“So… what do you actually do for work?”

If you’re a creative entrepreneur, you’ve probably heard this question more times than you can count. Usually delivered with a slightly skeptical tone at family gatherings, networking events, or casual conversations. While your brother-in-law gets nods of approval when he mentions his construction business, you watch eyes glaze over when you try to explain your design consultancy or content creation agency.

This is the creative business legitimacy gap, the divide between your real success and others’ perception of it.

You’re not alone in this frustration, I’ve experienced it firsthand!

For years, many people viewed my business as a “side hobby” while it was actually generating six figures and providing financial stability for my family. In fact, my business was thriving enough that it allowed my husband to take his own entrepreneurial leap and start his business in the mortgage industry.

But here’s where it gets interesting: When my husband launched his mortgage brokerage, suddenly everyone we knew was congratulating him, celebrating his entrepreneurial spirit (including me! #proudwife), and expressing admiration for his ambition. These were the same people who had spent years treating my profitable business as a “fun” hobby. The difference? Everyone understands what a mortgage broker does—they’ve needed mortgages themselves or know someone who has.

This experience opened my eyes to a frustrating pattern: creative businesses often struggle for recognition not because they’re less successful or valuable, but because they’re harder for others to understand and categorize.

Ultimately, it all comes down to visible versus invisible businesses.

What Makes a Business “Visible” or “Invisible”?

The distinction between a visible and an invisible business has little to do with success or revenue. It often comes down to perception. 

Visible businesses are those that people immediately understand and respect:

• A restaurant (everyone eats)
• A construction company (everyone sees buildings)
• A mortgage broker (everyone needs loans)
• A retail store (everyone shops)

Invisible businesses, on the other hand, include:

• Graphic design studios
• Business coaching practices
• Digital marketing consultancies
• Virtual assistant services
• Online course creators
• Creative freelancers

Let me show you what I mean.

I’m part of a book club with some women from my kids’ school. We meet every month or so. Remarkably, several women in the group are business owners. Our group includes:

• A woman who owns a construction company specializing in rebar 
• A restaurant owner whose establishment is incredibly popular in town
• A therapist who runs her own group practice
• A PR agency owner
• And me

Here’s what’s striking: Everyone in the group immediately recognized and respected the other women as business owners because their businesses are local and visible. The construction company has worked on some major projects in the area (think: sports stadiums, skyscrapers, etc.), the restaurant is a local favorite everyone visits, and the therapy practice has a physical office.

Yet many of these women didn’t even realize I was a business owner myself…for years. Despite running a profitable business that has been my family’s primary income source, my work remained invisible to people who saw me regularly.

The reason they didn’t initially know about my business isn’t judgment—it’s simply that we gab about A LOT (books, kids, life!) and since my business exists mostly virtually, it naturally hasn’t garnered much chatter. Which is honestly perfect by me—I’m there to unwind and chat about books

It’s worth noting that when my business does occasionally come up in conversation, the response I get is wonderful. These women are incredibly accepting, understanding, and encouraging! The business owners in the group know exactly what being an entrepreneur takes, and they CELEBRATE it (I’m so lucky to know these powerhouses).

But this experience perfectly illustrates the central challenge: it’s not about people intentionally disrespecting creative businesses, it’s that the nature of these businesses makes them harder to recognize, understand, and talk about in everyday conversation.

So why exactly do creative and virtual businesses face this recognition challenge? Let’s break it down.

5 Reasons Creative Businesses Face This Challenge

So, why do some businesses get instant recognition while others struggle for legitimacy, even when they’re equally (sometimes even MORE) successful? The answer isn’t about revenue or value, it’s about how well the outside world can understand and categorize what you do. 

Here are five key factors that create this perception gap:

1. People Can’t Always See or Touch Your Work

Your brother-in-law’s construction company leaves behind concrete evidence… literally! His business helps people build homes they can touch and live in. 

Your web design work, on the other hand, lives on screens, your consulting happens in conversations, and your digital marketing results exist in analytics dashboards. When people can’t literally touch your output or relate it to their daily experience, they struggle to understand its value.

2. Industry Stereotypes

The “starving artist” narrative runs deep in our collective consciousness. People often and mistakenly associate creative work with:

• Working for exposure instead of money
• Side hustles rather than serious businesses
• Hobby projects that don’t “count” as real work
• Unreliable or unprofessional operations

Even when creatives build successful six-figure businesses, family and friends tend to see it as a “nice little side project” rather than the primary income source it actually is.

3. The Accessibility Revolution

Access to new technology has devalued creative work in many people’s minds.

Think about it: tools like ChatGPT whip up copy with a quick prompt, Canva makes anyone feel like a designer, and drag-and-drop website builders have changed the game. While these tools are awesome (I use them too!), they’ve made creative tasks look easy-peasy to outsiders. Your cousin thinks, ‘Why pay a copywriter when AI can do it?‘ not realizing the strategy, experience, and human touch that make professional work stand out.

We’ve all heard it:

• “Oh yeah, my middle schooler builds websites too!”
• “My sister just discovered Canva…you should see what an amazing designer she is!”
• “I can write my own marketing emails now with AI.”

Even when people understand what you do, they may have a devalued impression of it (consciously or subconsciously). They don’t see the years of training, the strategic thinking, the experience that separates professional creative work from quick DIY solutions. They just see that “anyone can do design now” or “writing is easy with AI” and assume your expertise isn’t necessary.

This technological shift has created an unfortunate paradox: the tools meant to help us as creatives have also made it easier for others to dismiss the depth and value of our professional work.

4. Job Titles That Confuse Rather Than Clarify

What does a “business coach” actually do? Or a “digital marketing consultant”? These titles mean different things to different people, unlike “plumber” or “accountant” which have clear, universally understood definitions.

Creative industry titles are often:

• Vague and open to interpretation
• Unfamiliar to many people
• Often overlapping (coach vs. consultant vs. strategist)
• Sometimes made up or industry-specific

This ambiguity makes it harder for others to grasp what you actually do day-to-day.

5. Virtual Nature

Without a physical storefront, inventory, or visible operations:

• Your work often happens behind a computer screen
• Clients may be scattered globally, not locally visible
• Your office might be your home or a co-working space
• Success metrics are digital (website traffic, conversion rates) rather than physical (foot traffic, inventory turnover)

This lack of physical presence makes your business feel less “real” to those who equate legitimacy with brick-and-mortar operations.

The Emotional Impact

This constant need to justify or explain your business can take a real toll on your confidence and sense of identity as a creative entrepreneur. 

• Imposter Syndrome: When family members treat your business as “cute” rather than professional, it’s easy to start doubting yourself or giving into imposter syndrome. That inner voice gets louder every time someone calls your work a hobby. (“Maybe they’re right. Maybe I’m just pretending to run a real business.”)
  
  
• Financial Stress: Fighting for fair compensation becomes harder when clients don’t view your work as valuable. You find yourself undercharging to avoid confrontation, offering “family discounts” that gut your profit margins, and watching your belief in your own value erode.
  
  
• Relationship Strain: Different levels of support and celebration within families can create tension. Friends rarely refer business because they’re “not sure what you actually do.” Your wins get less approval than everyone else’s job updates. You stop sharing achievements because the lukewarm response is worse than silence.
  
  
• Confidence Issues: Repeatedly having to defend your business model can chip away at your entrepreneurial confidence. Each time someone asks “But what do you actually do?” with that tone, you second-guess everything from your business model to your achievements.

But here’s the truth: Your business’s legitimacy isn’t determined by other people’s understanding of it. It’s determined by the value you create and the results you deliver.

Reframing the Narrative

The good news? You can take back control of the story. While you can’t change how others initially perceive your business, you can influence their understanding and (more importantly) your own confidence. Here’s how:

Focus on Results, Not Explanations

Instead of getting caught up in describing what you do, highlight what you achieve:

• “I help brands increase their revenue through design”
• “My clients typically see a 40% boost in engagement after our work”
• “I’ve helped over 50 businesses streamline their operations”

Use Strategic Terminology

Sometimes, choosing different words can command more respect:

• “Consultant” instead of “coach“
• “Agency” instead of “freelancer”
• “Creative Director” instead of “graphic designer”
• “Business Strategist” instead of “marketing consultant”

Ultimately, titles can and often do carry weight. That being said, the intention isn’t to abandon your chosen title, but to choose words that translate better in different contexts. 

For example, if you’re a copywriter, you might describe your work at a family gathering as “I help businesses write better emails and website copy so they can sell more products and services” rather than simply “I’m a copywriter.” At a networking event, you could say “I specialize in sales copy that converts for B2B companies.”

The key is matching your language to your audience’s frame of reference while staying true to what you actually do. 

Build Your Professional Presence

Look, you shouldn’t have to prove you’re legitimate. But sometimes a few strategic moves can shut down the “what do you actually do?” conversations before they start:

• Professional website 
• LinkedIn recommendations 
• Industry credentials 
• Speaking gigs or workshops (nothing builds credibility faster than being introduced as “an expert”)
• Business cards (yes, sometimes they do the trick)

You don’t need all of these. Pick what makes sense for your audience. The goal? Make it obvious that you’re the real deal so people can understand and engage with your brand without all the exhausting back-and-forth.

Managing External Perceptions

Educate Selectively

You don’t need everyone to understand your business, but it might be worth investing time in educating key people:

• Your inner circle who mess with your head (we’re looking at you, Mom). Give them the one-liner that shuts down their “cute hobby” comments.
  
  
• Potential clients who need what you offer. They’re already in pain—they just don’t know you’re the solution yet. Make it crystal clear.
  
  
• Your professional network who drop referrals. They want to send business your way, but they need to know how to introduce you without the confusion.

These three groups deserve your best elevator pitch.

Set Boundaries

It’s okay to limit how much energy you spend on explanation:

• Have a 30-second elevator pitch ready. Then, be done. If they want more details, they’ll ask follow-up questions. If not, that’s your cue to move on.
  
  
• Change the subject when conversations become draining. ​​”Anyway, how’s work going for you?” works every time.
  
  
• Focus on people who ask genuine questions like “How did you get into that?” or “That sounds interesting.” Skip the ones who just want to debate whether your work is “real.”

Celebrate Your Wins

Make sure to share your successes with those who matter:

• Post about big client or customer wins (with permission)
• Celebrate meaningful milestones publicly
• Share testimonials and case studies
• Document your business growth

Your wins aren’t accidents. They’re proof your business works. So stop hiding them.

The Bigger Picture

Remember, many of today’s most valuable companies started as “invisible” businesses:

• Facebook began as a college hobby project
• Airbnb was initially dismissed as people “renting out their couches”
• Uber faced regulatory battles because it didn’t fit traditional business models

Your creative business might be ahead of the curve, not behind it. As the economy becomes increasingly digital and service-based, “invisible” businesses are becoming the norm, not the exception.

Moving Forward

The legitimacy of your business isn’t up for debate. If you’re:

• Solving real problems for real people
• Generating sustainable income
• Growing your client base
• Delivering measurable results

Then you have a real business. Period.

Focus your energy on serving your clients, growing your revenue, and building the business you’re proud of. Those who matter will see your success, and those who don’t… well, their opinion doesn’t define your reality.

Your Next Steps

1. Refine your elevator pitch – Practice describing your business in terms of outcomes, not processes
   
   
2. Document your impact – Create case studies showing real results for real clients
   
   
3. Build your professional network – Connect with other entrepreneurs who understand your journey
   
   
4. Set boundaries – Limit how much time you spend explaining your business to skeptics (steer clear of energy vampires)
   
   
5. Celebrate yourself – Landed a big client? Hit a revenue milestone? Celebrate it publicly. If you won’t champion your wins, why should anyone else?

Your business exists to serve your clients and support your goals, not to meet other people’s definitions of “real work.” Keep building, keep growing, and let your results speak for themselves.