Great to hear you went for it. It can be a bit daunting when you first step out of your comfort zone. Bit like waking up one morning and deciding that you’re going to wear something different than everyone else that day to High School. You’re just not sure how people will respond. Some might love it and others may respond negatively. But it feels great when you do step out and be who you really are and not let the inhibitions of the chronic do-gooders confine you anymore. Personally I loved the tshirt! Doing stuff like that makes you relatable, approachable and shows you have a sense of humor with a bit of sass. Echoing Donna, people to do business with people they like and people that are like them. I’d much rather interact with people who I can relate to and want to interact with. However, not everyone’s like me or you, so we know in doing so that some may be turned off. And for that reason, like Joan, I tend to like to target different audiences to be sure I’m not unnecessarily turning people off. On Twitter I have a company account, a personal account to talk social media and business, a personal account to talk hockey, and a personal account just to feed my warped sense of humor. Beyond that I use Friendfeed for following thought thinkers, Blip.fm as my music outlet, and finally Facebook to socialize with all my friends. Having this many accounts isn’t for everyone, but it’s definitely allowed me to connect with people of common interest and be authentically who I am in those realms. So thanks for sharing your experiences and am looking forward to following more of your thoughts here and in the Twittersphere

Young people still believe in the art of agitation — not bad agitation, but the “resulting in a pearl” kind of agitation. Pushing the limits enough to make people think, rather than conforming to corporate speak that could not make a lump of coal, much less a pearl.

I think you should trust your instinct. Social Media is all about being who you are. I’ve struggled with advisors who keep telling me to have a theme, use certain words, and avoid certain topics. I’ve gotten so tied up I have lost some of my impact. As Barb said, people will follow sincerity, and they trust consistency. Be consistently who you are, and take the lumps when necessary. As I always say, there is only one you, and your only job in life is to be the best you possible. What does your gut say? I think you found the t-shirt funny and fun. And if you caused a little discomfort, then good for you! A comfortable environment promotes little learning.

And remember, sometimes those who are uncomfortable simply wish they could let go of “what will others think” and have a little fun themselves!!

Keep being you -

Donna

Thanks for the shout out…it has been my pleasure to help you along your social media journey. Anyone clicking on the link with my name will read about my thoughts related to what it was like for me when I first started blogging.

In the beginning, I sanitized things a bit…worried about OMG what would people think. Would I tick someone off. I finally decided to be myself and not worry about. Talk about glamorous. When I wrote my post, I was sitting at my desk in sweats and sweat shirt, listening to my iPod with my dog, Murphy hanging out with me.

To me, letting “you” come out – in appropriate ways of course – lets people get to know you. And as I like to say…people buy from people they know, like and trust. If you never show the softer side…how can people get a sense of who you are?

Cheers to your journey!

ps…I thought the t-shirt idea was quite brilliant. I remember thinking…now why didn’t I think of that?:)

As social media continues to evolve, some – like me – struggle to find the right balance between the “fun” and the “professional” voice. My solution was to create different profiles and blogs for different audiences and messages. As people, we are not one dimensional
so why should what we share be any different. My way works for me, and that is what matters.

Early in my career in the tech industry, we saw the early emergence of business casual – and as managers we struggled as we walked the line between encouraging creativity and offering reward with what is appropriate in the business enviroment. Today as the personal expression shift moves one step futher – the only answer I have is to be who you are, and to do what feels right for you across the medium and to stay in alignment with what your ultimate goals are. And if some don’t appreciate it, that’s OK – others will.

Again, thank you for taking the time to share your musings on authenticity with all of us.