How to Explain What You Do (Without Overthinking)
Struggling to explain what you do? There’s a reason this feels harder than it should.
When I started my business last August, I really thought creating content would be the easy part. I had just spent four years as a product marketer, building a full branding strategy for an entire company from scratch. Talking about my own business? I figured that would be light work.
Baby. I was wrong.
I started strong, then slowly began second-guessing everything I posted. Editing and re-editing captions, I overthought every word. Eventually, I went silent altogether.
Then came the dreaded question:
“So… what do you do?”
Cue the fumbling.
“I’m, um… trying to get a marketing business off the ground.” Every time, I got the same look. You know the one. A little pity, a touch of concern, and a side of “bless your heart.”
But here’s the thing: I wasn’t struggling because I wasn’t good at what I did. I was struggling because I didn’t have a clear, confident way to talk about it.
That matters more than most people realize.
A confused buyer never buys. If people don’t understand your value, they don’t stick around long enough to care. Clarity isn’t cute or trendy, but it is the core of a marketing strategy that lasts.
It helps the right people recognize you, pay attention, and trust you enough to work with you.
So as you’re thinking about your marketing in 2026, here are three things to keep in mind if you want your message to be clear and your marketing to actually work.
Why Smart Women Struggle to Explain What They Do
If I’m being honest, the thought of talking to hundreds of people about what I was building used to send me into a spiral. Visibility is vulnerable. I didn’t want anyone to think I thought too much of myself.
I also didn’t want to sound “too confident,” “too loud,” or like I was doing the most.
A lot of women-led businesses don’t struggle because they lack talent. They struggle because they’ve learned to talk about their work with caution. We’re taught that humility keeps us safe and likable, even when it makes our value harder to see.
But clear, confident messaging isn’t about ego. It’s about clarity.
If these sound familiar, you might be underselling your value:
You say, “I just help with x, y, z,” instead of naming the result you create
You talk about how hard the work was, but never what your work changed
Your services sound like “a little of everything” instead of one clear outcome
You answer “Who is this for?” with “pretty much anyone”
You wait to feel confident until someone else validates you
Being clear about your value means naming the problem you solve, the transformation you provide, and why your approach works, without apology or softening your explanation. Your experience, perspective, and results aren’t “extras.” They are the product.
When you undersell your value, your audience has to work harder to understand why they should choose you. Most won’t; not because they don’t need you, but because they can’t clearly see themselves in what you said.
If You Can’t Say It Simply, People Won’t Remember It
Let’s talk about that moment when someone asks what you do.
If your answer is long and full of mid-sentence pivots, it’s doing more damage than you realize. Rambling doesn’t just hurt your confidence, it blurs your brand and makes it harder for people to remember you.
What you need is a clear, repeatable magic statement. One sentence you can come back to every time.
That sentence anchors your message. It keeps you from over-explaining, and it helps you show up with confidence; whether you’re networking, posting content, or answering questions in the school carline.
When you know exactly what to say, you stop shrinking and scrambling. You sound like someone who actually knows where she’s going.
If you want help creating your magic statement, my free “What Do I Say?” guide walks you through it step by step.
Focus Makes You Easier to Trust
In a world where everyone is doing everything, it’s tempting to talk about all the ways you can help, especially when you’re talented. OR when people keep asking for “quick help” that quietly turns into unpaid consulting.
But clarity doesn’t come from versatility. It comes from focus.
When your messaging jumps from topic to topic, people don’t see you as well-rounded. They see you as confusing. Knowing your lane doesn’t limit you. It helps people understand what to come to you for.
Your lane usually lives at the intersection of:
What you do best
What people consistently come to you for
What actually moves your business forward (not just keeps you busy)
Bonus: How to Find the Lane People Already See You In
Ask yourself:
If someone referred me today, what would I want them to say I help with, without explaining for five minutes?
Which part of my work feels easiest to talk about because I’ve done it over and over again?
What offers, posts, or conversations have led to real opportunities or income, not just compliments?
Pay attention to the overlap.
That’s your lane.
Stick to it. Say it often. Say it clearly. Let people connect your name with something specific. You can always tweak it later, but clarity has to come first.
I see so many women business owners struggle in this area, not because they aren’t capable, but because they don’t yet have language they trust.
It’s also the work we do inside Show Up Different: helping women building businesses find the clarity and confidence to talk about their business consistently, without shrinking or overthinking every word.
A Final Word✌🏾
Talking about your business clearly in 2026 isn’t about being louder or posting more. It’s about being rooted. It’s about knowing your value, having the words ready, and trusting that the right people will recognize themselves in your message.
You don’t need to convince everyone.
You just need to be clear enough for the people who are already looking for you.
Once you get that part right, everything else starts to come together.
Tash Jaye is a marketing strategist and writer focused on helping moms build visibility in a way that feels sustainable and grounded. She believes clarity creates confidence, and that showing up online shouldn’t cost you your peace. Her work centers on marketing strategies that support real life , not performative hustle.
