From Cheetos to Confidence: Embracing Authenticity in the Business World

So, I was just hanging out in my pajamas, eating Cheetos and looking up at an original Andy Warhol painting…

Not a sentence I get to say very often.

I was in New York to attend a business mastermind retreat last week, and I stayed with a friend who's apartment-sitting for some serious art collectors.

My friend & I laughed and caught up on the couch as millions of dollars worth of paintings & prints stared down at us.

I was afraid that specks of Cheeto-powder might waft up onto the Dalí painting or the Lichtenstein prints if I shook the bag too hard.

Warhol + junk food = winning combo

That moment captures just about how sophisticated I felt while entering a room full of high-powered solopreneurs later at the retreat.

I found myself wanting to give off a patina of confident success, but constantly under the impression that I was the person most likely to have spinach in her teeth.

But, my fears quickly dissipated.

While sitting next to some people with six-figure months in their business, and others aspiring to break their first six-figure year, I realized something important:

Everyone was real. Everyone was human.

Everyone, even the most “business-famous” in the group, had insecurities, struggles, and ways they wanted to be more brave.

There was absolutely no reason to feel intimidated.

By the end of the day, we were all just a group of friends pulling for one another. (This is one of the reasons I love to attend –and lead – masterminds).

The aforementioned Andy Warhol famously pointed out that “fame is manufactured.”

That is, the impression that someone is somehow “superhuman” or “better than” or “more important than” is all a façade.

They're just normal humans who happened to put themselves in front a larger audience.

In fact, putting others on a pedestal can often be an unconscious excuse to not risk going for your goals.

It's easier to tell yourself a story that “I'm not as good/smart/important/impressive as [successful person you're comparing yourself to]," than to have to take the vulnerable risk of actually going for it.

If you step into being a leader in your field, you too may be perceived as “famous” and even a little intimidating.

(I'm still shocked by the moment a client told me she felt intimidated to talk to me. I said, “but I have a golden retriever personality!!” – You may not know the power you have.

I'd rather you learn to navigate that reality than to keep underestimating yourself.

Success is there waiting for you –it may just be a matter of going out there and grabbing it. Being seen. Owning that you're great at what you do.

And you can be as real and human as you want to be while doing it.

Warhol's famous “Badass Business Coach” series.

What's one way you can own your awesomeness this week? Step into that spotlight, hop on the pedestal, and enjoy it.

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