Being Powerfully YOU

“Authentic Marketing” is a popular phrase these days.  It sounds great (because it really is) – but what does it really mean?  Well, in my opinion, it means showing up in every interaction you have with people (including emails, sales pages, website, video, tele-classes, social media, sales conversations, networking events, speaking engagements and client appointments) as who you really are.

That may sound like a “duh” statement, but it really isn’t.  How often do you really show up as who you are and stand in all your glory and power?  Be honest.  The truth is … most people don’t.  They shrink back because they worry about offending people by speaking their truth or making others feel bad by shining too brightly or being laughed at for sharing their big vision for their business or outgrowing loved ones if they commit to embracing their power.

Sound familiar?

The other thing that may be standing in your way of being powerfully you is your belief that in order to be successful, you have to act and speak in certain ways and embrace values that are different than your own.  I’ve seen that happen so many times.  Heck, I’ve done that myself.  Here’s a truth I’ve learned.  You can’t show up powerfully as someone else . . . that’s just a weak imitation of someone else’s power.  You can only show up powerfully as YOU.

Here’s the paradoxical truth.  The more you show up as who you are, warts and all, and the more comfortable you are in your skin, the more people are attracted to you.  People don’t want to work with people who are perfect.  Perfect makes us insecure.  People want to work with people who are real.  They want to know that you have struggled, had failures and disappointments and yet you have gotten up, dusted yourself off and continued to go after what you want.

Being powerfully you isn’t easy, though.  It means that you have to be honest – with others and with yourself.  It means that you have to speak the truth even when it’s hard or not popular.  It means that people might not like the things you do or say, or they might call your opinion stupid or ignorant.  It means doing the right thing according to your values and priorities, even when “experts” disagree.  It means making yourself a priority even when loved ones complain or try to sabotage your efforts.

When you show up as powerfully you, standing in your brilliance, comfortable in your skin and speaking your truth, you will create a strong reaction within people.  Either they will love you and resonate with your truth or they won’t.  The ones that do will form the basis of a loyal community who are hungry for what you have to offer.  The ones that don’t will go away.  The powerful YOU knows that both reactions are great!

I encourage you to take an honest look at how powerfully you are showing up in your business.  How many times have you been afraid to be visible . . . or tell someone you can help them  . . . or share a strong opinion . . .  or risk being vulnerable  . . . or speak your truth?  How many times have you used marketing language or a sales formula that feels wrong to you?  How many times have you told a client what they wanted to hear instead of what they needed to hear because you were afraid of losing them? 

 It’s time to stop hiding.  The world needs to see the real, authentic powerful YOU.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this article.