I will be eternally grateful for your great gift of taking in to the fullest extent what it is that I
have to offer, living it, and then reflecting it back in terms of the potential experience of others.
You have given words to a process that defies words. And you’re constantly in a position to help
me continue to hone that, deeper and deeper and more and more resonantly, who I am and what I offer,
which is truly invaluable. — Jon Hansen, 
Working together was absolutely key, and I think that’s what made it such a great
experience. I felt like you were my partner in this. I felt like my success was your
success. To me, someone who has that attitude and the skills to go with it —
that’s an unbeatable combination! — Daniel Stone, 
I have a website I’m proud of — but for me, the hugest benefit has been
increased self-confidence. Because of the process we went through, and the validity that
came with the process, I trust what I think and I trust myself to speak about it. I have
greater confidence and clarity in my message about who I am and what I do. — Bev
Dwane AICI CIP, 
What you’ve sent me is so darn perfect it hurts! It’s a sheer pleasure to work with someone
who writes as beautifully as you do — and in “my” voice. — Ariane Goodwin, Ed.D,
You have a real gift for words. You’re really, really good at it. — Sherry Essig,
Marketing and Personality
There are some people whose marketing is a force of nature.
Their personalities are so strong and clear in everything they do that they sweep all before them. There’s no doubt who their audience is. Everyone either loves them or hates them. And both the love and the hate create a buzz around them. They arrive on the scene as if out of nowhere and appear to achieve instant, overnight success.
For those of us who don’t have that type of personality, it can feel a tad frustrating. You might be naturally more introverted – or you might just feel that you don’t want to be quite as brazen and in-your-face as some people are. Whatever it is, you watch these people as they enjoy a level of success you’d kill for, and wish you had some of that secret sauce.
If it sounds like I’m speaking from a certain amount of experience, well, yeah. Envy has come to roost in my office on more than a few occasions. “Why can’t I do that? Why can’t I have dozens and hundreds of comments on my blog? Why can’t I…” And so on.
Have you ever been there?
Of course, the reality is, those people worked very hard to get where they are. They didn’t actually just appear out of nowhere; they climbed up to that place just like anyone else. They had their own moments of struggle and doubt and fear. And they suffer the consequences of being hated – look at some of those dozens and hundreds of comments on their blogs, and you’ll see plenty of angry disagreement and nastiness.
If you’re thinking you’d love to have problems like that, well, yeah. I understand that, too.
The thing is, though, it’s got to be real.
It’s obvious, of course, when I say you can’t decide to be “just like so-and-so,” but you’d be surprised how many people try it. For instance, a terrific web designer I know (Allie Rice at alliecreative.com) reports that she often has clients who say, “I want my site to look just like …”
Oscar Wilde said, “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” It’s annoyingly obvious. And it’s vulnerable and scary.
However, the further I go along my own path of being in business, becoming vitally connected to what I do and why I do it, the more I discover that it’s essential. When I show up as me, I may not feel as if I’m anywhere near the force of nature some people are. But I have a lot more fun and a lot more success.
And I’m very grateful for my clients and my fans – because the reality is, I do have people who love me and my work.
You do too.
Posted under Developing your message.
Tags: Credibility, Fear & struggle, Marketing
Comments
Comment from
Grace
Time November 18, 2009 at 1:38 pm
Jammie – Hey, thank you!
I know there’s always a silent majority of blog readers. And I wasn’t really hinting (much!) for comments – and thanks for yours.
Being real is one of those things that gets easier and easier the more you do it. Until – at least in my experience – it becomes almost impossible to be anything else. The masks are so uncomfortable and claustrophobic.
Good luck with the interviews! (And the blog, of course!)
Comment from
Alistair
Time November 21, 2009 at 11:01 pm
Nice post. Spot on. And Jammie put it so well I won’t bother trying to improve on it. 
Comment from
Jamie
Time March 8, 2010 at 7:15 pm
I am enjoying your newsletter and blog. I have been trying to figure out what my passion/s is or are and your insights have been very helpful.
Comment from
Grace
Time March 8, 2010 at 7:43 pm
Jamie – I’m glad – that’s very good to hear!
Let me know how else I can help, yes?
Comment from Jammie J.
Time November 18, 2009 at 11:59 am
Yeah, it has to be real. Sometimes it’s hard to be real… on the blog and in interviews. Then there’s the fine line of giving up too much information.
I’ll bet you have more readers than you think. I enjoy your blog. A lot.
.-= Jammie J.´s last blog ..Love & Loathe — 11/17/09 =-.