Work hard and be authentic

Authentic, from the Chambers Dictionary

Like weight loss (eat less, move more), making a million (I’ve never met someone who won the lottery) and growing your Instagram followers (clue – it’s not by clicking that link) there isn’t an instant solution to raising your business profile.

What I want to think about is actually: What makes you stand out from all the other businesses in your industry? We’re going to assume that both you and your peers are talented, have all your professional qualifications in order and have competently delivered a number of projects, on time and on budget. If that’s all true, then what is it that sets your business apart?

It’s quite likely that the answer begins with you.

‘Authentic’ was one of the ‘words of 2023’. Being the person that you are, authentically, is the spirit of the age.

Every business decision you make will be made through the lens of your personality, passions and priorities. The consequence of this is that businesses are shaped by the people who work for them, and that their work is shaped by those people. It is shaped by the willingness of everyone to go the extra mile, the attention to detail, and the energy they will spend fighting for the things that matter to them.

Those ideas become embedded in everything that you do – adding subtle layers of personality and value to the work. Your professional skills layer with the things that you truly believe in. If you let it, that comes across in your work and how you present it, and that authentic voice is what people will remember you for. And the fact that you work hard.