In an era where being seen often counts more than being skilled, visibility has become a currency. Careers rise and fall on how loudly someone shows up online.
At the all-female roundtable hosted by Unscripted with Raygan, Keni Ribeiro unsettled that certainty with a single line.
“Sometimes you’re invisible because you choose to be.”
The room paused. Then came the nods, the soft hum of agreement, and a ripple that shifted the tone of the discussion.
Ribeiro wasn’t making a throwaway point. She was cutting into the belief that visibility always equals success. Her remark suggested something less popular: invisibility can be a strategy.
Breaking It Down
Visibility as privilege, not prerequisite.
Choosing not to show up is often framed as weakness. Ribeiro framed it differently. Stepping back can be power. It can mean space to reset, rebuild, or protect your focus from constant exposure.
There’s a danger in believing that work only matters when it’s visible. The posts, the clips, the self-promotion. By questioning that, Ribeiro pointed back to the value of work that doesn’t trend but still builds foundations.
Your pace, your path.
Not everyone needs the same rhythm. Some thrive in the spotlight. Others do their best work in the shadows. Both approaches are valid, and choosing quiet can be just as intentional as choosing noise.
The Setting
Her remark came during Unscripted with Raygan’s latest roundtable, a gathering of women in strategy, community, and leadership. The format was simple: a table, voices, and no rush to polish answers.
It was in that loose, candid atmosphere that Ribeiro’s words landed. They shifted the flow of the conversation. Suddenly the group was wrestling with a core assumption: does success really require constant presence?
Why It Hit a Nerve
- It challenges hustle culture, which prizes constant posting, constant
showing up. - It reframes unseen work as valid, not secondary.
- It gives weight to people who lead or build quietly, without demanding the
spotlight.
The Takeaway
Keni Ribeiro’s line; “sometimes you’re invisible because you choose to be” wasn’t performance.
It was a reminder that presence should be intentional, not automatic. Some people shine in the open. Others build in silence. Both are legitimate ways to move forward.
And in a conversation about visibility, her choice of words made something clear: the power isn’t only in being seen. The power is in choosing when and how to be seen.
About the Author
