Authenticity is of great importance yet something that many of us are guilty of straying from at times.
In a world heavily dominated by the media, where we often see the best of people’s lives and similarly want to show the best parts of our own, it’s easy to put up facades for the purpose of seeking validation from others.
Social media is often a major player for dictating people’s belief in what life should look like and even benchmarking where we should be at certain points in our lives. I was guilty of becoming consumed by the chase for likes and views, questioning why some posts didn’t have as much engagement as others.
The professional world is no different. People strive to position themselves in a particular way they feel will be redeeming for others. The question is, should we change ourselves? Easy, in business, people do what they need to get the role, land a promotion or gain investment and just like outside of work, fitting in makes it easier to be a part of a group. At some point in my nearly 30 years of life I learnt it’s okay not to fit in. In fact, it’s better to stand out for being you and if you don’t fit in with the group, then the group is not meant for you.
In the early days of PushFar, I positioned my goals around finances, with ideologies of success around company value. I genuinely thought that was the dream. I then realised, partly because of the pandemic and through taking a step back and examining what I was building, that it was okay not to be the start-up entrepreneur who did what was expected.
It was okay not to fit the mold and to do things differently. I chose to focus on profit, not revenue. As it turns out, when fundraising and start-up investments weren’t as readily available in late 2022 and early 2023, suddenly all the venture capitalists realised what companies like PushFar were doing (keeping things lean and profitable with steady, achievable growth) was closer to what they wanted than what they’d expected of their own investments in the previous decade.
Trying to follow goals that are perceived as being ‘correct’ can be exhausting and quite frankly, unfeasible for many. Authenticity should be encouraged as it embraces diverse insight and increases inclusivity, which is important in all walks of life. When it comes to entrepreneurship, authenticity is important for steering the business in the direction that is right for you. It allows you to make genuine connections that align with your own values and will contribute positively to the future of your career. Being honest to yourself and others will bring much more joy in the long run over striving to achieve what others deem success.
