You can be off Instagram, without being off the grid
Carving out personal space in the era of leaders giving their all
CHERRY ON TOP 🍒 is our monthly newsletter exploring the ins and outs of everything that modern businesses need to truly shine. We dive into topics that live at the intersection of our two companies – ORCHARD STREET, a venture studio + angel fund & DALY, a comms+ agency – as both help founders get the best ideas out into the world, through outstanding operations, comms, and culture-building.Ally: To be, or not to be (on social media) — that is the question that plagues most of us, at a time when social media can be a boon on both mental health and attention spans.
But for public-facing founders and leaders, the question takes on a whole new depth of consideration.
I’ve had a front row seat to witness Alex’s own journey towards reframing her relationship with social media over the past few years, and I love how this issue presents her social media breaks as being more about finding fresh ways to connect, rather than fully pulling back (if anything, she’s leaning in way more!)
Take it away, AD!
Alex: In the last year, I quietly stepped away from my personal Instagram, as a homework assignment.
I live with OCD, and my brain loves a loop, so Instagram’s endless visual scroll is catnip and harmfully enabling for me. As an idea from my CBT therapist, I started small, with three-day breaks. Each time, by day two, my brain chatter was already much quieter, and I felt better.
I then began fully deleting the app from my phone, to take longer breaks. I didn’t do it in a dramatic, announce-my-exit kind of way. I just left.
Within a few weeks, it started to feel like shedding a layer I didn’t need anymore — one made of performance and perfection. But here’s the catch: I run a thriving and profitable comms agency, where staying on top of media and socials are integral to our market expertise.
Even as my relationship with socials changes, I’m still landing dream clients for my company. People still find us. I’m still very much present in a way I know is crucial for the success of my small business — just differently.
Building a business, not a persona
Somewhere along the way, founders were told that in order to build a business, they had to build a personal brand — and that the brand had to center on them as the main character. Their face, their voice, their constant presence.
But here’s a gentle reminder that it took me years to realize: you are allowed to protect parts of yourself. You can show up in exactly the way you want, and that feels right to you. And the people who want to work with you will still find you, even if you’re not meticulously tending to your personal Instagram feed.
Fellow founders and friends (both in my industry, and not) constantly ask me how I manage to connect deeply without being constantly connected. Let me clue you in to my oft-repeated answers:
Less feed, more connection
For work, I've found my voice — and my people — on LinkedIn. It's where I share insights and stories, and create genuine professional relationships. And it doesn’t require constant attention! Erika Veurink recently said “Decision-makers are on Linkedin. Middle managers on Instagram.”
And it’s been better for my mental health, too. LinkedIn is a bit nerdy, a bit slower, and I only post on it weekly, to keep a steady cadence and also just to be aware of what’s going on in my professional world.
Another unexpected source of connection? Slack communities. I’ve joined a few niche, incredibly curated groups, and have made far more meaningful connections there than I ever did through replies to my Instagram stories. These aren’t giant public forums — they’re micro, intentional spaces full of people who speak the same language. You can pop in with a question about a PR tool or share a win, and someone’s usually there, not to just ‘like’ it, but to dig in and collaborate. If LinkedIn is the professional town square, these Slack groups are the dinner parties.
And speaking of dinner parties, not all “social” interactions need to happen online! Hosting cozy meals at your apartment, inviting someone for a spontaneous coffee, gathering people IRL really does make an impact.
In addition to stepping away from my personal Instagram, we have also adapted our Daly Instagram strategy in recent years towards a more deliberate, snapshot-driven approach that favors posting a few times per month vs an always-on feed.
With this considered strategy shift, our static grid has become less of a live feed, and more of a signpost — with quick snapshots into Daly culture and client spotlights that ultimately drive people toward our website, where the real story lives.
Make your website do the talking
You don’t need to constantly post on socials (or anywhere, really) to have a successful, magnetic business. Our website does a lot of the heavy lifting — and it does so without demanding our constant input of content (just little tweaks, here and there!)
The Daly site isn’t just a quick landing page with a list of services; it’s a visually-rich portfolio of our work, values, and voice. We regularly update our “News” section — tucked right at the top — with Cherry on Top drops, fresh Daly playlists, and company press hits we’re proud of.
We continually evolve the client image gallery with new brands and photos — keeping it fresh for those who check back regularly — and if you scroll down a bit, you will see our press section is refreshed quarterly to spotlight new wins that showcase our holistic approach to PR in action.
Scroll a bit more and you’ll find a case study timeline we call the Daly Ripple Effect, showing 10+ years (!) of ongoing work with a single client. It reads:
“Success demands more than a buzzy launch moment or a single media blitz. We build long-term, dynamic strategies that create unstoppable momentum over time.”
And that’s not just website copy — it’s our whole thesis. It ties to our intentionalist approach to everything comms-related, and is proof that you can build visibility or stay top of mind in a diverse range of impactful ways.
I’ve seen firsthand that investing your (truly precious) time into a well-written, well-designed website can have a much bigger impact on your business than almost any other channel — often the first thing I hear when I hope on a new business call or step into a journalist coffee is “I love your website!” Even the most well-curated and maintained feed doesn’t command that kind of attention.
Let your marketing be a gift
Another way to drive connection? The love language of gift-giving. When we started our journey to make impactful branded swag a couple years ago, we didn’t just slap our logo on a water bottle and call it a day.
We started by asking: what story do we want to be telling with our company swag? What are value-aligned ways that Daly can be showing up in people’s everyday lives?
With this intentional approach in mind, we’ve leaned into our warm brand colors to create out-of-the box items like Daly-red nail polish, plush yellow towels, pink baseball caps that literally center one of our cutest Daly values (intimacy).
Colorful umbrellas, chocolate bars, lip balm, Swedish candy — the list goes on. A lot of our stuff doesn’t even have the Daly logo on it — it’s more about creating a feeling and vibe, which leaves a lasting impression on the recipients.
I swear the sustained impact of our swag boxes have landed us more than a handful of new business! Turns out: emotional resonance has a longer shelf life than engagement metrics.
The Cherry on Top: Stepping away from your personal or company Instagram (or any other social platform) isn’t about disappearing; it’s about choosing how and where you want to engage. This isn’t a PSA to delete your account. It’s an invitation to rethink how you show up. You don’t need to be everywhere. You just need to be somewhere: with care, consistency, and a little creativity.
yes!!
This is wonderful, Alex! Thank you!