It’s not you, it’s me. No, it’s actually you.

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room, shall we? 

Or maybe it just feels like an elephant? 

But I’ll say it boldly. 

I really don’t like Instagram anymore. 

I just don’t. 

I dread logging in. 

I dread posting in a way I can’t even explain. 

I still log in. 

I still post. 

But it feels different than it did before. 

You know? 

And I realize I’m being incredibly vague by using the phrase ‘before’ because it’s like ‘before what?’

Before the pandemic?

Before I shifted my business model away from the lowest common denominator?

Before I developed incurable Carpal Tunnel and I literally can’t type on a phone or mobile device anymore with excruciating pain? 

Before I realized that everyone from online biz ‘coaches’ to gurus to mom bloggers to DIY bloggers to bikini manufacturers and everyone in between is doing the same thing and fighting for the same slice of the same audience pie?

Before I realized that it feels like my absolute LEAST favorite way to interact with people I genuinely care about?

I don’t know what ‘Before’ I mean… but it feels different than before. 

And listen – I’ve had some great benefits of being on the platform. I’ve been introduced to cool people and I’ve certainly attracted clients from the gram. 

And I know there’s a WHOLE subsect of biz coaches who TEACH how to convert your DMs into tens of thousands of dollars – but here’s the thing – I don’t really feel good doing that. 

If you see my stuff on Instagram and engage, great!

If you really want to work with me? I’d like to have a call with you first.

You see, I have this sensitivity to voices. (In fact, it’s in my Human Design chart that I am able to detect and use very slight changes in sound to infer meaning and emotion. Hey O! Another reason I’m kinda brilliant at audio producing). 

I need to HEAR someone before I can tell if they are ready to work with me or if I even want to work with them. 

And Instagram – it creates a lot of fucking noise. And it hurts my brain.

For example, I can tell when someone has posted Stories on the 18th take. And it distracts me.

Can you? Just me?

I can tell by the slight tightness in someone’s voice (my own included) when they are showing up on IG because ‘they have to’. And it distracts me. 

I can feel it. 

And I fucking hate it. 

I don’t want you to feel like you have to be there, like you have to chase followers and like you have to learn how to leverage DM conversations and ‘convert lurkers to buyers’. 

I don’t want you to feel like that EVER. 

I want you to feel like you’re getting value from my presence. Like you’re being FILLED UP by me. And that if you want to work with me, it’s because you’re feeling that way and want MORE. 

So here’s what I’m doing to slowly remove the thorn in my side that is Instagram. 

I’ve invested in a new publishing app called Sendible. 

(Shameless plug: The first Unlocked Loyalty Bonus in Stories for a Year is going to be a total walkthrough of how Team Trafford manages creating and publishing ALL our content to 7 social platforms and more). 

I delete Instagram from Monday to Friday and Sunday and only re-add it on Saturday to scroll for fun. 

I’ve deleted HUNDREDS of FOLLOWERS. Yes. I let my follower count drop to save my sanity and my soul. 

I UNFOLLOWED hundreds of accounts that were inactive, obvious Trump supporters or just stupid. (Oh, did my politics show there? Yes? Good.)

Maybe I’ll change my mind and fall back in love with Instagram for what it once was – but right now, we are on a break … 

Feel free to interact with me there because I still see all the comments and will respond. 

But I’m ending the scroll now.