236. Ash McDonald Helps Me Unpack My Instagram Resistance

Dallas spent the last year circling the Instagram question: quit it or recommit. Turns out the real problem with her social media strategy was hiding underneath her resistance.

Ash McDonald is a business therapist who believes ambition isn't something women ever need to apologize for. She helps high-achieving entrepreneurs navigate the psychology behind success, burnout, self-trust, and sustainable growth, and she's the host of the Shamelessly Ambitious podcast. Ash brings her honest, no BS approach to coaching as she sits in the expert’s chair and guides Dallas through an overdue conversation.

Dallas built three six-figure businesses and knows every strategy in the book, but felt stuck between not quitting Instagram and not really using it. Ash helped Dallas see how full self-expression, emotional bandwidth, and a clear structure could make marketing feel joyful again. By the end, Dallas got the clarity and practical next step she needed: design a 60-day experiment to answer real questions about social media, instead of looping on an ill-defined yes or no.

Here's what Ash helped Dallas work through.

When Dallas names the real reason she avoids turning on her camera, Ash's response shows her the problem was never Instagram.

Key Takeaways

Indecision Is a Decision: Avoiding a choice keeps you “safe,” but you end up stuck in a frustrating loop that drains energy and clarity. Gathering real data through a time-bound experiment gives you enough data to decide.

Self-Expression Matters in Social Media: When your content feels like busywork, you’re likely missing the spark of creative expression that drew you to coaching in the first place. A better question to ask yourself is "How can I share what feels true for me?"

Capacity Has Two Layers: It’s easy to blame your calendar, but marketing that drains you often points to an emotional cost, like discomfort with visibility or aging. Track both your schedule and your feelings to avoid burnout and actually enjoy the process.

Use Micro Experiments to Test Strategy: Committing to set experiments, like trying different content formats for a limited time, makes it easier to find your own answers rather than judging yourself for not following some externally imposed plan.

Self-Compassion Is a Business Asset: Naming what feels vulnerable and treating yourself like you would your own daughter (or a client) lets you show up for both your business and your life in a way that actually feels sustainable.

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