Owning your Authenticity in Business
By: Michelle Denio
Tags: Authenticity, Owningyourauthenticity

What does it mean to OWN your authenticity in business? Simply put, authenticity means “true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character”. You have probably heard this term frequently. There are a lot of people who use it. But what does it really mean when I say to OWN your authenticity?

Let’s break it down a little bit.

To me, more than being authentic is truly owning it and living it. You may be wondering, “But what does that mean, Michelle?” The way you OWN your authenticity is you show up in everything that you do. And you DON’T allow others to take it away from you.

This means you have to be true to yourself, who you are, the value you provide and feel and be confident in it. When you do this, your business will grow because the people who are MEANT to connect with you — will. People value authenticity and they can see when someone is truly being authentic. You will attract the clients who want to work with you for everything you have to offer. They will feel like they know everything about you before you start working together.

If and when something feels so right to you and you can OWN it, it makes the “selling” of whatever you are offering so much easier. Why is that? Because people don’t feel “sold” to. They feel connected to you. They feel excited. They feel ready and wanting more. They want to “experience” what you are offering them and they know that when they work with you, the transparency is there. There is no bait and switch.

Authenticity is what will set you apart from your competition.

Let me say that one more time for the people in the back! AUTHENTICITY IS WHAT WILL SET YOU APART FROM YOUR COMPETITION! Although I don’t believe in competition, it is not fair to say it doesn’t exist. Every industry is saturated. There are multiple people doing what you do, but no one does it the same way that you do. You have your own identity and people will relate to you.

So now the question is, how can you be sure you are OWNING your authenticity? Be Real, Be YOU! — I know this sounds easy, but you would be amazed how difficult this is for some. In the online space, we are always comparing ourselves to others and feeling like we need to be someone we aren’t because that is what “they” are doing. I’m here to tell you… STOP IT! SHOW UP AND JUST BE YOU! Find the clarity that is YOURS and in whatever form that is! You just need to share your passion, learn about the passions of others, and combine them to create a passion that ignites you both.

Here are a few things you need to remember:

Consistency is Key — Once you find what is truly authentic to you — be consistent with it. Be sure all your messaging is the same everywhere you show up. In writing, video, in your FB community, on client calls, and connection calls. Stay consistent.

Hold yourself accountable — Find your tribe, whoever that is, and let them call you out when they see something that doesn’t look or feel authentic. It’s easy to slip into behaviors of others when you live in the online space or when you are constantly surrounded by others businesses. It’s inevitable that at some point, you will post or say something that is not authentic to you. Have your circle of influence whom you give permission to call you out on it and hold yourself accountable when you do.

Now that you know what OWNING your authenticity in business means, I encourage you to do some soul searching to see if you are owning YOUR authenticity. Are you doing things that are not authentic to you? Look through your Facebook posts or previous emails. If you are doing things that are not authentic to you, take a step back and center yourself. Remember, owning YOUR authenticity is what will set you apart from the others. SHOW UP AND BE YOU!

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