How To Embrace Your Authenticity And Rock Your Business
When it comes to the world of business there are thousands of articles on entrepreneurship, social media marketing, how to convert sales, mindset and hundreds of other "how-to" topics but one of the most important pieces of the running a kickass business puzzle is rarely discussed: authenticity.
Webster defines "authentic" as "of undisputed origin, genuine, real, worthy of belief; not false or copied". You may be asking yourself: So what does it mean to be truly authentic? How many people do you know that actually fit this description? Why is authenticity so important in building a successful business?
Authenticity can scare some people because to be truly authentic and genuine it requires a certain level of transparency. Like looking yourself in the mirror scary transparent. Allowing yourself to be fully unfiltered and raw. We all have skeletons in the closet. We all have a book of life full of mistakes and because we are too concerned with social acceptance and what other people think of us we choose to hide behind a disguise of what we think the world wants to see. When we do that we mask our true authentic self. We become a slave to the opinions of others which diminishes our authenticity and constrains our growth and self-esteem.
So how do you stop the madness of trying to be everything to everyone? Simple, you make the decision that you are sick and tired of living your life for other people. You want to stop the exhausting revolving door of sacrificing your identity and start placing value on YOUR gifts and talents. You are ready to break free from the disease of people pleasing and embrace your uniqueness!
Here are some tips to embracing your authenticity that will not only bring more happiness into your life but also rock your business!
YOUR EXPERIENCES WILL INSPIRE OTHERS
The greatest source of inspiration you have is your story. Your experiences, your successes, your failures, your struggles in life, hardships. People are inspired more by your journey than they are the end result. Its one thing to say that you achieved a goal or created a success story but its another to share the struggles that you had along the way and how your pushed through those obstacles. People will appreciate the transparency of your not so graceful moments. They will admire what you work through on a daily basis to achieve your goals. Real struggles + real story + real person = Authenticity.
To give you an example, let’s use one that most women know and you may even may follow: Lysa Terkheurst. Not only does she lead one of the most recognizable Christian women's ministries, Proverbs 31, but what inspires me the most is her STORY. From a broken home to having an abortion, to working through a broken marriage filled with infidelity and how God healed her marriage, she is transparent on a very raw level. It’s what makes her real, genuine and relatable. She has used her story to minister and give hope to millions of women around the world. Her story is a message of hope for others.
The more authentic you are, the less competition you have. No one can compete with your uniqueness, story or experiences. You are a one of a kind so embrace it and share it.
YOUR VIBE ATTRACTS YOUR TRIBE
Embracing who you truly are and living that out loud for the world to see ensures you are attracting the people that are meant to be aligned with YOU. When you disguise who you are because you are trying to be everything to everyone your focus and energy is not coming from the right place. You won't attract people who are meant to be part of your tribe. You are your best marketing tool so how can you market yourself or your skills effectively if you are not showing your true authentic self? You can’t.
If you have an eclectic fashion style don't dress a different way to a networking meeting because you think people will expect you to be dressed a certain way. If you have funky buzz words use them in your marketing and consider taking it a step further and have it trademarked to ensure others can’t come behind you and copy the content you create with it.
Use your the parts of your story and life experiences that you are comfortable with sharing to inspire others. Being authentic and relatable is what makes you unforgettable!
Don't stop being you because you are worried about whether others will approve of the way you dress or be offended with what you say or how you say it. Those that love and appreciate your style will become loyal followers.
You can't work with everyone so focus more on surrounding yourself with the RIGHT people, the one's that "get" you.
AVOID THE SOCIAL MEDIA HYPE FLY TRAP
If you spend any time at all on social media you are fully aware of how easily people can create false hype and success around themselves and their businesses. They can post lifestyle photos that sucker people into believing that they are way more successful than they actually are. Shady business practices are every where and unfortunately social media can serve as an easy disguise for the those chasing money and followers.
Staying transparent and authentic on social media plays a crucial role in marketing yourself and building a solid business brand while avoiding the fly trap of viral hype. When you create a consistent positive message around transparency you don't need to inflate your success or business ventures. Your story and how you fought to get where you are will speak for itself.
Allow yourself to be imperfectly perfect, to be and love yourself. Unconditionally. Love others. Unconditionally. Detach yourself from the outcome of everything you do. Be committed to yourself and to the process, but let go of what could, should, would, must and needs to happen. Trust yourself to show up, to take risks and to walk in your truth. When you embrace your authenticity, there you will find a much more fulfilling way to build and rock your business!
Ready to learn how to build your personal brand on social media and attract more of the right people into your business? Check out my Branding & Marketing Mini-Course!
