The Permission to Be Seen: Breaking Free from Small Business Invisibility with Heather Noska
How Small Business Owners Can Break Free from Invisibility
What if the thing keeping your business small isn't lack of strategy, but lack of permission to be fully seen?
I had one of those conversations recently that stayed with me for days. My guest, operations consultant Heather Noska, shared something that made my heart skip: “What it felt like was like being tucked away in the back of a closet. And I was like, that does not feel good at all.”
She was talking about that moment every business owner faces – when you realize you've been hiding behind your work instead of owning your expertise. And honestly? I think most of us have been there.
Why Small Business Owners Stay Hidden Behind Their Brands
Heather has this incredible gift for walking into startups at that crucial moment when they're ready to scale. “They get to a point where they're just executing and doing and figuring out how to make things happen. And at some point they're like, ‘We want to grow,'” she explains.
But here's what caught my attention: she could have easily remained the behind-the-scenes problem solver forever. For years, she was comfortable being the consultant who fixed systems without having to be the face of the solution.
Sound familiar? Many entrepreneurs find themselves playing the role of the invisible expert – doing incredible work but never stepping into the spotlight to claim credit for their expertise.
Business Leadership: Moving From Doing to Delegating
[08:20] Getting Out of the Weeds
One of the most practical parts of our conversation focused on how leaders can actually step back from the daily grind. Heather's approach is brilliant: “It requires team and it requires trusting that team… you're not just asking people to do a series of checklists that you don't want to be doing. It's also empowering them to make decisions.”
The key insight? Both sides have to learn trust. This delegation strategy is crucial for any small business owner looking to scale beyond their personal capacity.
Company Culture Transformation Starts at the Top
[15:09] The Values Reality Check
We dove deep into company culture, and Heather didn't sugarcoat it: “Culture and those values stem from the top. It's not what you say that is important. It's how you are, how you behave.”
She shared a powerful example of working with a 200-person company where people were afraid to speak up about mistakes. The result? A consultant had to come in and say, “blame me” just to get things moving forward.
The lesson: If you want your team to take ownership, you have to model radical responsibility first.
Personal Branding for Entrepreneurs: The Visibility Breakthrough
[33:16] From Hidden to Seen
The most vulnerable part of our conversation came when Heather shared her “closet moment” – realizing she'd been using other people's brands as an excuse to stay invisible. This pattern, she discovered, went back to childhood.
But then came the transformation: “I am ready, and it's uncomfortable and it's exciting. But I'm like, I'm ready. Look, I'm wearing pink. I'm here to be seen. I'm going on a podcast.”
This journey from invisible expert to visible leader is what personal branding for entrepreneurs is really about – not just marketing tactics, but the internal permission to be seen as the authority you already are.
Building Business Visibility Through Community
[35:18] The Power of Transformation Together
Heather joined our Art of Reinvention program specifically to work on this visibility challenge. Her key insight: “Learning that you don't have to do these things alone.”
Community becomes crucial for small business owners breaking free from invisibility. Having witnesses to your transformation makes the vulnerable work of stepping forward feel less overwhelming.
Permission to Be Seen: Your Next Step
[39:45] The Pull and the Discomfort
When I asked Heather what she'd tell someone considering their own reinvention journey, her answer was perfect: “If that concept or that idea even remotely called to you… Listen to that pull and keep moving through the discomfort anyway.”
Here's the truth: The permission to be seen isn't going to come from anyone else. It won't feel comfortable at first. But as Heather discovered, there's something magical that happens when you step out from behind the brand and own your expertise fully.
Your business visibility journey doesn't require perfection – it requires courage. The courage to trust your team, have difficult conversations, and most importantly, be fully seen as the expert you already are. Want the full conversation? Listen to the complete episode to hear Heather's detailed strategies for healthy team conflict, her four-part system for diagnosing company needs, and the tree analogy that perfectly captures the reinvention process. Trust me, there's so much gold in this conversation that will transform how you think about leadership and visibility.
xo, Tracy
Sponsor Spotlight!
Just like Heather discovered her pattern of hiding that went back to childhood, sometimes we need support to see our own blind spots. If you're feeling stuck in your business or burnt out and unsure of what's next, join me for the Reinvention Brainstorm Session – a free 90-minute live activation designed to unlock your next-level vision and identify your true zone of genius.
This isn't a masterclass; it's a transformation experience where two lucky attendees will get hot seat coaching, plus I'm bringing powerful special guests to call in your reinvention.
Save Your Spot for the FREE Reinvention Brainstorm →
If Heather's story of stepping into visibility resonates with you, The Art of Reinvention might be exactly what you need. This 12-week immersive experience is designed for entrepreneurs and business owners ready to refine their vision, create high-value offers, and position themselves for next-level success. Our early bird spots are filling up fast! Ready to make this your reinvention season?
Join The Art of Reinvention in Early Bird →
Links in this episode:
Follow @HeatherNoska on Instagram!
FREE Reinvention Brainstorm Session
Buy My Book: The Desired Brand Effect