How do you show your professional side while being true to yourself?

No matter who they are, your audience doesn’t need a mirror image of themselves. Knowing them isn't about becoming them. That’s counterfeit fitting in, and we have enough of that with the endless selfies and self-promos. In the professional world, people crave authenticity. We’re all flawed and unique. Those are great connection points! Let's drop the pretense: → Understand - don't impersonate - your audience → Let bits of your true self show in ways that resonate with them → Build genuine connections on common ground And drop misguided presumptions: → Young professionals may fully understand a sophisticated business strategy → Experienced professionals may lack understanding of a new concept. #Authenticity thrives in open-mindedness

It’s the bragging thing. It's what most people struggle with in communicating their strengths in person, on paper, and online. Nobody wants to feel or sound like they’re bragging, to be THAT person. Here’s how to showcase without feeling fake: flip the script. → Know your audience’s needs, challenges, problems, concerns → Identify where those align with your strengths → Share stories of how you solved those with your skills – with a twist! The twist is the key to turning counterfeit into confidence → Start your story with who or what benefited – how – then end with how you contributed. → Make it about them. Show up, not show off. Your audience will connect with you & appreciate your strengths. Bonus: you'll have more #confidence

I trust how I'm treated, now what I'm told. Seriously bad personal decisions and career choices taught me that lesson, painfully. Consistency is about being dependable. It's the foundation of trust you build brick-by-brick, action-by-action that others can build on. Here are the best bricks → Dependable: align actions and words → Credible: live your values openly → Trustworthy: follow through on commitments Even doing our best, life happens. We make mistakes. It's going to happen. The key is to own up to them. → Admit your mistakes → Learn from them → Share - someone else might benefit Authentic consistency doesn't mean perfection, it's about progress. Growth. That's the human side of being professional. That's #authenticity.

In many ways, we are talking about personal branding here. Personal branding and self-promotion may sound uncomfortable, however, it is necessary for professionals to promote the value they bring and to position themselves for new opportunities. And the unique value you bring is rooted in who you are, your values, your experiences, and your personality. So celebrate who you are and bring that to your positioning (but keep it professional)!