“Wait… you actually deleted Instagram?!”
Real freedom is the one you create and choose for yourself.
As I write this, it’s been almost a year since I deleted every social app from my phone : Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
And this article is written by me with my sensitivity, my authenticity… and maybe a few human typos.
Because honestly, I’m tired of reading posts that all sound like they were written by ChatGPT.
I feel like it’s making people even more trapped in the matrix, when right now, your true voice is the only thing that can make you stand out.
(Disclaimer : I use ChatGPT every day for my personal and professional life. I just don’t want it writing my soul for me.)
What You’ll Find in This Article
- Why I made this decision
- How I’m doing it
- How I’ll grow my business without social media
- Content to spark reflection
- Conclusion: Rising from the ashes, like a phoenix
Why I Decided to Delete Instagram
I’m not even sure where to begin… so I’ll just tell you the truth.
Lately, whenever I felt tired, I’d lie down to rest and one minute later, I’d be scrolling through Instagram stories on my browser, almost on autopilot.
It was like I was seeking that little dopamine hit, that fake comfort.
But it didn’t recharge me. It drained me.
After five minutes, I’d put my phone down and actually rest quietly, with my mind at peace.
Getting there took intention. Presence. A lot of unlearning.
The second reason? I feel deeply misaligned with this way of doing online business.
I’ve always had a rebel soul.
As a kid, I never wanted to “do what everyone else does.” Not to be different for the sake of it but because I wanted to change things, to create new paths… even if it meant walking them alone.
My brain is wired like a tree branching thoughts everywhere. I can’t “just do” without knowing why.
Before becoming an entrepreneur, I worked in child protection. I became a social worker because I wanted to change the world, even in small ways.
Now that I’m a mother, I can’t let chaos seep into my life or my children’s lives just because it’s what’s expected in business.
I’ve decided to be one of those who say STOP.
Stop to what Instagram and TikTok are doing to us and to our kids.
How I’m Doing It
This is what “leaving Instagram” looks like for me:
- Reflection : I’ve been thinking about this for over a year. Now I fully own this decision, in body and mind.
- Action : I unfollow everyone.
- Clean-up : I archive all posts and wipe my bio.
- Transition : I post twice — once to explain why I’m leaving, and once to share what I do and where to find me.
- Rebirth : Then I walk my own path again. And yes, it’s scary. But I believe in it.
Will I feel FOMO sometimes ? Absolutely.
But every time I’ve taken the “different” path, it’s been messy… right before it turned into something magical.
So I’ll stay patient, active, and anchored in faith.
How I’ll Grow My Business Without Social Media
I’m writing this with my heart racing, scared, yes, but mostly excited.
Because I’m saying no to a system, and a big YES to myself.
And that’s priceless.
Yes, I run an online business. And lately, it’s been shifting a lot.
Partly because I was pouring my energy into MyKlub, the coaching & training platform I co-founded (and launching a startup is no Sunday stroll 😅).
And partly because… I burned out.
I know why, and maybe one day I’ll talk about it publicly but not today.
All you need to know is it had nothing to do with my mentoring business.
But here’s the thing : once you’ve gone through burnout, you can’t go back to “business as usual.”
And at 42, I’ve earned the right to say a loud “nope” to anything that’s not aligned.
So here’s my new strategy feel free to steal it :
- Main acquisition channel : YouTube long-form videos (vlogs + face-cam thought pieces).
- Secondary acquisition : Meta ads (low-ticket offers like my Notion templates, running through a low-ticket funnel with ads very “US-style” and it works).
- My offer pyramid : everything lives inside The Glow CEO my ecosystem for ambitious creatives who need to organize their ideas and build a business that truly supports their life and dreams.
- In-person presence : networking, events, partnerships, prospecting IRL because too many online entrepreneurs forget this and end up lonely (and overspending on $20K masterminds to feel less alone).
And if my strategy evolves, I’ll share it all on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@TheGlowCEO
Why We Need to Talk About Deleting Instagram
I’ve gone deep down this rabbit hole not as an “expert,” but as someone personally affected.
You can find endless studies on the negative impact of social media, but here are the ones that hit me hardest:
- Brain rot : that feeling of fried focus, dulled creativity, and scattered thinking from endless short-form content
- Dopamine hacking : these apps hijack your brain’s reward system to keep you hooked
- Doomscrolling : compulsive, anxious scrolling late at night or when tired
- Passive comparison : what you consume reshapes how you see yourself, often without realizing
- Distorted self-image : your worth starts depending on engagement, feedback, and visibility — especially for women creators
- Identity disconnection : performing roles online disconnects you from your authentic voice
- Digital violence : harassment, hate, mob behavior — it’s normalized, but it’s not normal
🎬 Adolescence on Netflix (about harassment on social media)
Rising Like a Phoenix
No, this isn’t easy.
Choosing this path means choosing solitude at least for a while.
I’ll lose fast visibility, quick hits of engagement, and the illusion of “being in the game.”
But here’s what I gain:
✨ My energy
✨ My deep thinking
✨ My true creativity
✨ My integrity
✨ My peace
This is not just a personal or professional choice.
It’s a refusal.
I refuse a system that colonizes our attention, our rhythms, our children, and our lives.
I refuse to betray myself just to fit in.
I refuse the noise — and choose a loud, joyful YES to myself.
I dream of a better world.
And like Michael Jackson says in Man in the Mirror:
“If you wanna make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change.”
So this change starts with the woman I see in the mirror.
And if you, too, want a business that works for your life (not the other way around) with offers aligned to who you are and how you want to live
book a call with me here:
https://calendly.com/theglowceo/30min
