You’re Not a Brand—You’re a Human: Resisting the Monetization of Your Identity
- LaSonya Lopez
- May 20
- 3 min read
by Dr. LaSonya Lopez, MD
May 20, 2025
You don’t need a niche to be real. You don’t need a personal brand to be valuable. You don’t need to be content—you are a human being. But in today’s digital world, that line is blurrier than ever. And the pressure to monetize your every thought, hobby, or life experience is pushing people into carefully crafted versions of themselves that may be marketable—but are rarely whole.
This blog is a call back to authenticity. Not just for creators and entrepreneurs, but for anyone navigating the pressure to perform their personality in a hyper-curated, algorithm-approved way. Because while there’s power in storytelling and strategy—there’s danger in confusing your identity with your visibility.
The Rise of the Personal Brand—and the Erosion of Personhood
A decade ago, the concept of a “personal brand” was a savvy way to stand out. Now, it’s a cultural mandate. Be on. Be clear. Be consistent. Be memorable. Be marketable.
In many ways, we’ve stopped being humans who happen to share online—and become content machines who happen to have human needs.
We tweak our captions to maximize engagement.
We shrink complex thoughts into soundbites.
We post our joy in real time, but process our grief in private.
And somewhere in all of that… we start to lose the blurry, beautiful, in-between space where real identity lives.
Monetization vs. Manipulation
Let’s be clear: There’s nothing wrong with making money online. Sharing your gifts. Building a platform. Creating a business that funds your family and your freedom.
But monetization becomes manipulation when:
Your creativity is driven more by algorithms than authenticity
Your self-worth rises and falls with likes and reach
You feel guilt or fear for not being “on brand”
It becomes a trap when your content begins to define you more than your character.
When you are constantly performing instead of participating in your own life.
The Mental Health Cost of Self-Curation
Burnout used to be reserved for high-pressure jobs. Now it’s an epidemic among creators, coaches, and everyday users who simply feel like they can never log off. We’ve entered a world where visibility feels like survival. Where you’re taught that the more you share, the more you matter. And where boundaries around your identity are not only rare—they’re punished by the algorithm.
This leads to:
Anxiety around not posting enough
Guilt for changing your mind publicly
Shame for wanting privacy in a world that profits off transparency
The side effect of building a brand is often that you become one. You shrink into the version of you that “works.” You commodify your humanity. And slowly, you forget that you’re allowed to evolve outside of your audience’s expectations.
Identity is Not Intellectual Property
Your joy is not a strategy. Your grief is not content. Your healing journey is not a hook.
Those things may intersect with your work. But they are not for sale.
You are allowed to:
Be inconsistent while becoming
Change your tone as you grow
Choose silence when you’re still processing
Have an inner life that the internet never knows
What makes you real is not your engagement rate. It’s your embodiment. It’s your values. It’s how you treat people who don’t follow you at all.
So How Do We Resist?
1. Reclaim Your Voice Before You Share It
Ask yourself: “Would I say this if no one responded?” Your voice is sacred. Don’t let it be shaped entirely by what performs well.
2. Separate the Work from the Witness
Not everything you experience needs to become a message. Some things are just yours. Let them stay that way.
3. Normalize Growth in Public
Give yourself permission to outgrow your old content. Let your followers evolve with you—or not. Either way, stay honest.
4. Embrace the Power of Logging Off
If your identity only exists where Wi-Fi does, it’s time to re-root. Take breaks. Protect your nervous system. Find rituals that remind you who you are beyond a screen.
5. Make Art, Not Algorithms
Create what feels meaningful, even if it doesn’t go viral. Your soul will recognize the difference.
Final Word: You Are the Message
At the end of the day, people may follow your brand. But what changes them is your being.
Not your pitch. Not your hook. Not your curated presence. You. Your values. Your embodied truth.
And that, in a world that rewards performance, might be the most radical, magnetic thing you can ever choose to be. Log off when you need to. Speak when it’s real. Evolve out loud—but only when you’re ready. Because your soul is not for sale. And your humanity is not up for branding.
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