Tell Your Story

A few years back I decided to take the plunge into entrepreneur life and start a business. I wasn’t 100% sure what type of business, but I knew from my marketing experience that building a brand from the ground up is tough. And so, I ended up as the owner of a franchise. In hind sight, my reasoning for going this route was sound – the branding was in place, it was a “plug and play” business that was successful in other markets, and I simply had to assume the identity of the business, work my ass off, and it would be successful for me. I learned that assuming an identity is difficult. Suddenly, I became my business. I had to measure every public statement, I had to ABB (always be branding), I was constantly promoting, selling, and trying to force the business to grow. Did I believe in the business? ABSOLUTELY. I worked tirelessly to make the business succeed – so many hours, so much grinding to make it work. All the while, I felt my authenticity slipping away. And facing each day ...

Raise your hand if you like everything about your body. I’m pretty sure even those considered by the influencers to have “incredible physiques” did not raise their hands. Whether you’re a menopausal 50 year old with a thick middle, a fitness model, or a dad hanging out at the pool, many of us find something to dislike about our bodies. Many females constantly critique their bodies – standing before full length mirrors, turning sideways to evaluate our stomachs, looking over our shoulders to make sure cellulite was not creeping onto our thighs. And of course, we criticize (openly or not) other people’s bodies as well. These habits are ingrained and very difficult to break. In fact, I’d say even more difficult than quitting smoking or giving up caffeine is letting go of the constant self-criticism and judgement. Enter the “body positive” and “love yourself” movement. So many people felt this was finally the acceptance we had been waiting for. Seeing people in advertising that ...