“Chala, Chala, Chala!” my boss shook his head as he sighed in disappointment at my questionable joke during a meeting with one of our suppliers.  The poor man was fond of me and he was also used to me but as he’d disclosed at my recent performance review, he didn’t think I had “corporate maturity”.  That folks was my first ever job exactly 20 years ago.
The Subterfuge
Sad to say, through the years, I had to shed my jokes, my laughter and my sense of fun to climb up the corporate ladder.  I can’t say that I was all too good at the subterfuge because I never quite fit in until I found my last job.   At my last job, I was too old, too experienced and too good at what I did to care much about “corporate maturity”.  I was also surrounded by a warm, caring and appreciative culture.  The honeymoon lasted 7 long years and it prepared me to fly out on my own.
The Entrepreneur Personality
Now as an entrepreneur, my personality is the most critical element of my marketing. My flippant jokes and irreverent style are the key things that set me apart from hundreds of other marketing coaches.   As a small business owner, are you trying to fit an “acceptable” mold or owning who you truly are at your heart?
Your Brand Voice
At the core of your marketing is something called your “Brand Voice”.  Everything from your tag line to your business card to your elevator pitch should come from this consistent “voice”.  This “voice” either attracts people or lets them know that perhaps you are not the person to help them.
Too scared to be me
When you think and talk in a way that you think is “acceptable” to your boss, your clients, your networks or your newsletter audience, you’re actually cheating.  You’re cheating yourself out of living authentically and cheating others by fooling them into thinking that you’re a match for them when in reality, the people you’re too scared to attract probably need you the most.
Will the Real Slim Shady Please Stand Up?
As in Eminem song which definitely dates me, will you let the real you please stand up and stop thinking about whether it’s acceptable or not?
The fake allegedly “acceptable” you is uncomfortable, unsustainable and a waste of your true shining self. So shout out the “unacceptable” you and feel the joy of attracting those who love you for your courage and spirit and will pay big bucks for your honesty because you are DIFFERENT than others who are all so very “acceptable”.
Need more chicken soup for your biz? Follow me on Twitter, friend me on Facebook or connect with me on LinkedIn –and let’s talk!

Related articles

• Chala’s radio interview about calming down entrepreneurs (coachtactics.com)
• 4 Ways to Use Humor for Better Engagement on Twitter (sproutsocial.com)
• The Seven Pitfalls of a Modern-Day Brand (marketingprofs.com)
• Personal Branding – 7 Mistakes That Hurt (tweakyourbiz.com)