Communicate who you are in all you do. Consistency is power. When the various parts of your life reflect your essence, your life moves in the direction you want it to.
- Carrie & Danielle's Manifesto of Style
Fearlessness is the heart of true style.
Writing style. Speaking style. Leadership style.
Style is the way you say it, the way you do it, the way live it.
Fearlessness brings her whole self to the table - time and time again. When you choose to be your true self, fear scampers into the light, transforms itself into wisdom, and signs up for your fan club. Authenticity wins every time.
This is not to say that being real is easy. Our society operates on a fear-inducing axis of "right" and "wrong" -- and rewards us for our appropriate choices. So we tend to spend a lot of time, money, and energy trying to get into the club, up the ladder, or on top of the charts. For fear of not being accepted, we tailor our personality, mince our words, and carve our opinions to fit in. Fearlessness, on the other hand, dares to take up a lot of space -- because a life well lived is big.
Elvis Presley, Emily Bronte, Eminem, Hillary Clinton, Kofi Annan, Rosie O'Donnell, Steve Jobs, Arianna Huffington. Every one of these people - love 'em or not, is powerfully stylish. They crafted their very own morals, and talents, and so-called shortcomings, into a persona that empowered them to get where they wanted to go. They were fearlessly loyal to themselves.
Our work is based on helping people to name and express their authentic self. We help people to discover their life trademark - their Style Statement, and to use it as a guide to make choices about every area of their life - from their haircut to their living room; business brands and creative projects; to relationships to leadership style. We've worked with hundreds of clients - vastly women, and what we hear most often is that everyone is craving to "feel like their real self." It seems that we fear what we want the most.
Authenticity not only takes courage. It takes stamina. There will be tough choices, and misunderstandings. There will be 11th hour changes and mid-course corrections. And there will be a marvelous tension in your life - creative tension. The truth creates momentum. As it turns out, being authentic is incredibly efficient.
We are ever-humbled by this philosophy. As our company expands, we are being called to show up with an unwavering certainty of self. When big money and binding contracts are in play; when your kid needs more cuddle time, and your tirelessly supportive partner is getting, well, tired - it's tempting to slip into a ready-to-wear, politically correct, or stoic "version" of yourself. But real questions, real desire, and real pain - the real you in all situations - is where certainty lives.
Authenticity is the force of your nature. When you bring all of you to the look, the feel, and the spirit of your life, your "outsides" begin to match your "insides." And something truly magical will happen. You will continue to become even more of your self. You will have more of what you want. You will become fearless.