What is happening with my Instagram, why I don’t like Substack and other business thoughts

— welcome to the business rant.

Before starting my Friday morning rant, I would like first to thank the ones who have sent me little notes over the last months about my social media disappearance.Thank you for seeing me despite being invisible to the digital world.

Now the rant.

Instagram.

I looooooooooooooooove Instagram.

“Say what?”

I know, I know it’s quite common these days to hear how Instagram is draining, polluting and “not like it used to be”.

It certainly isn’t like it used to be. But so are we right?

I love Instagram for many reasons. I love how accessible the art and creation of people from the other of the wold is available one swipe away. I love how we get to meet women in other countries and weave new friendships. I love to be inspired. I love to dream through the app. I love love love seeing my mate’s content and what’s happening in their lives. I love seeing the evolution of people I admire and which path they are walking on because it inspires me. I love seeing people’s victory and being digitally there for other’s sorrow.

I freakin’ love Instagram.

I love chocolate too.

But if I eat too much of it, I get sick and a lot of acne.

So I moderate my consumption.

That’s the thing with Instagram.

It’s a tool. And with any tool, you choose how you want to use it.

YOU choose who you want to follow and what kind of content you’d like to see.

YOU choose the time you spend on it and how it impacts your mental health.

It’s nothing more than a platform. Remember that ok?

Nothing. More. Than. A. Platform.

So don’t let a platform dictate the weather inside of you.

I’ve always been very clear on my boundaries with Instagram.

I don’t like to spend more than 30min a day on it. I follow only people who brings me joy. I unfollow people each season, clean slate. I mute. I create my own rules on how I want Instagram to be for me.

Obviously, I am human.

Of course I fall into the void sometimes and yes, sometimes I spend way more time than I should on it. And that’s ok. I do the same with chocolate. When I need it, I just give in and I stop making myself guilty for comfort food (or activities).

Now now, why have I stopped posting on Instagram and why have I stopped logging into The Place’s account? (For now)

I’ve stopped posting for the simple reason that I do not have anything to say.

Simple.

I see a lot of accounts posting for the sake of posting. Posting to reach more followers or to keep the pace with the rest of the world.

That’s pollution.

If you don’t have something real, raw and different to say, then be with yourself and enjoy the bees flying around.

I can sense through your screen the little trigger happening in your stomach.

I am not saying, don’t post unless you have something absolutely revolutionary to post (you would never post in that case because everything already exists). What I am saying is, don’t post the same thing over and over and over again because that’s what has been working a few times and that’s why you think people follow you.

Do you enjoy your own content?

If the answer is yes—splendid, keep on rocking babe.

If no—retreat for an instant, give yourself a pat in the back, you’ve done so well so far. Now kick yourself in the butt to give you the courage to post something absolutely different than what you’re used to.

I have not been posting because I got incredibly bored of my own content.

My god. Same old same old.

Yes of course human kind needs repetition in order to get the information imprinted in our brain but there was a moment I looked at the Instagram landscape (I’m talking about the spiritual/wellness landscape) and everything just looked the same.

It bored me to death to log into The Place’s account and read over and over again that “you are the universe” or that “you need to pause”. (I am not dismissing any of these truths. I completely agree 100000%. But we’ve heard it a million times already since the pre/post pandemic no?)

I’ve stopped posting and logging into The Place’s instagram because I need to find my voice again. I need to create space within my creativity to discover where I want to go next and what I want to say.

You know how babies go through some regression phases in their lives? They sleep perfectly for weeks and then wham bam! One day to another, they decide to wake up every hour or so. Disrupting the -oh so wonderful- rhythm they had. Well… this regression is actually the biggest leap of growth they have. It’s in these moments of going backwards that they take a long run-up so they can jump to another stage of growth.

We are big babies.

Same. We need to go back sometimes so we can jump higher.

I am not posting and I don’t really know when I’ll hop back on the social media game.

Maybe tomorrow?

Who knows. I don’t control my creativity and I let her roam free.

She’ll come back when she’s ready.

In the meantime, I am having lots of fun posting the real weird ass me on my private instagram.

It has been actually quite healing to stop posting on The Place. I’ve pushed myself to be even more me on my private circle. Ha! Close one door, open another bright one.

(You can definitely find my private instagram easily little Sherlocks. I have no problem if you add me just be mindful that it’s all about flowers, garden, my baby, books, beauty, my dog. If you don’t know how to find me, here’s some clues: it starts with a “sophy” — ends with a “sticate”)(I might regret this later)

NOW SUBSTACK.

Lord have mercy for the words I’m about to say: I freakin’ dislike Substack so much.

Hahah! I’m smiling writing this because I see Sassy-Sophie having a ball next to me ranting about Substack — yes I’m not alone in my head.

First things first, let’s talk shallow: the platform.

It’s ugly.

Voilà that’s said.

Second, what is this trend that we now have to pay to read people’s daily life?

I LOVE BLOGS. Long live the blogs, the long articles, reading people’s life (oooeeeeeh my little voyeur side loves that) but…honestly I have to pay 8$ for that now?

Why everything has to be monetized today?

I love that we are in an era where we are pushed to own our power, ask for what we deserve, hell yeah all that rock’n’roll I’m in baby, but I do feel that we are falling a little bit into the “I’m going to monetize everything I can because my energy can’t be accessible to everyone, I’m unique.”

You are unique baby.

You will still be unique without monetizing every move you make.

If you’re Garance Doré or Gwyneth Paltrow: FINE. I’m gladly paying to know what you’re cooking tonight. But if you’re an influencer… I don’t know… What happened to the genuine and random content that you were posting for free?

I feel we are slowing going to an era where we’ll have to pay to follow someone on Instagram.

Isn’t that ludicrous ?

Don’t get me wrong here, I am talking about the daily random posts.

If what you’re posting is super valuable with some subtle teachings and mic drops revelations, then hell yeah I’m super happy to pay you. Take all my money honey boo (this is you Kelly). If you’re here to add something that will shift my perspective on something, yes to substack.

If it’s just about playlists and random thoughts. Pass.

THEN LET’S TALK ABOUT SUBSTACK IF YOU HAVE A BUSINESS

Darling, have you ever wondered of the energetic impact it has on your business?

Be mindful and careful on how you split your energy onto multiple platforms.

Our energies is already being diffused on so many digital bridges, spreading our essences a little bit everywhere leading in the end to…not owning what we create.

Think about it.

Do you want to fraction your essence even more? Do you want to split your knowledge in multiple baskets?

Bring everything to the essence.

Centralize your own juice, your own energy.

Own your platform.

Don’t rely on other modalities because you think it’s easier.

You have already a website?

Great — great a blog section.

Why would you need substack? Because you can monetize it? Then create a paywall on your blog section ON YOUR WEBSITE.

Your business is an entity on her own. She has a sweet honey energy and the more it’s centralised (a.k.a the more you own it) the more it radiates.

If you’re putting your light bulbs a little bit everywhere outside your house, how do you want your house to be illuminated? How do you want to light up the way?

Call back in you energy.

Call back in your knowledge.

Put it all on the same platform that you own: your website.

And for those who don’t have a website—fine, you can use substack.

Voilà.

I think we can tell Sassy-Sophie to go back chilling the fuck out with a cigarette in her mouth and a cocktail in the other hand :)

Thanks for reading my rant and my truth.

Bisous and à bientôt!

x

Sophie

and all the little Sophie's in my head