It’s the Spring Equinox up here in the Northern Hemisphere. A time for change, a time for transition, a time for blossoming, for showing the world who you are. It’s also a time when the world shows what’s been hiding beneath the surface, a time of truth, if you will.
In that vein, I have to set something straight. There’s a real misunderstanding about vulnerability, what it is, and the place it holds in your business. Most of my clients come to me because they want to be more of themselves in their business and they’ve been burned (or mortified) by the vulnerability p0rn in our industry.
What people often think being vulnerable in your business means:
WHAT IT ACTUALLY IS
Somewhere along the line, the concepts of authenticity and integrity got mixed up with vulnerability. But the real fact is: you don’t need to bare your entire soul to connect with your right people. You just need to be True to you. Call it what you want: authenticity, transparency, integrity…vulnerability.
You can be you without airing all your dirty laundry. You can share behind the scenes, show your humanity, be honest, invite people into a conversation with you. Person to person, not tactic to person in need.
It doesn’t have to be messy. It doesn’t have to be your full trauma story (that’s what good therapists are for). It doesn’t have to be marketing tactics you feel unaligned with.
Being truthful about who you are, what moves you, and what brings you light also gives your people the opportunity to know you…and therefore trust you. We want to see you. We don’t need to see you falling apart.
How do you show up in a way that is in integrity and avoid the over-curated guru-fied marketing pitfalls?
I’ll tell you. I’ve been in business for over a decade, and taught hundreds of entrepreneurs how to design their businesses and messaging so that it’s aligned with their values and their goals, and still one of the best ways I’ve found to get rid of all the noise and SHOULDs is to write your own manifesto.
Your manifesto connects you to your deeper why, the values that are important to you, the reason you do this work. It also helps you talk about your business in a way that is truthful and resonant with your ideal audience. It helps you stay on track when the next trend is floating through your scroll. It helps you stay in integrity. PLUS if that wasn’t already enough, a manifesto also gives you fodder for copy and content marketing.
So ask yourself…what do you believe in? Why is this work important? What feels important to share with your people? And tap into the energy. Don’t censor yourself. Just fuck around and find out what happens. Then if you feel inspired, share it with me please!
Besides, there’s never been a better time to make yourself known to the world. We need your voice, your mojo, and your magic.