July 09, 2025

How To Build an Ethical Online Business on Morally Bankrupt Platforms & Why The Problem Isn't Social Media—It's How You're Using It with Xanthe Appleyard

1 hour 20 minutes

278: "I am only interested in becoming known for what is true because one day you're going to fucking slip. And I think that is the scariest thing is to paint an entire picture around the most acceptable version of yourself and then fall from that because it's a lie." - Xanthe Appleyard

If you've ever thought you needed 100K followers to "matter" or felt guilty for working weekends while preaching about your “soft girl era”—this episode will rewire your entire approach to online business. Xanthe Appleyard gets incredibly honest about building a successful business on her own terms, from both a financial and energetic lens, ditching the "serious entrepreneur" mask (and why you can still be a silly goose while helping your people), and why leisure and pleasure are just as important as profit and revenue. She may have also single-handedly changed Chelsea’s notoriously anti-social media POV!

Episode Themes

Why impulsivity isn't self-sabotage when you're moving toward what you actually want
Monotasking your way to sanity: how compartmentalizing tasks prevents burnout
The follower count lie: why 1K engaged people beats 100K passive scrollers every damn time
Social media as a tool vs. social media as your worth—and how to tell the difference
The cognitive dissonance of building businesses on platforms we're morally conflicted about
Why hiding your "unprofessional" side perpetuates everyone else's shame

This episode isn't about clocking 60 hour work weeks to see results or becoming more palatable—it's about getting so clear on your values that every business decision becomes glaringly obvious. Whether you're sending emails at 5AM or taking two-month sabbaticals, remember: there's no prize for following someone else's blueprint. Your business should energize you, not drain you. PERIOD.

Connect with Xanthe Appleyard:

Join Xanthe’s content creation membership Social Life (at a special price!) until Friday, July 11th!

Xanthe’s Website

Xanthe’s IG

Xanthe’s Substack

Love You to The Core Podcast

Wanting in Public Podcast

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By Chelsea Riffe

4.9

159159 ratings