Hola friends,
Coming to you today with a newsletter all about authenticity.
Defining authenticity, what it means to me and my advice for the changemakers who are trying to show up more authentically in their personal lives and business.
A note on why you should care about being authentic.
If you’re one of those people who thinks “authenticity” is a buzz word and you’re kind of over hearing about it - you’re right. It is a buzz word. But it’s a buzz word for a reason.
From a business standpoint, consumers are paying more and more attention to the “who” and “why” behind brands. The more you’re able to create a genuine connection with your community, the easier it will be to bring in new customers as well as develop brand loyalty.
Showing up authentically is the key to building that community.
And my journey with authenticity starts with the sassy French woman in the photo above.
How I Learned The True Meaning Of Authenticity
Her name was Denise, and today is her birthday. If you ask anyone who knew her to tell you about her, they’ll say that she was fearlessly + unapologetically herself, wasn’t afraid to call someone out for being a jerk and she had what the French call “joie de vivre”, and lived everyday to the fullest.
She was also my grandmother, ma cher Meme, and my best friend.
In moments of overwhelm, I have countless memories of running downstairs to her house to snack on brie with crackers, watch Murder, She Wrote and vent to her.
Now here’s the thing about Meme. Most of the time, her advice was not what I wanted to hear - but always what I needed to hear. She always spoke her mind, she never sugarcoated anything and loved playing devil's advocate - and because of that, I trusted her completely.
She taught me so much about the world - the importance of being grateful, being generous, being patient and being myself. Three things that I struggled with so much growing up, and three things that have also tremendously shaped how I run my business.
She loved life - and I'm positive part of her thought she could cure her cancer with wine spritzers and dance parties. But she also knew when it was time to go. And even though it was hard for me to hear, I had to learn how to be strong like her, feel through the emotions and take control of finding joy in my life without her.
When she passed away in 2018, she took a piece of my heart with her. But she left me the confidence to break barriers in my industry and the motivation to pursue my dreams.
Though I’m positive she never truly understood what I did for work, whenever I would talk to her she would say “just keep writing, my baby, just keep writing.”
And so I did.
How I Show Up Authentically In My Business
This newsletter, my social media, my book, my events - all of it. But my go-to has always been writing. And Meme knew that and reminded me of it consistently. She knew that the best way for me to truly be myself was by expressing myself creatively. Whether it was writing music or writing blog posts - that was the only way growing up that I felt I could connect to people and potentially create an impact in the world one day.
What Showing Up Authentically Means To Me
I was on a podcast earlier this week talking about a personal yet business related topic and the host said no matter what path I went down, I would be successful because of my ability to be vulnerable.
And that stuck with me.
Being authentic requires vulnerability. It requires honesty. It requires bravery to do things differently and the confidence to be your own best advocate and advocate for people/causes/values you care about.
My advice for people who want to develop a more authentic brand?
Do it in a way that feels natural to you. I wasn’t always comfortable getting on stages or even interacting with strangers. That’s why writing was my go to and probably why it's still my preferred method of expressing myself today.
This is your reminder that being yourself is enough. And the moment you start showing up as yourself, the opportunities will come. Trust me.
There's no right way to be authentic. No matter how you start showing up authentically in the world, just remember the only person who you should be doing it for is YOU!
And remember that I’m here to support you along the way. And if you can, raise a glass for Meme today and post something authentic. She’s cheering you on too.
Besos y Bisous,