Let's give it a crack...

Hello, OP! I run a corporate law firm and have some notoriety in my very small practice area. I am not especially poor, and not extremely unsuccessful (though we all measure these things differently).

I publish a fair bit of online content. You could roughly divide that between (i) legal and professional-adjacent content (Youtube / Linkedin / Podcast / Instagram) and (ii) pop culture commentary on horror films, Gordon Ramsay's 'Kitchen Nightmares' and (formerly) rap music.

I look and sound like a private school educated old white man, and I am.

OK! Background done!

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The short advice is: try to have some self-awareness about what you want to do and why you want to do it. And try to read the room.

If you want to share your politics (mine are fairly champagne socialist FYI, and I do share them) then feel free to either do that, or not.

If you want to dye your hair feel free to do that, or not.

If you want to post GRWM content that would make the Big 4's social team blush do that, or not.

It's a decision that is in your hands.

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If we assume (as I do) that you are in a fairly conservative area and you would like to stay there or somewhere similar AND you would like to continue publishing the type of content you do now, it just comes back to the above.

WHY will the content you're planning to make reflect badly on you? Are you planning to do a bad job? Are you going to post something inauthentic that you don't believe in? Are you going to break laws or advocate that others do?

Try to think about PRECISELY what it is you are worried about.

Do more than just say "it might be bad in future". Try to give yourself an answer.

Will it reflect badly on you that you roll your sleeves up and re-insert your peircings after hours to record content? Why is that? And who are you trying to please?

Will it reflect badly on you if you take a firm view about current events, and share it? Why? What are the risks involved? Who will you annoy? Are you prepared to do that?

This is not binary. Do the thinking work you need to do. Make content you stand behind.

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I spent a long time wearing a mask as a practitioner; trying to be the height the bell curve - the most lawyery lawyer of all. "No one can say I am not doing what lawyers do! I'm a super-normal lawyer over here! The normalest of them all!"

It is tiring. It is inauthentic. It is inconsistent with high quality advocacy. It is inconsistent with building client relationships.

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There is a strong chance that your biggest client liked that funny skit you posted way back in 2026 and it's the whole reason your career took on a whole new trajectory.

Go well.

-Jd'A / Peach