BuddyPress.org

I am putting together a site which will be a directory for a specific profession. I would like people to have the ability to create a profile page, embed youtube videos on it and map their location. This would showcase their work and would be a resource for potential employers. I would also like these members to be able to interact using buddypress to create a supportive community. However, I suspect members would not want the whole world to see their discussions and interactions with other members. Members may steer away from posing questions where there are gaps in their knowledge for fear of undermining their credibility.

How would it be best to achieve this balance? Are the buddypress profile pages flexible enough to add embedded video etc and can those be public while activity streams etc kept private for members only? Should I be treating the public directory and the buddypress community parts of the site completely separately? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.