Like millions of other people, I've been following the Caitlyn Jenner story over the past several months. What we've been seeing is a person who's lived her entire life with a painful secret. She's saying that at last, she's free to be her authentic self.

I write a lot about authenticity, and I promote it whenever possible. It's one of the things I value most, and I believe living authentically is an integral part of creating a life that is fulfilling and true to you. The other day someone asked me how I know when something or someone is authentic, and here are my thoughts on the matter.

If you do a favour for someone, do you keep an internal tally card tracking who has done what for who and then feel abused when the person or company doesn't reciprocate? You wouldn't be alone. But authors Bob Burg and John David Mann point out in their book, The Go-Giver, that it is the giving without thought of a return that really counts.

It is frequently said that people do business with people they know, like and trust. But how do you build that trust? From a business perspective, time is money and so there is a price tag attached to that lack of trust. Building your credibility is how you create trust.