Hello and welcome to Marketing Your Truth, the podcast that transmutes the noise of typical generic marketing BS into a method that mirrors the depth of your passion and honors who you truly are. I'm Eleanor Holy, and if you've been searching for a way for your message to be felt, not just heard, you've found the right place. This is your sanctuary where we value and amplify the unique wisdom that only you possess. I'm glad you're here. Let's get started. This concept is very fascinating to me. So when a piece of china or a pottery breaks, instead of throwing it away, the pieces put together and cracks are repaired using this liqueur mixed with powdered gold. And the end result not only is a piece that's functional, but it's also very beautiful. I would even go as far as saying that it's more beautiful than its original form. But Kenzuki is actually more than a repair method. It's a philosophy that flaws are part of a history, not something to cover up, but something to highlight. Each crack, each flaw tells a story. And it's the story that it's telling that's making the piece more unique, more valuable than it was before. Now, ever since I learned about Kinzuki, I haven't been able to stop thinking about how we, as entrepreneurs, experts, or creators treat our own perceived flaws, especially when it comes to how we present ourselves online. Isn't it strange? Like on social media, we work so hard to smooth over imperfections, curating a version of ourselves that looks polish and perfect? We are so afraid to let people see anything that might feel real or raw, anything that might not fit into the idea of perfect. But what if we followed the same philosophy as Kenzuki on social media? Have you ever written a post that felt good? It felt real, honest, authentic, and you couldn't wait to share it, only to hesitate when it was time to hit publish? You started second-guessing yourself, got worried about what will people think? Will this hurt my professional image? Am I sharing too much? And then maybe you deleted it altogether or saved it for later? I know I've done that plenty of times. I've edited out parts of my personality that I thought were too much for the professional world. I've questioned whether sharing a challenging experience would make my prospects doubt me or my capabilities. I've held back from offering advice that went against the popular opinion because I was afraid of being called out. I tell you what, though, the pressure to show up polished and perfect, it is so exhausting. We work so hard to sand down our edges, filter out anything that feels too personal, too vulnerable, too risky. It took me a long time to realize that when you hide those parts of yourself that makes you who you are, you're not really protecting your reputation. You're hiding your gold. I want to tell you about one of my clients, Barbara. She has this sharp, clever sense of humor. It's the kind that makes her unforgettable. Now, one day, she shared a post on LinkedIn that was just pure Barbara. Smart, funny, real. Now, she wasn't trying to be edgy or entertaining. And her humor wasn't rude or offensive. She was just being herself. And not even a minute had passed after she had published that she got a DM reading, are you sure your post is appropriate? Maybe you should consider removing it before too many people see it. This wasn't a troll or a stranger trying to tear her down. It was actually a well-meaning colleague who thought Barbara's humor was just too risky, that it might cost her clients or even damage her credibility. Now, let's pause here for a moment. Imagine that's you, that it's your words, your voice that's being questioned. What would you do? Would you hesitate? Edit? Delete? Why would I? That was Barbara's response to her colleague. This is who I am. This is how I talk. If someone doesn't resonate with my humor here, they definitely won't resonate when we work together. That's very bold, isn't it? Oh, maybe. But Barbara wasn't trying to be bold. Again, she was just being herself. Now, here's the ironic part. That very same day, a prospect who had been following Barbara for a while booked a call with her. At the end of that conversation, the prospect said, I saw your post this morning and I laughed so hard. I had tears running down my face. And I thought, I hope she's as real as she seems because I already love her. That call turns into a six-figure deal. This is what happens when you stop hiding and embrace who you really are. Because when you show up authentically, you attract to people who truly resonate with who you are. But let's zoom out for a second, because Barbara's experience isn't just about one post or one instance. It's actually part of a much bigger story, one that we've all been living, whether we realize that or not. Think about this for a second. From the time we're kids, we're taught to fit in. Be quiet, don't stand out, smooth out your edges. The loud ones, the bold ones, the different ones. They're labeled as weird or troublemakers. They end up in principal's office or left out by their peers. And those lessons, they don't just disappear when we grow up. They follow us into adulthood. And those fears that have been ingrained into the very core of our being not only stays with us, but also become more amplified on social media where every post feels public and permanent. So what do we do? Well, we polish, we curate, we edit, we sand down the parts of ourselves that might feel too real, too raw, too imperfect. Until we smooth away the very edges that makes us who we are, until there is nothing left but a generic version of ourselves. But when you hide behind a mask of perfection, you're not avoiding risk. You're actually amplifying it. Because the more you try to be like everyone else, the less anyone feels you. And yes, when you're too Polish, people might not criticize you, but they won't care either. They won't laugh, they won't cry, they won't react. And without a reaction, you can't build a connection. And we all know that without connection, you're just another voice in the noise. Think about the last time you were deeply moved by something you saw online. Was it the overly polished post that felt like it came from a brand manual? Or was it something genuine where you could feel the person behind the words? I bet that it was the latter. Look, perfection is a relatable. It's not human. When something feels too perfect, we instinctively see it as fake and subconsciously disconnect from it. There is even a name for this in psychology, the pathful effect. In 1966, social psychologist Elliot Aronson conducted an experiment where participants listened to recordings of individuals answering quiz questions. Now, in one scenario, a very highly competent individual spilled coffee at the end of the interview. This mistake led participants to rate that person as more likable compared to all the other interviewers. Because that's what we're drawn to, to what's real, the imperfections that make us human. Those little flaws, those authentic moments create connection. They're what makes us relatable. But when we try to project an image of perfection, we lose all of that. We lose the human touch, the vulnerability, the personality, the rawness that makes us memorable and magnetic. The reason so many people are drawn to Van Gogh's paintings isn't because they're flawless. It's actually the opposite. His brushstrokes aren't perfect. They're chaotic, they're messy, they're bold. But when you stand in front of one of his paintings, you feel something. Just like Kinzuki, Van Gogh's art reminds us that beauty isn't found in perfection. It's found in emotion, in vulnerability, in humanity. And here's the most unfortunate reality is that this pressure to polish ourselves into something more acceptable is more intense for women. And it's no surprise either, because from an early age, a lot of girls are told not to be too much. Don't be too loud, don't be too bold, don't take up too much space. And the more unfortunate truth is that much of that judgment zeroes in on things that they're impossible to control. Things like how we look. My hair is too curly, my hair is too frizzy, I have acne on my face. The biggest concern I hear from women about doing more videos on social media is the fact that it takes so much time and effort to do their hair and makeup. Think about that for a moment. The number one concern for so many women isn't what they're going to say, it's how they look. Oh my gosh, that's exhausting, isn't it? The energy we spend trying to meet expectations that don't reflect who we are or what really matters. So there comes a moment when you have to ask yourself, is the fear of being judged worth the cost of not being fully seen? What if, starting tomorrow, you didn't care about what others thought of you? What if you didn't analyze or overanalyze every part of how you show up, how you look, what you say, or how you say it? What would be the real risk? Is the risk getting a few virtual eye rolls or a handful of virtual head shakes from strangers who don't get you? Or even the possibility of being criticized by someone who was never going to be your client or customer to begin with? I learned this the hard way. For the longest time, I was terrified of being publicly criticized. I wanted every version of myself that I shared to be perfect, to have been edited and polished until there wasn't a crack left to be seen. But eventually, here's what I realized. The bigger risk wasn't being judged. It was losing the chance to connect with the people who truly needed what I had to offer, the people that I was meant to impact. Look, you can't make progress or create momentum if you're constantly curating and polishing every word, every thought, and every part of who you are. Because here's the truth: the more authentic you are, the more you'll attract the right people, the people who resonate with your true message. Yes, you might face judgment or criticism, but those voices, they'll be drowned out by the stronger, deeper connections that you'll build with the people who truly get you. And this isn't one of those just be fearless talks. It's about being courageous. It's about being selfless. To be courageous and selfless, to push yourself aside and show up fully for the people who need to hear your message today. People who desperately need to hear what you and only you have to offer, your solution, your help to show up for them, even when it's uncomfortable. So let me ask you, what are the flaws, your cracks that you've been trying to hide? The parts of yourself that you've been sanding down to fit in? What if those are the very things that make you unforgettable? My invitation for you is this. Next time you feel the urge to hold back, to edit, so you can fit into a box that doesn't feel like yours, pause. Think about Kinzuki. Think about my client Barbara. Think about Van Gogh. Think about how much beauty, connection, and success comes from showing up fully with flaws and all. Your quirks, your edges, your humor, your humanity. Those are your gold. And when you let them shine, you give others permission to do the same thing. So stop hiding, stop sanding down your edges. The world doesn't need more polished, fake-to-perfection personas. It needs more connection, more depth, more truth. And most of all, it needs you. Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of Marketing Your Truth. If you found this episode valuable, I'd love for you to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs to hear this message. Join me next time as we explore more ways to help you embrace your authenticity, tell your story boldly, and build meaningful connections. Until then, remember this. Your cracks, your quirks, your edges, they're not weaknesses. They're what makes you beautifully human, unforgettable, and uniquely you. Let your gold shine because the world is waiting.