Stranger on the Airplane Sharing Rule
Share only what you would comfortably tell a nearby stranger
- Difficulty
- Starter
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 97%
The rule provides a fast boundary check for personal disclosure. Before posting a vulnerable detail, imagine sitting beside an unfamiliar person on an airplane and deciding whether you would comfortably tell them the same thing. If not, the detail probably does not belong in a public post. This does not require pretending that a business transition is effortless: creators can openly say they are pivoting, realigning, or learning. The distinction lies between context that helps the audience and intimate crisis details that expose unresolved pain, finances, family members, or daily chaos. Pairing the rule with the “scar, not a wound” principle encourages reflection before publication. The result is communication that feels human and truthful while preserving dignity, privacy, and future choice.
Origin
Extracted from The Jasmine Star Show in response to a sales page designer asking whether she should publicly document the messiest stage of her business pivot.
Core principles
- 01Authenticity and total disclosure are not the same.
- 02Public vulnerability should respect personal boundaries.
- 03A healed experience is safer to teach than an active crisis.
- 04Transitions can be acknowledged without exposing every private detail.
- 05A simple social test can prevent impulsive oversharing.
How to run it
- 1
Name the Intended Disclosure
Write down the exact detail, story, or emotion you want to publish. Clarify what the audience gains from knowing it.
Pro tip Separate the central lesson from dramatic supporting details.
Watch out A strong urge to post during a crisis may reflect a need for private support rather than public content.
- 2
Run the Airplane Test
Imagine telling the detail to a stranger seated next to you on a flight. If that would feel unsafe, inappropriate, or excessively intimate, do not publish it.
Pro tip Evaluate the exact detail, not a softened summary of it.
Watch out Online content can travel far beyond the audience you currently imagine.
- 3
Check for a Scar
Ask whether you have processed the experience enough to explain it with perspective. Share an active transition cautiously, but avoid turning an open wound into content.
Pro tip Wait until you can identify a lesson or useful boundary.
Watch out Public reaction can intensify unresolved distress.
- 4
Protect Other People
Remove details that expose children, partners, clients, or colleagues without their consent. Retain only what is necessary to communicate your own experience.
Pro tip Rewrite shared events from the perspective of what you learned or chose.
Watch out Your willingness to disclose does not grant permission to disclose someone else's life.
- 5
Share the Useful Layer
Publish the honest but bounded version that supports the audience and your business purpose. State the transition without documenting every consequence.
Pro tip Describe where you are going and what you are learning rather than cataloging the chaos.
Watch out Do not equate sanitized perfection with professionalism; appropriate honesty can still build connection.
In the wild
A designer can tell followers she is realigning her services, testing a new specialty, and learning through the transition. She does not need to disclose that she spent her last dollar, missed deadlines, argued with family members, or feels overwhelmed each night. The audience receives an authentic update without being made responsible for an unresolved personal crisis.
→ The designer communicates change honestly while preserving personal and family boundaries.
After a disappointing launch, a coach waits until refunds and customer issues are resolved. She then explains the mistaken assumption, the evidence she overlooked, and the change she will make next time. She omits private financial figures and messages involving individual customers.
→ The audience receives a useful lesson from a processed experience rather than live emotional fallout.
Common mistakes
Confusing Authenticity with Exposure
A post can be honest without including every painful or private detail. Share enough to communicate truth and value, not everything available.
Publishing an Open Wound
Posting before an experience has been processed can create regret and invite public judgment into a situation that still needs private care.
Exposing Other People
Stories about your experience may also contain someone else's personal information. Remove identifying or intimate details they did not consent to share.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for personal brands deciding how much of a messy business or life transition to discuss publicly.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal for confidential therapeutic, legal, medical, or safeguarding decisions that require professional guidance.
From the transcript
“So Brittany Brown says we should talk about things from a scar, not a wound.”
“The general rule of thumb is what I call the stranger on the airplane role.”
“I only post on social media.”
From the episode
How to Pivot + Diversify Your Business