's what's crazy. If you got a dream to write a book, did you know you could write one sentence a day and you could tell everybody in your entire life, hey, guess what? I started on my book today. Isn't that amazing? That's how life works. It's amazing.
I mean, maybe you've had a dream to start a business. Here's what I want you to think about. That dream isn't just about making money so you can quit your job and live on a beach. That dream exists because you believe the business you want to start can solve a problem or serve a need in your world. Or maybe you've wanted to write a book. That's not just about becoming a best-selling author.
It's about believing that your story, your words could change someone's perspective or even their entire life. Or maybe you've wanted to write a book. That's not just about becoming a best-selling author. It's about believing that your story, that your words could absolutely change somebody's life. Maybe you're not trying to be a social media influencer. I get that.
But what if you shared your insights, your creativity, or your encouragement with just some people around you? What if you just spoke up in a meeting at work? Not so you can say, look at me, but because you genuinely believe that your ideas could add value to the room. And guess what?
I have the sinking suspicion that what you've got on the inside of your brain could absolutely add value to the room that you're in. Here's how you get over the fear of being self-promoting. Understand that you're not being self-promoting. You're being generous. You're offering something of value to the world.
You're showing up not to make yourself look good, but to make someone else's day better, their job easier, their life more inspired. When you shift your mindset from self-promotion to generosity, everything changes. Because it's no longer about drawing attention to yourself. It's about drawing attention to the ideas, solutions, and encouragement that could truly help somebody else.
Now think back to those examples I shared before. If you're the person who recorded the video, you better hit post, dude. If you got a business idea, listen, you got to take the next step. Do some research. We chat GPT. Listen. The amount of information you can get in 60 seconds is absolutely remarkable. I was talking to my barber the other day. He was thinking about starting a mobile barber shop.
I said, hey man, let me pull out ChatGPT and let's just walk through this idea right now. And in 60 seconds, we had a plan and a budget and all of the hurdles that he would have to overcome to see his dream come true. He had never used ChatGPT before in his life. And in 60 seconds, he moved from, oh, this is an idea I got to an actual plan that he could actually execute.
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