Rock your confidence and stay true to your vision if you want to win.
Entrepreneurship is not a space where the timid flourish and building a lasting brand and business requires courage and the willingness to act boldly, even when the world is telling you to take a seat. Today, I am encouraging all of you to do more than just sit in the driver's seat; rev up your engines and increase the speed as you race to your goals by doing these four things.
1. Don't be afraid to speak your truth.
We live in a world of filters and PR announcements; it's a fantasy that ranges from fun to frightening. The upside is inspiration to look, feel and live out the best versions of ourselves but at the other end of the sword lies the sharp reality that we feel less freedom to express and expose the fact that nothing, including life itself, isn't perfect. As a brand owner, it is essential to understand that authenticity and transparency are valued by consumers but aren't always appreciated in the day-to-day conversations with individuals or partnerships with boards who want to sell a certain of fairytale. Courage is staying close to your values and vision and not compromising either for the sake of argument. In the end, your honesty will attract the right clients, fans and partnerships and one loyal relationship is worth ten flighty followers.
2. Remember that 'no' doesn't mean 'never'.
Wrap it up any way you'd like to but being told "no" or "I'm not interested" by someone you're dying to work with sucks. That's the most straightforward word for the feeling. It just sucks, and if you're going to get anywhere, you're going to have to suck it up. It may sound like a bit of new age ego-stroking, but I have a strong belief that the more talented, innovative, creative and charismatic you are, the more rejection you will face. The reason being that people with these traits in excess tend to have a very strong energy and enthusiasm for what they do. They tend to be go-getters, clear in their vision and confident in their drive and ability to add value and even change the world. This can be terrifying for people who are fearful of or threatened by change or simply unattractive to those who don't understand or share your goals. It's important to remember that a no from one or even fifty people is not a never from the world. Learn from every interaction, tweak your pitch and approach when needed and keep knocking on those proverbial doors.
3. Allow yourself to change, even if it pisses people off.
There's a line from Jay-Z that says, "Everybody look at you strange, say you changed. Uhh! Like you work that hard to stay the same." There are a lot of people in this world who equate changing with being phony or will somehow be offended by your desire to grow and make changes, physical, mental, spiritually or otherwise. Some will even see your doing so as some kind of personal attack on their decision-making. None of it matters. Stay the course and stay true to the person you are now, the person who has learned from the lessons of the past, not the person you were in the past.
4. Figure out who you are and openly like yourself.
You know what's truly revolutionary? Feeling confident in yourself in a world that is set up to feed off of your insecurities. Everyone will tell you that confidence is attractive, but like yourself too much and watch the tide turn. You might suddenly find yourself in strange conversations and situations where certain people project a wide variety of personality traits and motivations upon you. Don't buy into the lies that tell you that self-assurance is narcissism or that self-deprecation has anything to do with humility. Be proud of how far you have come in your life, accept that you can be beautiful and lovable and imperfect, and appreciate your value enough to stand up for it and accept compliments about it gracefully. Your energy changes when you are on your own side (and your career will too).
Brenda Della Casa is an author, writer, speaker, and digital strategist and the founder of BDC Digital Media. Passionate about leadership, mentorship and the empowerment of women in digital (and elsewhere), she is the founder of two mentorship programs and speaks regularly to women's groups in the UK and US. She is a 2016 Tech Nation Exceptional Talent Visa recipient for content direction and digital strategy.