The Three Sharing Categories
Choose three public topics and show up fully within their boundaries
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Time to result
- ~days to results
- Steps
- 5
- Confidence
- 99%
The Three Sharing Categories method turns an abstract desire for authentic social media into a concrete boundary system. A creator selects three subjects they can discuss openly even when questions become uncomfortable. They then commit to being fully candid and present within those categories instead of offering a polished but emotionally guarded version. Topics outside the categories remain private without apology, guilt, or pressure to satisfy an audience. This distinction separates authenticity from total exposure: a person does not need to publish every aspect of life to communicate honestly. Beginning with only three areas makes the boundary memorable and testable. As confidence grows, additional categories may be added deliberately, but protected subjects remain protected rather than becoming content by default.
Origin
Extracted from The Jasmine Star Show during a discussion between Jasmine Star and Robin Long about vulnerability, social-media boundaries, and protecting family life.
Core principles
- 01Authenticity does not require universal access
- 02Clear topic boundaries make vulnerability safer
- 03Full presence within a narrow scope builds trust
- 04Privacy can protect relationships rather than hide them
How to run it
- 1
Select three topics
Choose three subjects you can discuss publicly even when people ask difficult questions. Favor areas connected to the value you want to provide.
Pro tip Choose topics broad enough to sustain conversation but narrow enough to feel safe.
Watch out Do not select a subject merely because audiences expect access to it.
- 2
Draw internal boundaries
Define which details inside each category are shareable and which still require protection. Record examples so the boundary is actionable.
Pro tip Consider how sharing could affect partners, children, colleagues, or clients.
Watch out Your willingness to share cannot override another person's privacy.
- 3
Show up fully
When communicating inside a chosen category, be honest, vulnerable, and consistent. Avoid presenting a falsely polished version that contradicts your stated openness.
Pro tip Share useful struggles, lessons, and uncertainty rather than only finished victories.
Watch out Authenticity does not require publishing an experience before you have processed it.
- 4
Protect everything else
Decline questions and content opportunities outside the selected areas without guilt. Treat the omission as a boundary rather than evidence of dishonesty.
Pro tip Prepare a short response that redirects intrusive questions to a public topic.
Watch out Do not let engagement metrics pressure you into crossing a protective boundary.
- 5
Test and expand deliberately
Observe whether sharing within the categories feels sustainable and serves your audience. Add another category only when you consciously choose to accept its consequences.
Pro tip Review the categories after major life or business changes.
Watch out Once sensitive information is public, it cannot reliably be withdrawn.
In the wild
A founder chooses business-building, creative routines, and confidence as her three categories. She discusses failures openly within those areas but does not publish disagreements with her spouse, explaining that the relationship is protected rather than hidden.
→ Her audience receives candid, useful content while her marriage remains outside public commentary.
A wellness creator shares openly about body image and health because those subjects advance her mission. She limits details about her children and marriage, whose stories involve other people and could invite opinions she is not prepared to absorb.
→ She maintains a vulnerable public voice without turning every relationship into content.
Common mistakes
Treating authenticity as total exposure
Sharing everything can harm wellbeing and relationships. Authenticity means being truthful where you choose to speak, not making every subject public.
Choosing categories for engagement
A high-performing topic is not sustainable if discussing it violates your values or emotional limits.
Curating within a promised safe category
If you claim openness but consistently conceal the meaningful truth within that category, audiences may detect the mismatch and lose trust.
Is it for you?
Best for
It is best for creators, founders, and professionals building a public presence while protecting sensitive relationships or experiences.
Not ideal for
It is not ideal as a substitute for mandatory disclosure, crisis communication, or professional transparency obligations.
From the transcript
“write down three things that you, no matter what people ask you about are totally comfortable sharing those three things.”
“We're not called to be 100% of our selves, a hundred percent online with 100% of topics or subject matters.”
“Anything that's not within those categories. You don't have to show up, you don't have to be guilty, you don't have to like bend to…”
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