True authenticity means that you are the same person in your professional life as you are in your personal life. Think about someone you have seen speak. Someone you truly admire as you watch and listen to them on stage. Now imagine, if you got to “be a fly on the wall” and see how they act in their private life, and it was completely different than what you saw on stage. How would you feel about them afterwards?
True authenticity has nothing to do with sharing everything about your life. Somewhere people think being on social media means you have to share everything to be authentic! HUH? If you are an authentically open person then you may share more than somebody who is authentically a private person. But consistency in that, personally and professionally, is the key. If you are direct and honest in your private life you are direct and honest in your professional life. If you swear, like I do, you do it in both arenas of your life.
Yes I said that, I swear! I’m sure you guys have heard me say several swear words over the years, LOL.
But what’s the point? Too often I hear coaches say that you do not have to share your private life to be authentic. They’re absolutely correct. But what they are leaving out is that authenticity means being the same in your personal life, your private life, your public life, and your business life.
I often talk with clients about the dirty P word. The P word is “professional.” Too often I see clients put on this “professional” hat when doing marketing or sales and their personality and energy changes. That’s inauthentic. Then they wonder why it’s not working. Well, there’s a disconnect and people can feel that.
If you are sassy, be sassy in your business. It’s authentic to who you are. Your tribe will be attracted and you will sell more.
