Hello Wudcha’s Family,
Today, we are going to cover one of the hottest topics of our modern times: visibility. Everybody wants to be seen, and there is nothing wrong with it because that’s what humanity is all about. Being seen means being safe and on many occasions, your neighbor could change everything in any way.
In the early days of Brewton, when we had just arrived with nothing but faith and a laptop, we realized that “visibility” was no longer about popularity but about survival.
Small businesses couldn’t afford ads. Freelancers had no way to be found. People were isolated, not because they wanted to be, but because no one knew what was happening right next door.
While the sense of community in this small town, with nearly 5,000 souls, is still deeply rooted, people’s pace of life has changed, and mere word of mouth is no longer sufficient to keep up with the isolation of everyday life.
Local newspapers do their best to voice the many cultural, sporting, business, and private events, deals, and promotions that reflect the vibrant spirit of this blossoming part of South Alabama, but often, copies of the weekly papers sit untouched on a shelf until the following week.
Over the last six months, Robert and I have been analyzing a triangular visibility crisis with three sharp corners impacting not only our town but communities everywhere, blocking social and economic development in places that deserve to thrive.
We’ve spent countless days walking through town, exploring places of interest, searching for events and hidden talents. We’ve spoken with both influential and everyday people. We’ve listened to their concerns. One recurring fear is for the future of local youth, parents hoping their children won’t leave Brewton, taking their gifts elsewhere, simply because the town, despite the extraordinary efforts made to attract opportunities and support education, still struggles to offer enough well-paid jobs or access to growth and affordable housing.
At the same time, young entrepreneurs feel discouraged from investing in their community, even where their services are clearly needed, because without the right connections or visibility, the risk of failure feels too high.
We were stunned by the richness of what’s already happening here, multiple events every day, in a town so full of life. But we were also saddened by how much of it remains unseen.
Local organizations, from the city to schools, churches, businesses, and sports teams, are organizing meaningful events every day. They spread the word using flyers, journals, and Facebook groups. Yet despite their dedication, many of these efforts don’t reach enough people in time.
We ourselves missed out on several events we were excited about: sports matches, walks, competitions, cultural gatherings, bingo nights, and more. And when we did make it to some of them, we saw how attendance was lower than expected, not for lack of interest, but for lack of real-time reach.
We’ve heard directly from local businesses pouring money into online ads, yet still struggling to bring in traffic. Some have had to shut down. Others are barely hanging on.
And this isn’t just a Brewton issue. Across the U.S., small businesses spend thousands every year just trying to be seen.
According to Forbes, U.S. companies now spend over 285 billion dollars annually on digital advertising, yet many still struggle with low engagement due to algorithm-driven platforms (Forbes).
Up to 37 percent of advertising budgets are wasted, often on campaigns that don’t reach the right people (Wikipedia Marketing Effectiveness).
As social platforms increasingly focus on monetization, advertising costs have surged, making it challenging for businesses, especially small to medium-sized enterprises, to maintain profitability (Influencer Marketing Hub).
The second sharp corner of this visibility crisis lies in the growing invisibility of individuals, particularly creatives, freelancers, and local talents, whose voices are slowly fading beneath the noise of algorithmic platforms.
It used to be enough to be good at what you did. The community would talk. Someone would refer you. Your skills would find a place.
Now, even the most gifted singer from a school recital, the most inspired painter, the most skilled handyman often go unseen.
They post online, but their voices are drowned out by viral trends and targeted ads. Their talents remain undiscovered not because they aren’t worthy but because no one knows they’re there.
What used to feel like hope now feels like a gamble.
According to The Guardian, many emerging musicians say they now spend more time “gaming the algorithm” than writing music. Freelancers in many industries, photographers, massage therapists, yoga teachers, authors, welders, report that their visibility has plummeted unless they pay or go viral.
In a system where visibility equals livelihood, the disappearance of organic reach isn’t just inconvenient, it’s existential.
(Sources: The Guardian “Why Musicians Are Quitting Social Media”, Influencer Marketing Hub, LinkedIn Freelancers Pulse Survey)
The third and final edge of this triangle cuts even deeper, into artificial intelligence.
As AI evolves, it’s not just reshaping how we work; it’s replacing entire roles that once gave people meaning, dignity, and income.
Graphic designers now compete with instant logo generators. Bots outrank writers. Synthetic voices are replacing voice actors. Coders by no-code platforms.
What once felt like slow progress is now a tidal wave.
While innovation can be beautiful, it becomes dangerous when it outpaces the support systems that protect people.
A Goldman Sachs report from 2023 estimated that up to 300 million full-time jobs globally could be impacted by automation, with creative professions among the most exposed (Goldman Sachs “The Potentially Large Effects of Artificial Intelligence on Jobs”).
McKinsey estimates that nearly 30 percent of work activities in the U.S. could be automated by 2030, especially for independent professionals and freelancers who lack safety nets (McKinsey and Company, “Generative AI and the Future of Work”).
AI doesn’t rest. It doesn’t charge hourly. And it doesn’t need visibility.
That’s why it’s tempting, but it also risks hollowing out entire communities, replacing real people not because they failed, but because they were never truly seen.
We’re not just talking about lost visibility.
We’re talking about a world that’s quietly forgetting how to see each other.
We’re talking about the welder who still works magic with his hands but hasn’t had a new client in months.
The artist who graduated with honors but is now folding clothes in silence.
The mother who has a gift for healing, but no longer knows how to let people know she exists.
We’re talking about the slow unraveling of what once held us together: word of mouth, familiar faces, and local trust.
We don’t need a revolution.
We need to remember.
Remember that it’s still possible to meet halfway.
That opportunity doesn’t always come from a screen.
That connection can be simple.
That visibility doesn’t have to be bought.
Sometimes it just needs to be given.
Your voice is your power. Don’t let it vanish.
With love,
Marianna Grillo
Co-founder Wudcha