“Don’t try to win over the haters; you are not a jackass whisperer.” – Brené Brown
I was listening to the audio book version of Brené Brown’s book, “The Gift of Imperfection” as I am preparing to launch my F1 Marketing Campaign. Part of her message is embracing authenticity and confronting shame to live out our authentic story.
The key to our success with authenticWEB and F1 is the power of authentic stories. What is limiting most of us from telling our authentic story is the fear of judgement. We think of the person that will not like us because of a religious view. A potential client may not hire us because of our sexual orientation.
Those are extremes in story. Many of us are even afraid to talk about running, or reading, or the fact we like wine (a few of my favorite things). “What if they think I am a drunk?”
Think about something that you love and makes you stand out. That is part of your story. Now think about adding that into your business. Here that voice in your head stopping you? “What if they think….” “What happens when….?” That’s shame. Shame you are placing on yourself. Shame, as Brené aptly defines it, is not living our authentic story. Think how great your work could be if you worked exactly with the people that you like and that embrace you.
So this week, be courageous. Tell a part of your story you may never have before. Talk about how that influences your work. Let it hang out a little. I bet it gets more people talking about you.
“Courage starts with showing up and letting ourselves be seen.” Brené Brown