Showing up with integrity, clarity and authenticity allows you to build a brand that’s in alignment with your own experience, Debra Trappen writes.
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Welcome to Lead with Fire, A Soulful Series for Real Estate Game-Changers. This is more than business advice — “Lead with Fire” is a transformative series created for the soulful, visionary humans in the real estate industry who are done with the old playbook and ready to redefine success on their own terms.
You don’t have to be everywhere. You just have to be seen as you.
There’s a moment in every purpose-led journey when you realize:
It’s not about being visible everywhere.
It’s about being visible in the right way.
To the right people.
For the right reasons.
Recently, a member of the Red Threads Collective contacted me. She’d been working in real estate for over a decade and loved serving her clients. But something was stirring.
“I’m craving more meaning,” she said.
She had walked through several personal transitions — divorces, buying her own home, the early waves of perimenopause — and she’d noticed a pattern: She was meeting more women navigating the same terrain.
They weren’t just looking for a house. They were searching for a home, a new beginning, a space to rewrite their story.
She wanted to speak to them. To hold space for that.
But, of course, fear crept in.
- What if she lost clients who didn’t resonate with this new focus?
- What if her peers didn’t understand the shift?
- What if she was seen as “too much” or “too personal”?
We worked through it. The fears. The old stories. The pull toward external validation.
And then we vision cast a new path. One rooted in purpose. One where her brand, her message and her visibility became an invitation, not a performance.
Since that first call, she has launched and led her first workshop, serving her new niche. Real estate remains a significant part of her world, and now, she’s creating space for deeper connections, aligned storytelling and heart-led visibility.
Because when you and your work evolve, your voice has permission to evolve, too.
Reflective journal prompts
- Where am I showing up out of obligation instead of alignment? What would shift if I gave myself permission to follow the energy instead of the expectations?
- What part of my message, mission, or brand is whispering to be reborn? Is there a truth I’m ready to express even if it scares me?
- Who am I truly here to serve — and am I being radically honest about that? It’s OK to evolve. In fact, it’s sacred.
- What would it look like to lead with my truth, not the industry’s trends? What story would I tell if I weren’t trying to fit in?
Visibility isn’t about the algorithm. It’s about alignment
You don’t need a million followers. You don’t need a perfect grid. You don’t need to show up in ways that don’t feel right.
You need congruence. Clarity. A message that reflects who you truly are.
And when that’s in place, the resonance is magnetic.
Mantra to Lead With Fire:
“I show up in truth, not performance. My presence is powerful — just as I am.”
Next up in the Lead with Fire Series — Own your worth: Say no with confidence and stop undervaluing your work
In our next post, we’ll explore one of the most magnetic qualities of any leader or brand. You’ll learn how to say no with clarity, set prices and boundaries without apology, and rewrite the money stories that no longer serve you. Because when you know your value, the world reflects it back to you.
