Yesterday, I had the pleasure of doing a beach photo shoot with the amazing Sam Diephuis of GoodHuman, and in the process I realized something: The key is authenticity.
When I first started Write Styles, I didn’t want to be the face of the business. I wanted to create a place where people could find knowledge and tips on business and style, but what I realized was that I had to be the face of it because it all came down to working with me.
When we went to do the shoot yesterday, I went as I would go to any other client meeting or event. Just my regular hair (although it got destroyed by the humidity) and makeup. I feel very strongly that you should represent your true self in all imagery, and that the key is authenticity, both in business and in style. It’s presenting your authentic self that often connects people to you and drives people to want to work with you.
The key is authenticity in business:
Someone once told me “people want to work with people”. What makes you different from the next business owner is your true self and authenticity. Maybe your product or service is relatively common, but it’s you and your style of work that sets it apart.
A lot of people try to blend in with the masses and try to be like everyone else, but what I’ve found is that the people who succeed are those that are unique. When your authenticity shines through, it builds trust and strengthens the connection between business and consumer, which then creates customer loyalty. When given the option, people will often choose to work with the real person instead of the computerized or standardized large company. If you can hone in your brand to really represent you in an authentic way, that’s how you will steadily grow and build up you client base.
The key is authenticity in style:
Do you ever notice that the people who are considered to have impeccable style are those who walk to the beat of their own drum? The people who are admired for style don’t usually look or dress like the masses, but they focus on representing their true self through their clothing.
In Jennifer J. Baumgartner’s book, You are what You Wear: What Your Clothes Reveal about You, she explains that, “Our closets are windows into our internal selves..”
Style is about seeing a piece of clothing and styling it in a way that feels like you. For instance, you might purchase a blouse that the store has styled with a cardigan and skirt, but to keep the blouse authentic to your style, you switch things up and pair it with skinny jeans and a leather jacket.
The secret to authentic personal style is about seeing different aspects or pieces that you like and manipulating them to work for your life and your wardrobe. Most importantly, this means that you want to always represent yourself through your clothing.
_________
So whether you’re preparing to take a professional profile photo or just brainstorming ways to refine your personal brand, remember that the key is authenticity. It might take longer to build up those relationships and that brand, but in the long run, authenticity will win more people than blending in with the crowd.
