A few months back, my husband and I were headed out the door with the kids to attend a holiday event. I always feel anxious before attending big events, and this time was no different.  

“Do you think I look okay?” I asked him.  

“Yeah, babe, you look great.”  

“Well, thanks but… I mean, do you think I’m overdressed?” 

“Who cares if you are. Do you feel comfortable?” 

“Yes, but I don’t know what to expect as far as how others will be dressed.”  

“Just remember, you can never be overdressed or overeducated,” he said. (That’s from Oscar Wilde, by the way.)  

 Boom.   

I remember that interaction so clearly. And Mike’s response made such an impression on me. I actually hear his voice recounting that statement in my mind almost daily. (If only I had the wardrobe to match!) 

He was right–or, rather, Oscar was. And, I’m not the type of person to sacrifice style for fitting in anyway. That night I was a tad bit dressier than most at the event. But you know what? I felt good about myself. And that actually made mingling easier! I felt elegant, worthy, integrous, genuine, smart, confident. I felt like I was true to myself.

I experienced fully and in real-time, the truth that how you show up matters. Not just to others, but to yourself!  

Last week, I was with an incredible group of colleagues to strategize, mastermind and learn from our wonderful mentor. (Happy to share more about that if you’re curious. Just hit reply!) We talked a lot about how as entrepreneurs with a big mission, in order to make an impact it really is our obligation to make sure the people who need our help do actually find us. She suggested that we must be omnipresent. (I love that word!) If you’re going to be omnipresent (and honestly, even if you aren’t), you want to show up congruently, everywhere. And, in order to do that, you must be your authentic self.

I can tell you that being true to who you are, wherever you are, makes showing up easier. Think about that for a moment. All you need to do is be yourself. And be willing to consistently show up as the best version of yourself.  

I often talk about Simon Sinek’s belief that “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” TRUE! And, I follow that up with the fact that they also buy who you are. Especially with service-based businesses, connection is essential. We make most decisions based on emotion. So the more your ideal clients can connect with the “real you”, the easier it is for them to say yes to working with you. And that just keeps the love-fest going. You get to positively impact their life and fulfill your mission! The ripple effect of that is awesome! 

Over the past few years, I have learned that in order to be myself, I must love myself.  It isn’t always easy. And, for me, it has taken some really deep personal work. And it requires that I continue that personal work. I have found that the more I am able to love and accept myself, the easier it is to just be myself.  

I have also learned that there are ways to help boost your confidence while you are developing your self-love and acceptance. I make it a point to only put out into the world, the best visual representation of myself and Brand Therapy. Everything we do here must be elegant, worthy, integrous, genuine and loving. (Notice that these are also the qualities that I wanted to feel and enjoyed feeling at that holiday event!) Because when I feel like my brand represents who I truly am, I am so much more confident in spreading my important message.  

Personal branding is not about ego. It’s about service. YOU have the answer to someone’s deepest desires. YOU are at the core of a mission that can change lives! Are you ready to claim who you are and start making ripples? Life is short. Live it fully. Live it authentically. Live it the way only YOU can.    

I believe in you!