[Transcript starts at 1:16]
Hello, hello, hello, my podcast people and thank you for joining me for yet another episode of my favorite podcast. I remembered to take the headphones off today. You can't see me if you're listening, but if you're watching on the YouTube's, one, thank you, and two, I remembered today. So it is Thursday, October 5th if you're listening to this or watching this when it drops, and we are talking about whether or not authenticity can hurt your brand. But before we get into that, I got a few things, other things to talk about.
First, if you listened on Monday, or maybe you didn't listen, so maybe go back. Episode 515 dropped on Monday.
That was part one of Business and Bullshit with My Bestie. Co hosting that with my business bestie, Jill Fit, aka Jill Coleman. And it's a little taste test, we'll say, of perhaps a new show that we may or may not drop next year. Kind of depends on how, on how it goes. Um, but… Um, we are putting together a four part series.
It's going to drop every Monday. The first four Mondays in October, we're talking all things online business. Each episode is going to have a different theme, different topic. Um, the first one was basically about doing the thing, what it takes to make it in the online business space and our journeys and things like that.
How we got into it. We'll be doing another one next Monday and for the following two Mondays after that. Um, I'm excited about it. We did the first one, uh, using Riverside. So we used it, we did it remotely. But I wanna lean into doing it in person. We haven't recorded the second one yet. Um, as of as of the day that I'm record that I'm recording this episode, we haven't recorded it.
But when you listen to this episode, right, this is how so weird how it works. When you listen to this episode, we will have recorded it, um, but haven't recorded it yet. And I'm kind of wanting to do it in person, but it just adds such a, so many layers when you do that. So, we're going to see, we have the audio to do it in person.
We've done in person before, but the video part. So I'm kind of like, eh, so we'll see. Um, but definitely tune in. It'll be on this podcast. It'll be on Jill's podcast, FitBizU. We'll put it on the YouTube. So stoked about it. Wanted to make sure that I announced it just in case for whatever reason you missed it, or you were like, what the fuck was that?
Um, there's three more of them coming your way.
A little life update. So went to Dinah Shore. I did an episode, I don't even know how long ago, talking about the fact that I was going to Dinah, Dinah is a big, big homo event. It's so much fun. It's in Palm Springs. Really, for me, the most fun part is that I rent a nice house and go hang out with friends.
So I went, hung out with friends, um, some of you that listen to this may know Krystyna Holland. She came, uh, Micah Riot came, um, with their partner, Liz. Um, so that was really cool. Micah interviewed me for their podcast, Ink Medicine, and just that, that friendship blossomed from there. And it was just great to have them there.
Um, but the house was dope, uh, woke up in the mornings and went in the hot tub. And I should say I woke up in the, on the first morning and went in the hot tub. After that, I didn't go in because I slipped the, the house's- Palm Springs, the decor, the decor there is mid century modern, but it's kind of fused with art deco and the floors are all white and like whatever material that is.
And they're shiny and slippery. And I slipped and busted my fucking toe wide open. Like this thing I held together with prayers after that and a lot of glue. Uh, so I didn't go back in the hot tub cause I was like, probably shouldn't do that. So for the next, this was the first day. So that's quite unfortunate.
Um, but the other people went in and I put my other leg in and it was, it was great. It was a great fucking experience overall. Again, to me, the house is the best part, but went and did that, um, caught the Dinah Flu, so maybe you can hear it in my voice. Where you just drink a lot, right? Is that part of the reason that I busted my toe?
Maybe, right? But I, it wasn't like I was like, you know, sloppy drunk. I literally just stepped and it was wet and I didn't fall down. So I'm like, you know, if I was drunk, that drunk, maybe would've fallen down. Um, but I caught myself on the top of my foot. And I think the reason, honestly, that I split my toe open was that I was in the hot tub for so long.
I was in the hot tub all day. All down in the pool a little bit, then back into the hot tub. And I think my skin integrity was just zero at that point. And then, then it split open. Um, but definitely got the Dinah Flu. Feeling pretty good, but not really good. And hopefully it resolves itself this week. Um, I got a lot of folks coming into town as well.
Things to do, is we got a party to go to, a surprise party that's themed, and I'm really, really stoked about that. So, stay tuned for pictures of that. It's a surprise though, so the pictures will go up after the surprise is revealed. But, um, really, I'm like really, really excited about that. Um, if you're watching this video, you'll see I have some rock tape on my shoulder, also from a Dinah injury.
And I wasn't even doing anything crazy. If you can guess what the injury was, I will give you nothing but, uh, but praise. I'll give you praise. Um, but it was really cool to come home as well and just be excited about coming home. And I'm, I've been excited about coming home since I moved to California, but it was cool to share that experience this time with Lex.
And she was like, you know, I'm just so excited to go home and go back to our home and our life. And I was like, yeah, it's the fucking best. Right. So before I was just excited to go back to the apartment I was living in and Rupes. And now to get to be excited, now to be excited to go back and spend it with this person, with Lex and the dog, of course, it's just really cool.
It's just, it's great. So that was exciting. Um, speaking of Rupes left him here alone for those five days. We went Wednesday to Sunday. So I was just like, you know what? The place is big enough. And he's not, he's very shy. He's social, but he's very shy. And so the cat sitter, when the cat sitter comes, he just hides in the sofa anyway.
So I was like, let's just see, I'll put extra litter boxes out. I tested it before to make sure he would use the other litter boxes and the other litter, which apparently there is a litter shortage going on. The parent company Clorox had a security, cybersecurity breach. I don't really know. Um, but certain brands are being affected if their parent company is Clorox.
So had to like find the litter, the litter. It's a little bit different. Wasn't sure if he was going to use it, but he did use it. He did use the other litter boxes. And so I just put more litter boxes out and it was fine. Everything was totally fine. He doesn't, he's not super food motivated. So I've always just been able to leave food out and he'll just graze.
Um, and he has a fountain. So the water is like constantly turning over. So everything was great. Um, came back and he was like, Oh, you're back with the dog. Great. Great. So, there's that. Um, there, we still do have more stuff that we need to buy for the apartment, but it's, it's fine. It's livable. My brain is a little bit, a little bit broken, so I'm like, we're just gonna and also, like, my, my wallet, like, this shit's expensive.
It's nice that we're splitting it between two people, but, like, also, yeah, expensive. So, those are the life updates. Figured I'd give them, because I still haven't given them in a while. But, uh, let's hop on to the episode cause we're like seven, eight minutes in, no, seven minutes in. So let's hop on in.
Today we are answering the question, can authenticity hurt your brand?
And this is inspired by a recent coaching conversation that I had with a really good client of mine, really, really good client of mine. So y'all know I love me a definition. And by definition, authenticity is the quality of being real or true. So we can ask yourself, ask yourselves, are you, if you're saying, am I being authentic, we would say, am I being real?
Am I being true to myself? When phrased in that light, can being real and being true hurt your brand? Y'all already know what I'm gonna say. But I know it's helpful to hear it again, and if you're new, this may be the first time you're hearing it. But, if you have been in the ecosystem and you know me, you already know what I'm gonna say.
I got my shirt on that says MOAR you. Specifically, so that y'all, I mean, this is, this is my whole shtick, but to, so I'm thinking about direction I want to go with this, but quite simply stated, being real and being true to yourself can and will impact your numbers. But what the fuck is the other option? You're going to build a business. You're going to build a brand behind something that's fake? Right? And so I specifically and strategically said it will impact your numbers.
I didn't say positively or negatively, but it's going to change your numbers. It's going to affect your numbers. It'll change your numbers if you've already been going in the direction, it will affect your numbers if you haven't started yet. But what is the other option? I think something that, something I talk about quite often, and I don't know that it can be stated, overstated or stated enough is that if you just need money, which we do, to live in this society, just go get a job. If you want to build something, if you're looking to build something, if you're going to put in the time and the effort of building something, bring your whole self. I get it. Life is expensive. It's expensive as fuck to be alive right now. Being a member of this society requires you to have money.
Right. To navigate and be able to get resources and food and shelter, it's a part of this life if we're choosing to be a member, to be a member of society. So to me, and the way I always coach and encourage people is do what you got to do to get money. You don't have to like what you do. Cause we're just talking about getting money, securing resources right now.
And I'm saying this because there's a good chance if you're listening to this podcast, that you're like me and you're not that person that's a serial entrepreneur. You're not that person that just like gets a million ideas and like try this little business venture and try this thing and try it. You're probably not that person.
Because we attract what we are, and I'm not that person. You're probably more calculating. You probably want to build something that you care about. You probably want some safety in there. If you look to build something, and that thing that you're building has to make money to start off with, that is very, very tough, and not a good position to be in, and a position that I've never put myself in, and I would never recommend people to go in.
I'm not saying it's wrong to be in that position, but I will not coach that position. I've just burned the ships, figure it out, need to make the money. That is a very, very tough position to be in and I would rather you not be in that position. I'd rather you just go get a job that just pays the bills and doesn't make you think that much.
And then, yeah, you're gonna have to grind a bit and in the time that you're not at work, go and build this other thing. And then eventually, ideally you can leave that, that, that job that you don't really love, but that pays the bills because this other thing has grown enough. But if you are like me, you want to build something that means something.
You want to build something that you care about. And to me, authenticity is the only way to build a brand. And it's the only way that I teach. Right? So yes, that authenticity is going to impact and influence your numbers, right? Being real, showing up with your truth, that authenticity piece. It is absolutely going to impact and influence your numbers.
If I rip the bandaid here and speak bluntly, authenticity opens things up to people not liking you. And that's why we don't want to do it. That's why it's scary. And that's why it can feel bad, right? When you share your real feelings, when you share your real beliefs, when you share your true self, it feels vulnerable as fuck.
And this is actually, to me, true vulnerability. People like to say it, like when you go online and you cry, that that's vulnerable, vulnerable, and I'm like, no, oftentimes that's just personal. And sometimes, just sharing too fucking much. Like go process first, but to me and to the actual definition of the word vulnerable means subject to attack.
And when you put yourself fully out there, you very much feel that you are subject to attack. When you're saying this is the real me, this is what I truly believe. It feels like a personal attack because you've shared that most, you know, personal side of things. I realized before that I said with the crying that it can be personal, but that's probably not the right word that I meant.
It's oftentimes just, uh, I don't know. We'll make an episode about that in terms of the, what people perceive to be, or what people have, have, uh, I'll say mistakenly categorized as vulnerable versus what is likely and by definition and you know, truthfully being vulnerable. But in this case, when you share yourself, which maybe you're crying while sharing stuff, that's different, right?
But when you share yourself, I get it. It can feel like, holy shit, subject to attack. Absolutely. I think that the reality here, and the lesson we know, is that not everyone is going to like you. But I think maybe perhaps a bit more of what the issue is, because I think we all kind of know that and we're like, we've heard it a million times.
I think perhaps what it becomes a bit more bothersome and like, eh, feeling is that as you sit with this, and as you move through this, and as you lean into authenticity, you're gonna realize that people like other people more than they like you. Because I think it's one thing to have people not like you.
I think we're kind of okay with that, and we'd be like, you know, like, fuck that person, whatever. But when people still like you, but they like someone else more, and you're like, but what about me? And we gotta learn to be okay with that. And I think that is maybe something that, that, you know, we can sit with more and that, you know, we can, we can talk about more.
Cause I think that what actually gets discussed the most is that people, not everyone's going to like you. You're not going to be for everyone. And I think that maybe we're actually okay with that, especially if you're more of an intermediate or, you know, intermediate or advanced business owner. I think for me as well as the, as the fact that like, Oh, that they like someone else more and you're like, but.
But why? Right? So from a, um, numbers perspective, right? Because it's kind of, you just talk about kind of like, we'll say the emotional side of things, but from a numbers perspective, leaning into authenticity, if that brings with it new messaging or a new direction, your numbers will not stay the same. They could go up or they go down, but they're not going to stay the same.
And oftentimes they go down or they change in a way that we don't like. And that's when the person, someone's like, Is my messaging wrong? Am I being too authentic? And I don't, I don't think you can be too authentic by the way. No, the limit does not exist, but when you lean into this new direction, right, if you had an audience and you lean into a new direction, you're leaning to an authentic, when you had an audience and you lean into authenticity, if that authenticity piece brings with it a new direction. People may leave. They may leave the ecosystem and understand that that's okay, right? People entered the ecosystem for a specific reason and they got used to specific messaging.
They got used to receiving a certain type of product, having a certain type of problem solved. If you change that product, if you change the problem that you solve, if you change the messaging, don't be surprised if they leave. That's okay. We want them to leave, right? Autonomy is sexy. Biggest example I can think of is like when athletes like, uh, CrossFitters switch to pregnancy and postpartum content.
I'm not gonna follow you anymore because that's, I don't care. Like, I'm happy for you, but like, I don't care. I came in to see this thing and now it's this stuff and that's totally fine. Imagine if you were in a physical store and you went there for shoes and then suddenly they started selling cars. I don't fucking know.
Something different. You'd be like, well, that was cool, but like… I don't want it, bye. Yeah, some subset will be like, I just love this brand and I'll, if I need this thing that they're serving, I'll go and order from them. Like that absolutely can exist, especially if you've built a lot of trust. And if your pivot is more so in the problem you solve, not in like your whole values and things like that.
That can absolutely happen, right? But we got to be okay that if you change directions, the people and the numbers will likely change.
Circling back to the coaching call, I will always champion this shift and this is the, this is the discussion that I had with this client. I always champion this shift in terms of leaning into more authenticity because I champion longevity and sustainability, and the only thing that is truly sustainable is being true to yourself.
This is really what I do right at the heart of my coaching, at the heart of my work, this is what I do. Right. I help people learn about themselves, lean into themselves. I hold up a mirror. I think that one of my superpowers is really truly seeing people. I can't force someone to see themselves faster or be willing to lean into and show up as themselves faster.
I help people confidently and fully show up as themselves. And so that's what the call and that talk was all about. And so yes, I will always champion that pivot, that shift into leaning into more authenticity. I'll also say, consider this, you know, preemptive permission for you to lean into your truth as your truth changes, right?
This is a little bit different than switching your niche. Um, it's a little bit different, but suffice to say that when I think that the most relevant part of that is that the fact that it's a little bit different is that if you're just starting out and you're keep switching your niche and you're like, well, I do this and I do this or do this, it will be difficult to get traction because people have a tough time knowing what the fuck you do and who you're for.
Right. But yes, I will champion that journey that, that I want you to lean in and figure out what your thing is, what your niche is. But I also am all about managing expectations and if you're jumping around that journey is going to be slower and yes, it's going to impact your numbers. Right. So it's the same in regards of the whole message of this episode, which is showing up with authenticity and leaning into more authenticity, it will impact your numbers. But quite simply stated, I think that it is the only way to build a sustainable personal brand, right? MOAR you is better. All right, looking at the time, gonna wrap it up. I got no reviews to read today, but I will ask for a reading.
I said a reading, that's wrong. I have no re, I have no reviews that I'm going to share with you today or read with, read to you today, but I will ask for a rating mainly because we've, we're at 249 ratings, which is like the stars. And I'm like, let's get this number up. I love it. Let's get to 250. Let's get to 251.
All you got to do is tap the stars. Preferably five. Why are we out here tapping three stars? That's weird. Why are you still listening but tapping three stars? So if you're loving the podcast, you're picking up what I'm putting down, you want to help me out? You want to show some love, just give it a little tap on there, preferably five stars.
Don't forget, as well, next Monday we got episode number two or part number two of Business and Bullshit with my Bestie that's going to drop, uh, and what are we talking about next week? What are we talking about next week? Um, I don't, I'm going to click around. Don't cut this out, Courtney. Just leave it in.
Just leave it in. So next week we are talking about, where is it on here? Standing out. Ooh, fun. All right. First week was doing the thing. Next week's going to be about standing out in the space. And the episodes, I mean, Jill and I like to talk. So I think the first episode was about an hour. So who knows how long the next one will be.
But there will also be some bullshit in there. So come hang out with us. All right. All right. All right. All right. Hope you enjoyed today's episode. As always, endlessly, endlessly, endlessly appreciative for every single one of you. Until next time, friends, Maestro out.
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