It may be tempting to present an entrepreneurial version of yourself to customers, employees, and the world that is polished, perfect, and filtered. We live in an age of social media and the constant strive for flawless. This is unattainable, and luckily, not the way to success as an entrepreneur. So what is the way to success, you may ask? Authenticity.
Being your authentic self may or not be your strong suit, but if you embrace it, you will be pleasantly surprised at the positive reaction and loyalty that you will obtain from your customers and the employees in your company. Deep down, people crave connection with someone honest and imperfect. Below we will talk about ten tips for embracing your authentic self and, as a result, achieving massive success as an entrepreneur.
1. Have A Passion For What You Do
Ever hear the saying, “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life”? Well, there is a lot of truth to that. When you have a passion for your business it radiates to your clients and employees. The long days and nights are easier to get through when you love what you do and will do anything you have to to make your business a success.
2. Play To Your Strengths
Most successful entrepreneurs started companies centered around either an innate gift or a skillset that they developed and excelled at. To be authentic and sell the best version of yourself, you will want to use your strengths in business, communication, technology, or whatever it may be. Always play to your strengths.
3. Use Social Media Wisely
Many people use social media to promote a fabricated version of themselves, a highlight reel you might call it. The key to using social media to build a following for your business is to showcase the most genuine version of yourself. Followers on Instagram and TikTok like to feel like they are engaging with a natural person who has flaws and bad days just like they do. Creating an organic connection is critical.
4. Build Relationships With Your Employees
Very few successful businesses run as one-man or one-woman shows. You need a strong team around you. That means building meaningful and authentic relationships with your employees. Employees that feel respected, listened to and valued are known to work harder and stay longer at their jobs. If you spend time getting to know your employees, you will likely build a better business based on a culture of authenticity and respect.
5. Create Customer Connections
Just as it is crucial to building relationships with employees, it is equally if not even more essential to create genuine connections with your customers. Your customers generate your income and therefore keep your business thriving. Social media is a great way to do this through posts, tweets, and content-sharing interactions. When people feel a connection to the human component of a business, they are far more likely to be loyal and be repeat buyers.
6. Know Your Limits
This can be a hard one for many entrepreneurs. If you have started your own business, you are clearly driven and have a vision of how you’d like your business to look now and in the future. But asking for help when something is beyond your knowledge or skillset is a strength, not a weakness. Instead of burning yourself out trying to do it all and becoming frustrated when you cannot accomplish certain things, instead, focus on building a team with different talents who can help you grow.
7. Always Lead By Example
You really cannot overstate how essential it is to run your business openly, honestly, and in then way you want your employees to treat their jobs and your company. If your employees and customers see their leader running their company admirably and respectably, it is likely they will feel like they can trust your leadership as an employee and their money with you as a customer.
8. Network In A Natural Way
It is common practice for large and small businesses to put in place protocols for how members should network. While this is necessary for the company, it is also vital to communicate in a way you feel most comfortable. This will reflect onto others and put them at ease around you. If your style is more laid-back and casual, then stick with it. Just always keep it within professional boundaries.
9. Promote Quality And Substance Of Character
Finding candidates with the right degrees from fancy schools is not hard. Those degrees are great, but they can’t replace the character and drive behind them. While it is essential to ensure that a candidate is qualified to do a job, it is just as vital to make sure they want to do the job. When hiring or promoting, vet your candidates by looking for their desire for the role and interest in building your company alongside you.
10. Believe In Yourself And Your Mission
No one is ever going to believe in your dreams and your vision as much as you do. While it is essential to have cheerleaders push you forward, you have to be your biggest cheerleader. Without a doubt, always keep the best version of yourself and your company in the forefront of your mind. It is also contagious to be around people who believe in themselves. If you believe in your company’s vision, then those around you will too! By really embracing these ten tips above, you are likely to not only gain more social media followers, more loyal customers, and satisfied employees, but also a better sense of self and happiness. Being an entrepreneur comes with a lot of internal and external pressure. It is a weight lifted off you when you don’t have to pretend to be someone you are not. So go ahead! See what implementing these changes can do for you. For more tips on living an authentic, bright, and brilliant life, check out www.thebrilliantculture.com
