Recently, I read a post by Limarc Ambalina, a professional I deeply admire, about the reality of the work that happens behind closed doors—far away from the flashy posts on socials.
Real networking happens when you’re working. When you show up, overdeliver, and build relationships brick by brick.
That line has been echoing in my head. Because in our world—startups, conferences, panels, LinkedIn updates—it’s so easy to confuse visibility with progress. To believe that being on stage or going viral means you’re moving forward.
But the truth? The most meaningful things happen when nobody is watching.
The Life That Actually Counts
Behind closed doors is where character shows.
It’s how you treat partners and colleagues when no one else will know.
It’s whether you keep a promise that no longer benefits you.
It’s whether you still show up when there are no eyes, no applause, no cameras.
You can look like you’re crushing it at a conference lounge and still be quietly burning bridges. You can perform brilliance online while neglecting the slow, quiet grind that real trust requires.
Women in AI Who Remind Me of This
This week, I wrote about 10 influential women in AI who inspire me—not because they’re the loudest voices, but because they’re doing the work. They’re building, researching, mentoring, and laying foundations that will last long after hype cycles fade.
That’s the kind of leadership I admire. The kind that doesn’t need to announce itself every day, because the impact is already compounding in the background.
My Own Lessons, the Hard Way
In my founder story, I shared how I had to learn most things by grinding it out. There were no shortcuts, no magic introductions that solved everything—just mistakes, corrections, and more mistakes.
What kept me going wasn’t the visible wins. It was the behind-the-scenes discipline: staying up late to meet deadlines, owning my part when a decision went wrong, showing up again the next day when the energy was gone.
Those moments rarely made it into a post. But they’re the ones that built my resilience, my reputation, my relationships. And that’s why I started The First-Time CEO podcast: to share those unpolished stories of first-time founders and the specialists who keep startups alive behind the scenes. Season 2 begins recording this week, and I can’t wait to bring you more of those raw conversations.
And there is something super cool and creative I am planning with one of the badass women from my article for this season, too, that many of you will love! Stay tuned and follow The First-Time CEO on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Substack to stay up-to-date with all the upcoming content!
If you missed any episodes from Season 1, I encourage you to watch/listen to them to learn a thing or two about sales, marketing, fundraising, resilience, career transition, and the real challenges modern leaders face today when launching and running companies for the first time.
What It Really Means to Show Up
If there’s one thing I keep learning, it’s this: the work behind closed doors is the work that counts.
That’s where you decide whether you’re trustworthy. That’s where you practice being kind when no one is measuring it. That’s where you put in the hours that turn into results that look “sudden” to everyone else.
Even for me, there’s something I’ve been building quietly in the background—a side project I wasn’t planning to reveal yet. But unexpectedly, I’ve been invited to present it at Unicorn Pitches Lisbon on September 29th. I’ll share more soon, but for now I’m reminding myself: this is exactly what it means to trust the work done out of sight.
#CEOCheck for you this week
Where in your own work or relationships could you shift more energy behind closed doors—toward doing the hard, quiet, unglamorous work (or having a hard conversation) that builds real trust and lasting impact?
Hit reply and share your answers with me. I read them all!
Let’s Connect!
For more authentic content on launching and running companies for the first time, follow me on LinkedIn and Instagram, and The First-Time CEO podcast on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts.