4 Ways Your Ego May Be Quietly Harming Your Messaging and Sales

Coming from Hollywood, I’ve worked with many egos. Often they are blatant, narcissistic egos. But sometimes big egos aren’t loud. And they’re just as harmful to the work itself–quietly hijacking every decision, every word, every moment of potential brilliance.

​Early in my freelance writing days, I had the chance to ghostwrite for a male CEO of a tech start-up. He had some thought-leadership pieces he wanted published, and his team knew he wasn’t the strongest writer. That’s why they hired me.

The first article I wrote for him was about supporting women in leadership–essentially his declaration of allyship. When I read his initial draft, I could tell he meant well. But his writing was heavily centered on himself–both in a savior-complex kind of way and in the way he felt he needed to prove his personal passion for the cause.

I rewrote the article from the same intentions, but in a way that felt genuinely cause-centered, putting the focus on the movement instead of him. The story became about the people and the purpose–not the ego behind it.


​Like I said, ego isn’t always loud or obvious. Sometimes it wears the mask of good intentions–quietly shaping decisions, words, and stories in ways that steer the focus away from the people or purpose they’re meant to serve.

The quiet ways ego sneaks into messaging

1. The Savior Complex.
   Instead of centering your client’s agency and brilliance, your messaging paints you as the hero who “rescues” them. (This strips your audience of dignity and positions them as helpless–not exactly trust-building.)
   
   
   
2. The Prove-It Syndrome.
   Packing your copy with jargon, credentials, or every single service you offer because you’re secretly afraid you’re not enough. Ego whispers: “More is safer.” Clarity says: “Less is stronger.”
   
   
   
3. The Me-First Narrative.
   You tell your story, your wins, your process–but forget to tether it back to why it matters for the person reading. Or what I more commonly see is it’s unclear exactly how the person reading your story fits into the story. Ego makes the story about you. Impactful messaging makes it about us.
   
   
   
4. The Feedback Blocker.
   When every suggestion feels like a threat. Ego resists edits, not because the words are perfect, but because your identity feels tied to them.
   
   

What ego costs you

When ego drives the message, the impact is always smaller than it could be.

• The savior angle alienates the very people you’re trying to uplift.
  
  
  
• The jargon makes your audience work harder than they should.
  
  
  
• The me-first story leaves no room for connection.
  
  
  
• The feedback blocker stalls growth, and could lead to off-brand messaging
  
  
  

The cost isn’t just “bad copy.” It’s missed opportunities, confused audiences, and ultimately–less trust, less resonance, less conversion.


What humility looks like in messaging

Humility doesn’t mean shrinking yourself. It means remembering:

• Your audience isn’t broken; they’re capable, discerning humans.
  
  
  
• Your expertise doesn’t need to be proven in every line; clarity itself is proof.
  
  
  
• Your story matters most when it’s in service of theirs.
  
  
  
• Your words can always get sharper–and letting go of ego is what sharpens them.

Messaging is a bridge, not a mirror

Messaging is not a mirror for your ego. It’s a bridge. And bridges don’t exist to show off the architect — they exist to carry people somewhere they need to go.



Where do you catch your ego sneaking into your work–as savior, as over-explainer, as center stage?

Interested in an audit of your messaging and content to make sure you're centering your audience? Book a virtual tea, let' chat!

Stay curious,
🎈Justine

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Red Balloon Station is a creative hub for storytelling and brand messaging, dedicated to amplifying the voices of equity-driven Women of Color entrepreneurs and creatives. Through strategy, storytelling, and sales, we’re here to help you harness your own words and stories, forging meaningful connections with your dream audience and making a lasting impact on people, the planet, and culture.


Justine Wentzell-Chang is an Eldest Daughter of Immigrants, Mother, Activist, and your Station Master/Chief Word Wizard at Red Balloon Station bringing you strategic messaging and story-centered, conscious copywriting services. 

With a law degree and over a decade of experience making & writing movies that sell globally, I learned a thing or two about writing stories that sell. Now I’m here to give you a spoonful of strategy and conviction to make your words convert...in the most unforgettable way!

Your story deserves to be told—by you. For too long, others have controlled the narrative, distorting the brilliance, resilience, and impact of Women of Color. But you’re here to change that. You’re not just building a brand, you’re shaping culture, challenging the status quo, and creating a ripple effect of empathy, equity, and positive change. My job? To make sure your messaging reflects that power—clearly, confidently, and in a way that sticks.