"Just be yourself" is the worst advice. Except for all the other advice.
A very ‘myself’ photo of me. Fresh off a 12-hour plane ride from Taipei to L.A. two weeks ago.
Do you know that quote that I'm butchering for my own purposes? ... Winston Churchill said that someone else said it:
"No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…"
So it is with the advice to "just be yourself." Not perfect. Not all-wise. But better than the other forms I've tried.
When I started writing for my business, I wanted to talk about what it’s like to have small children and run an online business solo. I wanted to talk about the choices I’d made to prioritize my business and the choices I’d made to prioritize my children.
But I wanted all of the stories of my experiences to resonate with all moms everyone. I wanted stay at home moms to like me, I wanted side hustlers to like me, I wanted corporate working moms, I wanted feminists to like me.
So for years I didn't end up sharing anything. Because I have ZERO stories that are all things to all people.
Then I finally starting sharing these experiences. The response was undeniable. Sharing the truth is undeniably powerful. It’s also undeniably uncomfortable. Some of your readers won't like you. Some will lose respect for you. Some of them will “police” your opinion with comments like, “Stop complaining! It’s not so bad.”
But I'm doing it anyway. Here’s a bit about my process in getting there and the baby steps I started with.
Watch the video.
In the video, I share a story in here about helping one of my group members get more real in her writing.
We had a powerful session that allowed her to write an email with WAY sharper teeth. That group, the Email Marketing Sweet Spot program, helps other online business owners find their sweet spot between sending a boring email newsletter because they're "supposed to" and ramming a crap-ton of email down people's throats (also because they think they're "supposed to.")
Per the post title: You're supposed to do you. I designed the Sweet Spot to help online business owners find your way to show up, get to know your subscribers and let them know you, and sell to them without pissing them off or watching them ignore you. If you want to know more about the Sweet Spot, click the link.