Hi, I'm Rebecca

and I spent two years on Instagram without sharing a single photo of myself.

I know what it feels like to have a business worth sharing and not quite be able to bring yourself to share it.

For two years I ran an Instagram account without a single photo of my own face on it. I posted about other people. I promoted other businesses. I stayed behind the camera because showing up visibly felt genuinely risky.

That fear had roots. I grew up in Sunderland and moved to Yorkshire as a child — and my accent made me a target. I was bullied for the way I spoke, including a teacher who humiliated me in front of the whole class for the way I said a word. I learned very early that being visible meant being judged, and I carried that with me for much longer than I realised.

When I eventually shared a photo of myself on Instagram, I only did it in full makeup, with a filter. It was the only way I felt able to press post.

Before Softly Social, I ran a hyperlocal website for families in West Berkshire called West Berkshire Family Life. I grew its Instagram from zero to over 2,000 local followers, and sold it in 2023 when I was ready for something new.

That Instagram account was where my real education happened — not from courses (though I did plenty of those), but from years of doing, testing and paying attention to what actually worked.

When I sold the business, I already knew what I wanted to do next. I started a social media management business, quickly realised almost all my knowledge and passion was Instagram-specific, and niched in. I joined the Athena Network and my regional director, Lara, said something that stopped me in my tracks: have you ever thought about niching into introverts?

Something clicked immediately. I understood exactly how those introverts in business felt, because I was one of them.

I rebranded to Softly Social in 2024.

While I was running West Berkshire Family Life, I started showing up more — putting my face on the account, sharing videos, letting people see who was actually behind the business. I had been doing it for a while when someone came over to me at an exercise class to say thank you. She ran children's dance classes and I had featured her on the website. As a result, a local venue had seen her there and offered her a regular slot to run her classes. She wanted to tell me in person.

I hadn't anticipated that. I was genuinely surprised — and really moved, because it made the whole thing feel real in a way it hadn't before. Showing up, sharing other people's work, being visible — it had made a practical difference to someone's business.

That kind of thing happened in smaller ways too. People recognising me at toddler groups. Telling me the website had helped them find something they needed. It was rewarding in a way I hadn't expected when I first started.

I want you to have your own version of that experience — the moment you realise that being visible online is actually doing something. That the right people are finding you, that it's making a difference, and that you don't have to be front and centre all the time for it to work.

How I work

I am an introvert. Calm and patient by nature, preferring quieter spaces and smaller groups, someone who needs time to recharge after being with people. The friends who know me well would describe me that way.

I have been described as shy by people who don't know me — and I'd gently push back on that, because I think introversion is often misunderstood. Being introverted doesn't mean lacking confidence or having nothing to say. It means thinking before speaking, connection over performance. It means the kind of thoughtfulness that makes for very good business.

Those I work with are the same. They are thoughtful, capable and genuinely brilliant at what they do. What they don't need is someone telling them to post every day, do more trending Reels or "just get over it."

What they need is someone who meets them where they are. That's what I do.

A little more about me

I live in Newbury with my husband, our two young daughters, our Maltipoo puppy Benji and our two guinea pigs Cookie & Crumble. Most mornings start the same way — Benji out first thing, then cacao and journalling before the day properly begins. I do the school run most days, fit in strength workouts at home when I can, and take my girls to dance classes and their junior youth theatre sessions.

When I read, I want a proper plot. Psychological thrillers, books with twists, stories that keep you guessing right to the end. I love getting properly lost in a good fiction book.

I have 12 five-star Google reviews and I have supported over 30 clients across 1:1 sessions, workshops and profile reviews. I have spoken for the Berkshire Growth Hub three times and am an active member of the Athena Network in Newbury (and yes, even as an introvert I love it!).

If you are looking for a calmer approach to Instagram — one that respects your energy, suits your personality and still gets real results — I would love to help.