NOT FOLLOWING THE CROWD

(Note: This was the very first post I ever wrote on this blog, back when I was still trying to figure out what kind of voice I wanted to bring into my business.) Back when I was in school, I just wanted to fit in. As an introvert, I don't like standing out or drawing attention to myself so fitting in was the only choice. But lately, the crowd has gotten weird. People have such variety at their fingertips, that you get a 10 second soundbite to grab their attention or lose them. I truly don't love the idea of following the crowd, but in business, the more people the better yours odds of success...

Some people really excel in this space. They thrive with constant connections to thousands of "friends" and media and notifications being blasted continuously.

In trying to grow my business, I've received advice along the lines of: you must be on several social media accounts daily, you must do posts 3-5 times a week, do reels a minimum of 7 times a week, be in your stories daily, sharing quick videos throughout your day. Respond to each comment personally & offer to do their dishes. (just seeing if you're paying attention)

But that doesn't feel good to me.

I find the whole thing draining. And it doesn't leave time to be creative and do the things that made me want to start a business in the first place.

Something has to give. Is this really what people are looking for? I've always said that I'm not a small talk kind of girl. You want to have a real discussion about something that matters to you, to me, to the world... I'm in. But I don't have space for fake content just for the sake of entertainment. (Unless it's a funny animal video- cause I love those.)

talk about the things you love, your voice will follow. -Austin Kleon

I've struggled with sharing my voice~ feelings of self-doubt creep in and I second-guess what I want to say. But when what I'm craving is authenticity, sometimes that has to begin with me.

So I guess the point of this is just to say that I will show up here genuinely. If you want the short soundbite content, there are tons of other great people to follow for that. If you're looking for substance and inspiration and creativity and kindness and collaboration, then you can find those here.

Warmest regards,

P.S. If you're just getting started in business and are struggling to get the right footing, see this post.