Ever Not Taken Your Own Advice?

I’ve been there.
And will continue to be.

Full disclosure I did exactly the opposite of the #1 marketing advice I give to positive impact entrepreneurs.
(I’ll disclose what that advice is at the end of this post – it’s simple yet weirdly hard at the same time).

Here’s what happened.

I had been putting off writing an “about page” for a while on my website.
I don’t like talking or writing about myself.
I’m no introvert, but I feel uncomfortable when asked to introduce myself.

What story I tell differs each time and sometimes provides surprising answers, especially to… me.
It depends on the context, the people I’m talking to, the level of engagement and how I feel at that moment.

More often than not, I’m left pondering afterwards: who am I really?

I’m Mirjam.
I’m Trijnie’s granddaughter, Metha’s daughter and Xavier’s mother.
I’m Mike’s partner, Tessa’s friend and Martin’s sister.
I’m a Marketer and Copywriter,
but that’s not really who I am.
I love to sing,
but didn’t sing for 20 years.
I’m Dutch,
but chose to live in South Africa.
I deeply want to be seen and belong,
yet might hide in the moment when spotted.
I’m an extrovert,
but need solitude and time for myself.

It’s a mirror thing: do I like what I see?
A confrontation with: what am I not?
Moving in the direction of an unknown threshold: who will I evolve into?

None of this happens in isolation.
It’s always shifting and changing, in constant relation.
Confronted with these existential questions, it’s no surprise what followed next.

This is what I did: the before and after picture

This is what I did:

I showed off my career path, rather than showing my humanity.
I described myself, but wasn’t home in that description. I left out all that makes me “alive”: the stories, the journey and my understanding of myself in constant relationship, forever shifting and changing, with all that surrounds me.
I started off describing my skills and areas of expertise to establish credibility, rather than how I can help.

You can spot a snapshot of the before picture 👇

I knew I was stuck, off track.
Yet, I couldn’t move forward.
And so I asked for help.

“Why am I stuck?”
“How did I get here?”

And there it was:

“Mirjam, you’re not taking your own advice.
You’re talking “about” yourself rather than showing your humanity.”

My #1 marketing advice for social entrepreneurs & coaches I didn’t take

I am human.
You are human.
We are human.
Alive. Living.
Deeply complex beings.

A fact so obvious, it feels silly even typing it out.
Yet we so often forget we are human.
Especially when introducing ourselves.

You might feel heavy, uncomfortable,disorientated and, quite frankly, not “alive” at times.
And let this be the lived experience of marketing by many.

Therefore my #1 marketing advice for positive impact entrepreneurs:

Show up fully human to marketing.
Show up being nobody but you.

Why?

You’ll attract more people who need your services in a way that makes them say:

“This is exactly what I’ve been looking for.”

They’ll want to connect and pay you for your services.
And you’ll make money doing the work you love.

Simple, yet weirdly hard at the same time.

If you need help “introducing yourself”, plan a free call in my online diary.

Looking forward to meeting you.