In a 'fake' world, is authenticity the new superpower?

I missed the vicarious ‘monthly’ deadline again! It’s been a busy period. The last 12 months has seen both my parents struck down with bowel cancer (thankfully starting to come out the other side now) prepping for a court case to recover funds from the dishonest Director I wrote about in Deal with whats in front of you.

On the upside of the curve, prepping my new venture Amplify OnDemand now running alongside Hurren & Hope, while getting back to grass roots in a young business, and filming for a joint project with interactive investor some of the highlights are here, has been positive. I have also been focusing on trying to stop my body decaying quicker than I would like with a focus on fitness. Mix in the day job and I honestly haven’t had much time to put down my thoughts on paper.

So, 2025 is here and we are all focused on the New Year ahead, full of energy and optimism… aren’t we??

Well, kind of…despite what LinkedIn claims many of us are head down in hustle mode trying to keep the wolf from the door, that’s been the new reality for a while now and much like the year of fear article I wrote just after covid many are worried about what tomorrow will bring for them. ?

But with all the AI generated emails, AI content, which is then replied to with AI generated comments and email replies followed by being data scraped for more AI outreach in a never-ending torrent of Bullsh*t…..Too much? Have we reached the peak for fake??

You could easily believe we are all living in a barbie & Ken world full of passive income, and remote working in the canaries (that reminds me I have something real on the passive income point to mention later*)

That torrent of smoke and mirrors is the focus of this month’s article. I’m in that age group where I grew up with Tech, I’m happy making use of the latest and greatest gadget but equally I used to risk my life riding my bike down slides in the park that were basically deathtraps stuck on the side of a hill (if you know, you know).?

Our generation has a unique view of the world, we get to pick and choose the right level of fake for our needs, pick it up and put it down as we see fit, add 23 years as a recruiter in to the mix and the cynicism that comes with it and we tend to question most things and not take everything as it's presented.?

But social media aside, ‘fake’ started to spill into my world from all directions post covid. Dishonest company directors befriending me and my team only to rob us blind months later. Company founders already talking about exits when they raised their first ￡50K seed round, the guy who hardly knows you but now wants to ‘pick your brains’ for 4 hours, the CTO who wouldn’t even return your call 3 months ago but is now seeking work and wants you to miss your family meal to talk out of hours. It’s part of the game of life, but it hit home harder than I realised.?

Genuinely liking people is for me a pre-requisite to me being able to do my job. Think about it. How can I represent someone I don’t like? Whether that’s an employer or a candidate, I have to buy in to ‘you’ as an individual if I’m going to represent you. So, gaining some perspective has been vital.

I’m 100 pages into the book ‘the good life’ it’s a great read based on science rather than fluff, just 100 pages into the book there is already an obvious link between happiness and those relationships you have around you. So...

It pays to be pro-active in investing in the people that matter and distancing yourself as much as possible from the fakes.

So where am I going with all this? First things first, be careful who you invite into your headspace. Don’t let the fakes in life rent space in your mind. On the upside, being ‘human’ has become more important than ever.

I’m not talking about virtue signalling here or false vulnerability. I mean just speaking honestly, disagreeing with people, calling out the liars and cheats rather than standing idly by while an innocent party goes under the bus. Speaking from the heart about a subject that matters to you without a game plan or motive behind it.?

All of that has the potential to improve your ‘happiness’ levels by inviting the right people into your life but in a vanilla, AI driven world it also has the potential to secure you a new job, open up your friendship group and mark you apart as a leader in your community rather than a sheep looking to conform with the ‘fake’ topic of the week.

That short period where I lost faith made my working week an awful lot harder. I hadn’t realised how much energy I gain from being in a position to help genuine individuals move forward with their personal hopes for their careers or business ventures.

From the individuals happy to come to court to support our case, the company founders who thank us for our work and value the effort that we put in to help them with their plans. The “do you fancy breakfast? No agenda, just a catch up” individuals, who provide a needed sounding board and friendship.?I thank each and every one of you for your authenticity. AI won’t be replacing you any time soon.

This year, I suspect, will still present its challenges, but where authentic people come together to support each other, ‘checking in’, sharing that job post, valuing each other’s time and skills. That will be the catalyst for everything positive that comes next.

So, this month I’m asking you to call out the fakes for what they are. Don’t support their businesses or posts in the hope it will gain you a like.?Find the authentic people around you and ask how you can support them. You will be stronger together.?

*On that passive income comment above…

I have always benefitted from referrals and a loyal bunch of individuals who I have worked with for many years, taking me with them as their careers and ventures have progressed. That community has seen me launch our Ambassador community a chance for anyone supporting my new venture to build a passive income.

I will be paying one individual ￡1000 next month for introducing us to two organisations in their network.

No smoke and mirrors here, the platform is built on Stripe payments, full transparent reporting, and a simple sign up requiring just your email, once approved your unique promo code will enable you to track your payments and gives your network a 10% saving on Amplify OnDemand services. Earn yourself a useful ￡500 for every client who signs up with us for your troubles.

A lot better than flogging that old jumper on Vinted.

Take care!

Mark.