The Visibility Trap: Why Being Seen Isn’t the Same as Being Valued

You’re visible at work, so why do you still feel stuck, exhausted, or overlooked?

In this episode, promotion and compensation coach Shannon breaks down the visibility trap and why being seen at work is not the same as being valued by leadership.

Many high-performing women are busy, trusted, and deeply relied on, and yet their careers aren’t moving forward in pay, title, or influence.

This episode explains why effort-based visibility often leads to burnout instead of promotion, and what strategic visibility actually looks like inside corporate environments.

You’ll learn
✅ The difference between unfiltered visibility and strategic visibility
✅ Why leadership may see you as reliable but not next-level
✅ How different visibility styles can quietly impact career advancement.

Shannon also walks you through a simple visibility audit to help you understand what you’re really known for when you’re not in the room.

If you’ve ever been told to be more visible and felt frustrated by that advice, this conversation will help you understand what’s really happening and how to reposition your visibility so it finally works in your favor.

⏰ Timestamps
0:00 – The Visibility Trap: Seen but Still Stuck
0:38 – Welcome to Career Growth for Working Women
1:12 – “I’m Exhausted… But Nothing Is Changing”
2:23 – What the Visibility Trap Really Is
3:38 – When Strengths Become Invisible Labor
5:02 – Visible vs. Positioned
5:26 – Why “Be More Visible” Advice Falls Short
6:20 – Unfiltered Visibility Explained
7:30 – Strategic Visibility Defined
8:04 – Visibility Without Narrative Is Risky
9:32 – Why High-Performing Women Get Stuck
10:30 – Visibility Style: Boss Lady in Action (Executing)
11:32 – Visibility Style: Charismatic Queen (Influencing)
12:09 – Visibility Style: Heart-Centered Guide (Relationship Builder)
12:46 – Visibility Style: Visionary Brainiac (Strategic Thinker)
13:19 – Why Corporate Environments Reward Interpreted Value
14:10 – Why I Created the Fast Track Your Income Quiz
14:52 – The Visibility Audit
16:59 – 3 Questions That Reveal Your Positioning
18:30 – Helpful vs. Strategic Visibility
21:05 – The 5% Method Explained
21:42 – From Activity Updates to Impact Visibility
22:14 – From Filling Gaps to Framing Direction
23:04 – How to Respond Strategically When Asked to Help
24:25 – Why Repositioning Can Feel Uncomfortable
25:08 – One Small Shift That Changes Everything
26:13 – Letting Go of the Need to Be Indispensable
26:52 – Redefining Confidence and Readiness
27:50 – Your One 5% Shift This Week
28:30 – You’re Not Broken — You’ve Been Mispositioned
28:56 – Promotion Strategy Call + Next Steps


READY FOR YOUR NEXT STEP?
💰 Start Here: Take the Fast Track Your Income Quiz to understand what’s actually holding your income back—and what kind of move makes sense next. → https://theshannonfox.com/fast-track-...
📞 Book a Promotion Strategy Call: If you’re ready to talk through your goals, your current role, and what’s realistically possible next, book a Promotion Strategy Call. This is for women who want clarity, positioning, and a plan—not guesswork. → https://theshannonfox.com/promotion-s...
📲 Join the Women Who Get Promoted Facebook Group if you want support, conversation, and real-world career strategy with women who get it →   / womenwhogetpromoted  
💌 Become an Insider to receive weekly insights, promotion strategy, and behind-the-scenes coaching you won’t hear on the podcast. → https://theshannonfox.com/email-opt-in


🎧 LOVE THE SHOW?
👉 Subscribe & leave a review so more career moms can discover these game-changing career strategies!









Kat and Tanner by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org/