The fine line...

I'm reflecting this week on the fine lines we walk daily between private and professional, personal and public.

On the one hand, for professions such as mine, the concept of personal 'brand' - being known, showcasing integrity between who I am and what I advise on, reputation that aligns with my business strategy, being accessible - those are all critical aspects of my working life.

On the other hand, that exposure can create a false sense - that you are a public figure, that there are no boundaries, that your professional persona has given up the rights to a private life.

I believe this is more prevalent still for people who identify as female, but that is perhaps that I experience it, and I hear more stories from other women.

One way this plays out on a daily basis is emails via work email addresses and messages on professional platforms like LinkedIn asking personal questions, commenting on people's appearance, asking about their marital/relationship status and making what you might quaintly call 'advances'.

That is one of many examples.

The question I ask is, how best are we to navigate the fine lines between needing (and wanting) to be open about who we are, sharing our experiences, using public platforms to raise our profiles, advocate for causes we believe in and publicise our businesses...and being the recipient of unprofessional and insulting behaviour?

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