I’m shining the spotlight on friend and fellow mom entrepreneur, Stacy Tuschl. Stacy’s one of the 30 speakers at the bi-annual online conference, The Ambitious Mompreneurs Summit, that I launched in February 2017 (the next one is in September 2017). I asked her if she could share her personal journey as an entrepreneur in today’s article. She agreed and wrote the content below. Thank you, Stacy!
Have you ever wondered why an old family photo album, the scribbled love letter from your child, or an old relic from an era long forgotten become one of your dearest treasures? Why despite all their imperfections, they evoke certain emotions in you and offer you a sense of belonging…
Because there is beauty in truth, honesty and vulnerability. These objects become our tether to humanity; they help improve our ability to connect, empathize and love.
Being modern-age women, we want absolute perfection in life. We strive to be an extraordinary companion to our partner, a shining role model for our kids, an impeccable example of success for society and live happily ever-after.
And even more so, our aspirations shoot beyond measure and start touching the sky, we keep looking for ultimate perfection in everything from health to wealth and expect the same from others.
Then you become an entrepreneur and you want your business to be picture perfect as well! But when things start getting tough (as they do for all business owners), self-doubt creeps in. You start undervaluing your abilities and think you’re a big failure. Stuff like “Maybe I’m not cut out for this”, “I’ve tried everything and there’s nothing left”, “I should have never dreamt so big”, “Why aren’t things taking off like I expected them to” doesn’t let you sleep at night.
So what went wrong?
Where did you veer off track and got stuck in a cycle of doom and gloom?
The cold hard truth of the matter is, perfect doesn’t exist. PERIOD.
No matter how hard you try, how brilliant you are and how firm your principles are, being perfect is impossible. You know why? Because the human mind has failed to come up with a scale to measure perfection. What may be perfect for you can be a definition of utter failure for someone else!
After having 14 years of business experience and being in the personal branding space for almost 2 years, I can tell you one thing for sure-- the imperfections in your story, lifestyle and the way you work can be the BIGGEST source of success in your business.
How?
When you’re not scared to be vulnerable and share the truth with the world:
- Your ideal clients connect with you on a deeper and more intimate level (humans connect with humans, not businesses)
- Your peers, influencers & audience remember you for who you are and what you stand for
- Your chances of blending in the crowd and being invisible become zero to none as your imperfectly unique qualities help you stand out from the crowd
If you’re ready to embrace your imperfections and go from overlooked to overbooked with high-paying clients, this 7- step clear, concise and carefully curated guide will help you stop the overwhelm of blending in and allow you to position yourself as an expert to charge top-dollar for your premium offers. Get your free copy here.
For me, imperfection humanizes your brand and reminds your ideal clients that you are not a robot or a sales machine, but a human with real feelings, flaws and experiences.
There is also a relief. A release from the hostage of perfection.
But the question remains, how do you incorporate your imperfections in your business and create a profitable personal brand out of it?
- SHARE YOUR IMPERFECT STORY – Go out in the world strong and share your struggles, problems, life experiences, and the difficulties you went through. Tell them how you’re on the other side now (or maybe you’re still trying). All these things help you create a solid brand message and a strong brand positioning.
- SHARE YOUR PERSONALITY QUIRKS – Do you have a personality trait or a habit that doesn’t meet the standard model of perfection, but you’re not ashamed to embrace it? Share it with your audience! As your flaws only help them share theirs, giving you a real understanding of their personality and needs to help you create a custom solution for them.
- GIVE YOURSELF PERMISSION TO BE DIFFERENT – Are you the one who’s not satisfied with the status quo? Maybe the pre-defined color combinations don’t intrigue you and you feel restricted by the choices you have. Well… DON’T! Give yourself permission to be different. Pick your colors, choose your fonts, create your patterns and evoke the kind of feelings you desire to… with your brand (You can be glamorous, sarcastic, funny, edgy, nerdy, chic, or ANYTHING you want.)
Because your business is your empire, you’re the queen of it.
You’re the one who’s leading.
You’re the one who’s setting the rules.
You’re the one your audience looks up to.
So why shy away from your imperfections and try to be someone you’re not.
As Poet and songwriter Leonard Cohen beautifully summed up:
Ring the bells that can ring Forget your perfect offering
There is a crack in everything That's how the light gets in
About Stacy:
Stacy Tuschl is a High-Performance Coach & Business Mentor, Best-Selling Author, Speaker, and a Podcaster. She is also the Creator of She’s Building Her Empire Academy where she helps purpose-driven women entrepreneurs and business owners break through their challenges, operate at their highest potential and create self-sustaining businesses - without sacrificing their family time. Stacy brings over 14 years of business-building experience to her courses and programs. She wasn’t only able to take her backyard business to a 7-figure success but she also helps highly passionate female entrepreneurs unapologetically be themselves and create a legacy they can be proud of.