The Mission Driven Business Podcast Episode 97: How To Stay Visible When It Feels Safer To Hide

In this special and timely episode, Brian Thompson calls on fellow mission-driven business owners to embrace their identities and own their values. Highlighting real messages from clients, Brian explores the challenges and uncertainties facing entrepreneurs, especially those from LGBTQ+ backgrounds and other marginalized groups. He challenges the myth that being neutral is the safest option in the current political environment and shares practical steps to get clear and bold about who you are and what you bring to the table.

Episode Highlights

Your identity is an asset -- not a liability.

Mission-driven businesses are facing very real and sometimes existential threats: the sudden loss of federal funding, the risk of becoming political targets, and being asked to remove terms like LGBTQ and racial equity from mission statements. When under pressure, it may feel like the safest option is to remain neutral, but neutrality actually erodes trust.

“When someone sees themselves in your language, branding, or leadership, it builds a bridge faster than any marketing funnel ever could.”

Your core community should never have to wonder where you stand.

In a time of rising government hostility toward civil rights protections, customers, donors, and employees are noticing which companies are scaling back their offerings and which CEOs are saying less, not more. When companies backpedal from their commitment to equity and inclusion, they often lose the very people they claim to support.

“When we talk about staying visible, it’s not about being provocative -- it’s about staying anchored. It’s about making sure your core community never has to wonder where you stand.”

4 strategies to stay true and stay standing

To navigate this moment with courage and conviction, consider these four steps to practically and proactively affirm your values without jeopardizing your sustainability:

1. Conduct a visibility audit: Review every touchpoint of your business and ask whether you have gone quiet out of fear and if your language needs to be updated for clarity or protection.

2. Update compliance protocols: Work with legal counsel to audit your DEI and HR policies, review whistleblower protocols, and ensure you’re accurately documenting civil rights compliance.

3. Strengthen your financial resilience: Prepare for the next financial crisis now by revisiting your income allocations, building an emergency reserve, and mapping out income diversification.

4. Communicate your values internally and externally: Create talking points that affirm your mission and explain any language shifts to reassure your community you still serve their needs.

Write your mission-rooted business affirmation.

When fear is loud, clarity must be louder. Open your notes app or a journal, write down the following sentence, and fill in the blanks with your truth.

I started this business to serve __________. I believe in __________. Even in this moment, I choose to stay rooted in values by __________. I will lead with clarity and courage. 

You don’t have to disappear to survive.

It’s exhausting to defend your humanity while running payroll, applying for grants, and trying to build a thriving business. But this moment isn’t just about defense, it’s about creating a legacy.

“Let your business be one of the lights that didn’t go out. Let your clarity be the thing that gives someone else permission to speak up. Let your strategy be what helps you survive and thrive without compromise.”

Resources + Links

• Brian Thompson Financial: Website, Newsletter, Podcast

• Follow Brian Thompson Online: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Forbes

About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast 

Brian Thompson, JD/CFP, is a tax attorney and Certified Financial Planner® who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit.

On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.