Show the Real Chapters with Brooke Sellas

During COVID, Brooke Sellas posted something honest on Instagram - two words: “I am so tired.” She wasn’t complaining. She was being human. The mentor she’d hired to help her build her personal brand told her it was a mistake. Leaders only show the good parts, they said. Brooke almost believed it.Brooke is the founder and CEO of B Squared Media, a social media agency she bootstrapped - with no funding, no sales team, just herself - to a seven-figure business over 14 years. Her company’s whole philosophy is built on a trademarked tagline: Think Conversation, Not Campaign. So when a paid expert told her to hide her real feelings and only project perfection, it didn’t just sting personally. It cut against everything she’d built.In this episode, she unpacks why that advice was so damaging, why she almost took it anyway, and what it actually takes to trust yourself when someone you respect tells you you’re wrong.What you’ll learn:Why “only show your best self” advice - however well-intentioned - can quietly undermine the trust you’re trying to buildThe social penetration theory Brooke studied in college that still explains why vulnerability works on social media (and in business)What she did when a mentor lambasted her for showing up authentically, and how long it really took to recoverWhy imposter syndrome hits women founders harder, and what helped Brooke finally snap out of the spiralHow to build discernment about whose advice is worth taking, and how to spot when advice isn’t actually coming from a good placeThe question every founder should ask before taking advice: “Who benefits from me doing this?”Why Brooke now publicly shares when her business is down, and what happened when she didAbout Brooke SellasBrooke Sellas is the founder and CEO of B Squared Media, a social media agency specializing in VIP customer care on social channels for enterprise clients. She bootstrapped B Squared to seven figures over 14 years without outside funding or a sales team. Her company’s approach is rooted in a simple but powerful idea - Think Conversation, Not Campaign - and in the psychology of how humans actually build relationships and trust. Before founding B Squared, Brooke spent years in social media strategy at another company, and her undergraduate thesis on the social penetration theory has shaped her philosophy ever since. She’s a connector, a community builder, and a founder who has learned - sometimes the hard way - that being real is always the right strategy.This episode is for anyone who has been told to put a better face on it, and is wondering whether their real face might actually be the better strategy.📩 Subscribe to the newsletter: lindsaytjepkema.substack.com 🔗 Follow Lindsay on LinkedIn🔗 Follow Brooke on LinkedIn💼 Learn more about B Squared Media: bsquared.media