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If you made it a practice to worry about what other people thought of you, why did you go into business? I mean, come on. Let’s get real here. Going into business for yourself is incredibly courageous. You have to have some modicum of confidence or self-esteem to put yourself and your talents, skills and knowledge out into the world to serve others. So why is it that when it comes to being ourselves in business, our true authentic selves, it’s a challenge? Why do we put on this facade of capability and competency? Is it so people will hire us? So they will look good by hiring a competent practitioner, consultant, coach or service provider and not some whack job that will waste their time and money? Think about it.

I remember when I got laid off my corporate job with Marriott back in 2006 a long year after my husband died. My confidence was as flat as a tortilla. I had no capacity to figure out a “business of YOU” let alone even how to get business and get paid. And if you’ve listened to this podcast over time, you’ve heard me share about getting my first client and how I basically put myself out there for major cheapo because I didn’t believe in or understand my value. I didn’t have the strength I have now to take a stand and say, “I am the best person to fix your problem and fix it right,” because I didn’t believe it let alone own it. I saw myself as a service provider—a freelancer—with a lot of experience in marketing and design, but even then, my lack of understanding my value kept me pricing myself like a commodity and I struggled financially until I figured it out.

What I figured out is that the more you make your business about YOU, meaning what makes you unique—and I don’t mean in a self-aggrandizing way or dismissing the importance of serving your clients—the more you can increase the value of your work AND increase the amount of satisfaction you GET from your work. Plus, you get to increase what you get paid.

This season has been all about the Power of a Business of YOU. I always wanted to distinguish that statement from personal branding. Why? Because it’s one thing to build a personal brand tactically, but a personal brand is a small-thinking way to look at how powerful you can be when you build a business on what makes you unique.

Now most of us don’t even know what it is that makes us unique. Insights I’ve learned about identifying what those things are come from two sources: one is what people who have worked with you tell you that you’ve helped them accomplish, the way you worked with them, and how you made them feel. Those are all very important things to look at closely. It’s common to dismiss the feedback we get from clients, especially the positive feedback, and move on to the next challenge. Many of us don’t feel comfortable doing the self-examination necessary because it means we might have to change something or see something we don’t like about ourselves. That’s perfectly normal. What’s magical about being open to feedback from those you’ve worked with is that it helps you see the impact you have on others and to train yourself to listen for what’s unique. What’s special. What’s different about YOU.

The second source that helps us gain insight into what makes us unique is our perception of what we enjoy doing the most. So ask yourself, where do you get the most satisfaction? What things do you like to do, whether they are for a client or for yourself, that you really enjoy and have no issue doing? What do you seldom have to motivate yourself to do or push yourself to get done that you could do over and over easily and effortlessly? This could be anything from organizing your office to reading non-fiction business books to brainstorming a new marketing strategy with a client.

For me, that shows up in a lot of different ways. And there will be many for you, too, so as you’re doing this self-assessment of joyful, satisfying activities, allow each of them to contribute to what makes you unique because they all matter. I love to design, write, and work on new projects. I take great joy thinking about the future, visioning, creating and solving problems using words, concepts, communication and creativity. I also love being an uplifter. Not falsely inflating someone’s ego, no. I love having a conversation with a person who may not see how gloriously wonderful they are, who may not believe in themselves fully, or who may not see their blind spots. I love speaking into their possibility, helping them see that things could be better, and that they deserve to have more joy, fulfillment and happiness.

There’s other things that I’m also naturally good at, and so are you. Take a look at those things. Look at all of the things that make you YOU, and bring those into crafting your message, the way you engage clients, the way you talk about your business, all of it. That’s what creates a business of YOU.

People are looking for people in business. Not tools, techniques, programs, training, blah blah blah BOR-ing. People want to connect, relate and feel good around others who can help them grow, find ease, and alleviate their worries. I don’t care what kind of business you are in, this understanding is what will make you and your business successful.

So take the time to step back, assess your joy as it relates to what you do for a living, and give yourself permission to step more strongly into that talented person. Allow yourself to own what makes you magical. You will find that when you relax and allow your true self to shine as opposed to some manufactured facade designed to facilitate business engagements, you’ll have more energy and interest in the work you DO get to do. You’ll attract higher caliber clients, better engagements and earn more income as a result because everything you do will come more naturally. Be in the business of YOU. It’s what the world wants, and what the world needs, is more YOU.

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312: How to not give a flip what others think about what you're doing and trust your path

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