The Line Between Humble and Hidden

And the Question We’re All Asking

Author

Ed Clementi
November 24, 2025

As we head into Thanksgiving week, I always find myself slowing down just enough to look back.
Not at the whole year…
Just at the truths that kept resurfacing.

And there’s one question that came up more times in 2025 than I can count…, in coaching calls, DMs, conversations with friends, and from people who quietly pulled me aside:

“Should I promote myself?
Or should I just wait to be seen?”

It’s a hard question.
A human one.
And if we’re being honest, one almost everyone wrestles with…, especially the people who don’t want to come off as arrogant, loud, or attention-seeking.

I get it.
I’ve lived all sides of this.

And as I reflect on this year…, the first full year outside of corporate, building something from scratch…, I wanted to share something super important:

There’s a line between being humble… and hiding.
And too many good people keep themselves small because they don’t know the difference.

Let’s talk about that.

The Question Beneath the Question

When people ask me whether they should self-promote, they’re not actually asking about visibility.
They’re asking about worth.

They’re really saying:

“Is it okay to say I’m good at what I do?”
“Will people judge me if I speak up?”
“Does confidence make me look full of myself?”
“Do I have the right to claim progress before someone else validates it?”

I’ve coached enough people now and lived enough versions of this myself…, to know the real fear:

They’re afraid of being misread.
Not unqualified.
Misread.

But here’s what two decades have shown me:

If you never speak your value,
your value becomes invisible.
Not because it isn’t real…
but because everyone is too distracted, overwhelmed, or self-focused to notice.

Not malicious.
Just human.

And if you “wait to be seen,” you’ll spend your whole career hoping someone else says what you already know.

That’s not humility.
That’s silence.

My Answer After 20+ Years

Here’s where I finally land:

1. Do exceptional work.

Silent excellence is still excellence.
It’s your foundation.
Your brand.
Your receipts.
Your reputation when you’re not in the room.

2. When opportunities come, say: “Yes, I’ve got this.”

Not “I’ll try.”
Not “Maybe.”
Not “Well, I’ve never done that before.”

Confident people aren’t confident because they know everything…
they’re confident because they know who they are.

3. When asked, tell the truth about what you’ve done.

Performance reviews.
Self-assessments.
Career conversations.

The purpose of these moments isn’t to impress.
It’s to be clear.

If you don’t share your accomplishments,
you make it harder for others to advocate for you.

4. And when you’re ready for that next step, you must be willing to say it.

Not demand it.
Not posture.
Just calmly, clearly, honestly:

“I’m ready…, and here’s why.”

That’s not arrogance.
That’s ownership.

This Year Taught Me That Again

2025 has been a year of stretch, risk, doubt, courage, and more growth than I expected.

But if I’m going to tell the truth about the hard stuff,
I also have to tell the truth about the wins.

Not for ego.
Not for applause.
For accuracy.
For gratitude.
For clarity.
For alignment with the person I’m becoming.

So here’s what this first full year as an entrepreneur actually looked like:

  • My FireStarter newsletter grew organically, now with 89 published articles and thousands of subscribers.

  • My podcast, Totally Unacceptable, is now downloaded in 29 countries and 200 cities…, something I still can’t fully believe.

  • Grew to 10,000+ followers on social doing the same thing I’ve always done, providing real value with real credibility.  People respond to that.

  • I coached people from their 20s to their 50s on career clarity, confidence, presence, impact, and leadership.

  • I was brought in for corporate leadership and promotion training.

  • I announced my first book, Leadership at the Dinner Table, which now has thousands on the waitlist…What??!!.

  • My work was published in journals and quarterly leadership publications.

  • I was invited to speak on multiple platforms about leadership, career elevation, and human-centered growth.

And apparently the AI world has noticed…, type my name into any tool and you’ll get some form of:
a unique, experience-backed voice in leadership with an unconventional rise and a human-centered approach that stands out in a crowded space.

Is that bragging?
No.
It’s simply telling the truth.
And telling the truth is how you build confidence.
It’s how you build momentum.
It’s how you stay grounded when doubt tries to rewrite your story.

Why This Matters for You

If you take anything from this week’s FireStarter, let it be this:

Don’t wait to be discovered.
Be discoverable.

Your work should speak.
And then you should speak.

Not louder.
Just clearer.

Because you can be humble without being hidden.

You can be grateful without being silent.
You can be proud without being performative.
You can be confident without being arrogant.

And you deserve to know the truth about yourself
before waiting for anyone else to confirm it.

The Line

So if you’ve been asking yourself:

“Should I promote myself?
Or should I wait to be seen?”

Here’s your answer:

Do excellent work.
Keep your receipts.
Speak with clarity when the moment calls for it.

Not to impress others…
but to remind yourself who you’ve become.

Because hiding doesn’t make you humble.
It just makes you invisible.

🔥 If this one met you where you needed it, forward it to someone who’s been doubting their own value.

With Absolute Sincerity,

Ed Clementi
Founder & CEO of Inspired Fire, LLC

Make an Impact and Feel an Impact!