217. Who Are You Really Following? The Hidden Impact of Online Influence

Hey Family Brand! It’s Chris and Melissa here, and today, we’re having an important conversation about something we don’t always stop to think about—who we allow to influence us. In a world where social media, thought leaders, and online personalities are more accessible than ever, it’s easy to get caught up in curated versions of success. But how do we know if the people we’re following are truly worth listening to? And what happens when we allow the wrong influences into our homes and families?

This whole conversation started when Melissa watched a new documentary about Ruby Franke, a once-popular family YouTuber whose life took a devastating turn. What started as a platform to showcase strong family values ended in tragedy, and it got us thinking—how quickly can things shift when we follow the wrong people or chase the wrong ideals? What warning signs should we be paying attention to?

One of the biggest takeaways from this discussion is authenticity. Social media often presents a highlight reel, but are the people we’re looking up to showing us the whole picture? Are they living lives that align with the values we want for ourselves and our families? We share some personal experiences of getting caught up in coaching programs or mentorships that, in hindsight, didn’t align with our deeper values. It’s so easy to be drawn in by success, money, or status without realizing that some of these figures don’t actually live the kind of life we’d want for ourselves.

We also talk about the danger of seeking external validation and how knowing who you are—both individually and as a family—is the key to making sure you’re not being blindly influenced. When you know your values and what truly matters to you, it’s easier to recognize when something feels off. Instead of constantly chasing external advice, you can take pieces of wisdom that align with you and leave the rest.

Our challenge for you this week? Take an inventory. Who are you following? What books, social media accounts, or shows are you letting into your life? Are they actually serving you, or are they quietly shaping you in ways that don’t align with who you want to be? And most importantly—if you don’t know who you are, how will you know if something is misaligned?

LINKS:

All Links Family Brand! 

• stan.store/familybrand

Episode Minute By Minute:

• 0:00 – Why this topic matters: A YouTube family’s shocking downfall
• 2:30 – The curated highlight reels we see online
• 5:00 – Are we sharing real life or just what looks good?
• 9:00 – The risk of following people without questioning their values
• 12:45 – How coaching programs can be helpful… or dangerous
• 17:00 – Why external validation won’t fill internal gaps
• 22:00 – The importance of being grounded in your identity
• 30:00 – Taking an inventory: Who are you really following?

Let us know what stood out to you in this episode! Are there any influences you’ve decided to cut out or new boundaries you’re setting? We’d love to hear from you!