Just Be YOU: 6 Ways To Build An Authentic Business Life
When a costume contest calls, you know I ain’t holdin’ back!
You see it in increased sick days and work-from-home options, and you see it in the way people exist in the workplace: Nowadays, when it comes to business, we’re able to just be human.
The freedom to be our genuine selves in the workplace completely transforms the kinds of relationships we can have with our coworkers and clients— and that’s incredibly exciting! How can we build these authentic relationships in a powerful, productive way? Well, I have some thoughts!
1. Magnify YOUR Strengths
My great-grandfather in his original drugstore!
Way back in 1919, in Montezuma Iowa, my great-grandfather bought his drugstore— the drugstore that would then stay in our family for generations: from my great-grandfather, onto my grandfather, onto my great-uncle, onto my dad. I grew up in that drugstore, and I was DYING for my name to be fifth in line.
But here’s the thing: to run a drugstore, you’ll need to do math. And I was NOT good at math.
One night, as I was struggling (yet again) with my math homework, my dad sat me down. He told me I need to find a new dream.
Oof.
My dad would never put me down, and he wasn’t saying it to do that. He just wanted me to find something that I was good at, and that I could truly love. Eventually, I discovered graphic design and marketing. And I couldn’t be happier!
Even though it hurt to hear it, there wasn’t any good in dwelling on my lost-pharmacy dream. Years later when I took the Gallup Strength’s Finder Test, I realized an important lesson— we all have different strengths, and if we follow them, we won’t just be excel— we’ll find happiness.
2. Be Consistent
“Getting an audience is hard. Sustaining an audience is hard. It demands a consistency of thought, of purpose and of action over a long period of time.” ~ Bruce Springsteen
Maybe we aren’t literal rockstars like Bruce, but we can apply this to the audiences in our lives— whether it’s on social media or a base of customers.
Why is consistency so important? I like to think of fast food. When people are traveling out of the country, jet-lagged out of their mind, and lost, they’ll often look for the nearest McDonalds.
The reason fast food is so successful boils down to consistency— you know exactly what you’re going to get and what it’s going to cost you.
The amazing thing is that— as a professional or as a brand— you can be that source of familiarity for your customers. And it starts and ends with consistency.
3. You Aren’t the Main Character… They Are
Tell me if this scenario rings a bell:
You’re at a networking event, trying to get new leads. You walk up to one of your connections and ask them how they are.
“Busy!” They say, “Real busy! You?”
“Busy!” You say, “Real busy!”
And then nothing happens.
Well, next time you're at a networking event, you should try out this trick I learned from my long-time connections, Lynn Laumann: ask how you can help them. Once you open people up this way, you’ll be shocked by the things that can happen.
You will never make more connections and get more done than when you aren’t even thinking of yourself.
4. Gratitude is Everything
In Business, your relationships are everything , and it pays to pay some thanks. Even something as simple as a thank you card can go a long way.
Check out this card I sent a referral partner of mine a while back.
I checked my phone one day to see Kevin had posted a photo of it and tagged me! This simple little card had basically gotten me free advertising— Kevin had tons of followers, and they all saw my name (plus Kevin’s kind words about me)!
It’s also a great idea to get creative with thanking your clients and partners.
Did you know you can ship a pineapple in the mail? I didn’t! But when my connection asked me to put something together for his own clients and he told me he’d shipped a pineapple for customer outreach before, I knew I had no excuse. I had to find him something unique.
I found him a little site called sendaball.com— which is exactly what you think it is.
A while later I was working with Ridgeview on their new logo and brand identity, and when it came time to thank them for their business, I had just the idea! I ordered a bouncy ball off the site with the words “it was a ball working with you!” and sent it off. It was a total hit!
Saying thanks is a powerful way to build relationships in business and stand out from your competitors.
5. Find YOUR Tribe
Everybody remembers a time they were turned down, and that’s a lesson you keep learning your whole life.
A couple years ago at D.E.A.R. day in Waconia— a women’s shopping event to celebrate the deer hunting opener— I decided to do something special to advertise my business. I bought these giant, (and okay, a little gaudy), bright orange antlers and put my business’s name on them.
Yeah… I know. I’m a nerd…
The big day arrived, I packed up my antlers, stoked my excitement, and hit the town. And the first store I walked into? They didn’t want them.
My heart was broken!
Luckily, I kept going, and in time I did find people who wanted my antlers. The day ended up being a success— and yes, I got some business out of it!
We all have our quirks, and not everybody is going to connect with us. But if I had given up on my antlers right then and there, I never would have found the people who “got me,”— and the people who “get you” are the ones you want to work with, anyways!
So go forth and find your tribe!
6. Progress Over Perfection
Back in 2020, when I started making video content, I was truly embarking on a journey I’d never experienced before.
Video completely transformed my business relationships— it helped me stay connected and engaged with all my current connections, and it expanded my network in ways I’d never expected.
The challenge was, I was TERRIFIED of doing video.
Those first times I sat down to record I was nervous, and stiff, and uncomfortable. But I pushed through, and things started to change. Now, recording videos comes naturally, and I even have fun!
We as professionals have such a natural tendency to demand perfection because we don’t want any kind of risk— but business is all about risk. The important thing is to just get started.
It’s Just Work!
You can probably guess that authenticity is a really big value of mine. In fact, I gave this same spiel at the Waconia Chamber of Commerce Luncheon back in August.
I think it’s BEYOND valuable to get out there, slow down, and remember that work isn’t THAT serious (though I will admit, it’s probably easier to say that as a marketer than as a brain surgeon)!
At the end of the day, the really important stuff is what happens at home with our loved ones.
Here’s to being ourselves and having genuine connections in every area of our lives!