You've heard it a hundred times. Post more. Get on video. Just show up. Nobody tells you what happens in your body when showing up feels physically unsafe, not just uncomfortable.
Anna Holtzman spent five years helping people with chronic pain while hiding her own migraines. She thought that's what it meant to be professional. By the end of every day? Headache. The concealment itself was feeding the migraine pattern. In this episode, Anna and I talk about the mask we wear to look professional, what it costs us, and what becomes possible when we stop performing.
Anna Holtzman is a therapist, coach, and founder of a practice built around helping people work with their nervous systems, not against them. She teaches visibility from a nervous system lens and specializes in supporting people navigating chronic symptoms, career reinvention, and the emotional experience of running a business. She got into this work through her own experience with chronic migraine and discovering that the tension of concealment was part of the pattern.
In this episode, we cover:
• Why the tension of concealment drains your energy and feeds chronic symptoms
• How masking your vulnerability cuts you off from creativity and authentic expression
• Why performing the inhuman professional makes it harder to market your business
• What happens to your nervous system when you're twisting yourself into a pretzel to look regulated
• Why people don't trust the mask but do trust the moment when you say I see a therapist too
• How business is just a type of relationship and relationships require being human
• What becomes possible when you stop performing professionalism and let yourself be a full human being in your work
This episode is for you if:
• You feel drained by the end of the day even when your workload wasn't that heavy
• You sit down to create content and think I don't know what to say
• You're hiding symptoms or struggles because you think that's what it means to be professional
• You wonder if being more visible would drain you or trigger a flare-up
• You're tired of performing a version of yourself that doesn't feel true
🎧 Want to learn more about today’s guest?
Visit our show, Business With Chronic Illness (https://businesswithchronicillness.com/) , for guest details, key takeaways, and extra links mentioned in this episode.
🌿 If you’re navigating entrepreneurship and chronic illness, or simply craving a more sustainable way to grow your business without sacrificing your health, energy, or self-care priorities. Join our community designed for women entrepreneurs, creatives, and women with chronic illness who want sustainable growth and burnout support while keeping life and wellness first. Join Our Free Community, The Gathering Room (https://craftedtothrivehq.app.clientclub.net/communities/groups/the-gathering-room/home?invite=6aa05425253b70920d23371f) of The Rooted & Profitable Collective.
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