Alignment Before Visibility® is a phrase I coined to describe my framework for developing media strategies for businesses and entrepreneurs. However, I also apply it personally in my own life. In 2022, I earned my master’s degree in psychology with a focus on media psychology. My studies deepened my understanding of how people interact with media, interpret information, and navigate the risks associated with media exposure, including reputational risks.
Today, the digital world is available at our fingertips, yet we are not necessarily taught how to navigate it strategically. Media literacy refers to the ability to access, evaluate, navigate, and create media, while media intelligence involves analyzing and deconstructing media to derive strategic insights. However, media intelligence is not necessarily something everyday social media users prioritize. Let’s be honest: a funny video or TikTok dance is often more entertaining than a conversation about media intelligence. My academic and professional experience, however, has made understanding these concepts an integral part of my work.
Still, no amount of education or professional experience could fully prepare me for what it felt like to experience the reputational risks of media exposure firsthand.
I have been navigating an intense battle with depression, and I had not intended to make that part of my experience public. Yet information about my personal circumstances became publicly accessible before I was ready to share it.
I felt that an intimate part of my life had been placed on public display without my choosing. I was—and still am—navigating the circumstances that led to that moment, and I had not finished processing them privately. Emotionally, I felt vulnerable and exposed.
After taking a beat to process my emotions, I acted swiftly and chose to share my latest vlog, Battling Depression, Choosing to Stay and Fight, with one caveat: I would share only what I was comfortable making public while keeping my private details private. Because I had already developed a media strategy for myself, I could acknowledge my emotional response while making a deliberate decision about what I was willing to share publicly.
Looking back, I am one hell of a media strategist. What can I say? I am a natural. I live with depression, and this episode is difficult, but neither takes away my power to tell my story my way and on my terms. As a leader who believes in and embodies what I teach, coach, and consult on, I model my framework in my own life. A strong media strategy assesses the risks associated with what you share. Just because I am comfortable sharing my lived experience with depression does not mean I am comfortable disclosing the intimate details of my battle. In my very first vlog, I mentioned that there is a difference between vulnerability and privacy. I can be vulnerable without sharing the most intimate details of my life. The difference is I do not mind what I share being repeated.
Mental health resource
If you or someone you know is struggling emotionally or experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 in the United States to connect with the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.