The art of being authentic. Sometimes it can feel like a lost one. The atmosphere has become extremely politically correct – and sometimes it can be difficult to know what to say or what to do.
What do I think? I feel you should unapologetically be yourself – in life and in business. Don’t hurt anyone intentionally – but also don’t mute yourself to the point of inauthenticity.
You know, yesterday I was buying glasses in a niche glasses shop – and the gal that I dealt with was zany as all hell.
And I appreciated it. It was a breath of fresh air. She wasn’t rude – she wasn’t overly accommodating, but she also cared and put in the effort.
It was a unique blend of caring about my outcome to a degree, and not caring what I thought about her words and actions – and in the business world, it’s a direction that I hope most of us can continue to head in.
The marketplace needs business leaders who are breaking barriers by being unapologetically authentic.
And this is the interesting thing here. Not everyone is going to like that. And hey, you might offend a Karen and a Chad or 7, but that doesn’t matter.
For all the people who aren’t interested in working with you on a service or buying your product – you’re going to attract only the customers who really want what you’re offering. So, being authentic becomes a no brainer.
You’re going to love the folks that you do business with, and you’ll love your life even more. I want you to think about the glasses shop I had mentioned – an then compare it to the type of experience I would have had at Walmart.
Needless to say, it wouldn’t even be comparable. Walmart sells to everyone, so they can’t afford to offend anyone. They live within the confines of intense rules and operating procedures, and as such – Walmart is shit.
Now, how do we do this? How do we live in a vibration of authenticity? I’m confident that this is done through content creation and writing.
You see, since I started writing every morning and filming myself a few times per week – I’ve had VIP access to my psyche. I’ve become the objective observer of my thoughts and actions.
Every time I read something back that I’ve written, or watch a video I’ve filmed of myself – I learn more and more exactly who I am – and this is coming from a guy who has always had a good sense of self.
I would recommend a daily writing habit. I’ll also recommend taking the pieces of information that you write and making them into videos.
You’ll benefit tenfold! What’s going to start to happen is that you’re going to gain a better vocabulary. You’ll just have access to the words that you need, when you need them.
You’ll truly understand your perspective on the world, and you’ll be able to share it with ease in social situations.
Best of all, you get some pretty amazing and honest marketing content out there. Take what you write and film. Put it on Social Media. Share your message, and attract the crowd you want to sell to. It really is that simple.
Marketing, is just storytelling with the end goal of a monetary exchange. But remember, it’s not always about a direct buy. That’s a cheap sale.
What it’s really about is building a community of like-minded individuals, and fostering relationships rooted in trust and honesty.
If you need a hand getting started on your own, or you’d like to share the responsibilities of telling your story – reach out today – we’re here to listen, and to share your vision.
To Your Success,
Jay Ashcroft
four32 MEDIA