We’ve all heard sayings like these: “Be positive no matter what” and “Never let ’em see you cry”. That resembles the “fake it till you make it” philosophy to me. And altho IN GENERAL it’s good advice, it’s not a true reality. Sure, stay upbeat and positive – always looking for the silver lining…that is a great attitude but…If you only share this “holier than thou” persona, then your audience will not feel truly connected to you.
Complete authenticity should be how we live our lives and run our businesses. People are TIRED of the hype and bullcrap in the world. It’s EVERYWHERE. They’re so beaten down and distrustful of just about everything out there. We have to be true and transparent in our marketing efforts, in our business dealings, in everything we do. One of my mottos: Always be above reproach. This means that there is no shadow of a doubt about your integrity, honesty, ethics. 
The people I surround myself with – my team, my friends, my family…they all know that I am a real person. I have ups & downs just like anyone else on the planet. I can’t hide it. I can’t hide me. I don’t have a poker face. So, I will share some of these things from my life…the good, the bad, and sometimes – the ugly. If you & I are connected on Facebook, you might remember that ugly cry picture of me that I posted back in March. That was me…raw.
My point is that you have to be YOU. People want to know you. They want to know what’s in your heart, what you stand for, what makes you tick, WHO you are.
What you see is what you get with me – by & large, people know where I stand. I do my best not to go overboard in politics, religion, education – you know, the big “No-No’s”. (I’ve learned that lesson the hard way.) Being you will attract the perfect people FOR you TO you. You want to surround yourself with people who resonate with you and you with them. You don’t want “just anyone” on your team or in your circle…that translates into people being “numbers”, which I stress to avoid doing; it never lasts.
In being authentic, I don’t wallow in the negatives. I don’t harp on them. I experience them, I sometimes share them, and I move forward. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to show people that you are human…you’re
just like them. In fact, I believe that it makes you a better leader in the community because you don’t rely on all the positive hype stuff every single day. That will eventually turn into a dis-connect and possibly a dis-trust; especially if they feel they are doing everything you are teaching and they are not seeing successes as they’d hoped. You MUST be transparent with others.
I am not saying to share ALL negative things in your world with the universe, but I AM saying to SHARE WHO YOU ARE – sometimes that means letting people in a little deeper so they can experience the REAL YOU. Don’t be afraid to let people into your world a little bit.
Let them see the real you. Tell people about yourself. If you’re a SAHM – tell people, if you’re a painter – tell people, if you’re into body-building – tell people. You can share some challenges you face in these things about you; get people talking WITH you. People will relate and connect with you. By sharing more of who you are, you will attract people with similar interests and desires. THESE are the people you want in your circle of influence. You hear it all the time, “People do business with people they know, like, and trust.” It’s true…look in the mirror – you do it, too.
