I had drinks over Thanksgiving with a long time friend who was in from out of town and as we caught up and chatted about her life and mine she said to me, “It looks like you are really busy, Amy.” I said, “social media can often be deceiving.”

So as I sit here on my couch snuggled up in my favorite blanket,  my hair still wet from my shower this morning, listening to the instrumental music of the Bridgerton soundtrack, and type out this post, I can’t help but not share that I’m struggling with how much authenticity you would really like to see from me, or any “influencer” for that matter. 

The truth of it is, I am struggling. Do you want to know that behind my smile is a constant and nagging comparison to others more successful than me? That right now, I have three great clients plus my business and my podcast, but I am judging myself by the dollars I have in my bank account, thinking that there are others in my space that probably have more zeros in theirs?  President Theodore Roosevelt said it best, “comparison is the thief of joy.” Aint that the truth-bomb I don’t want dropped?

Anyone else feeling a similar truth? 

I am so lucky.  It’s a sad truth to I have to constantly remind myself as such.  Even typing it out, I’m getting the chills. 

The chills continue as I lift my fingers from the keyboard as I am struck with the music now playing in the background of of my computer. It is a song called Believe. Have our computers begun to recognize our keystrokes, and play music to uplift? The lyrics, 

Keep going, you'll find that you're not on your own

So don't give up 

And don't give in

You've gotta believe, believe, believe

That anything is possible.

Seriously, listen to the song, linked on Amazon Prime. Okay, universe you’ve sent me enough good energy for one night.  Back to my writing….

So, I wake up and I get to perform a service that fuels me.  I get to help small business owners grow their business and by doing so, I am also growing and learning to be the best version of me for A2 Sales and Marketing. A coaching and consulting business that nurtures small business owners focusing on content development, social media and email marketing. 

The social media scheduler company, Later.com, which has an amazing scheduling platform, blog and social media account, states “Authenticity may be an overused buzzword in the marketing industry, but it's one of the most effective ways to build meaningful relationships with your online community. Whether you have 500 followers or 500,000 followers, staying true to your brand will resonate with your audience and help you grow.”

Mic Drop, Later.com. Mic Drop. 

Here is another authentic truth. I am working on my first webinar, Think Like Instagram. As of publication, I have one person registered from outside of my circle.  I truly believed that it would be an easier “sell.” Should I have charged money for my information? Would that have engaged more people to want to attend as they woud have money to lose if they didn’t attend? I totally thought this would be topic that would have resonated with more people.  The doubt sets in, is it me? Have I not built up enough of a community around my business? 

Anytime I meet a business owner, I am asked about using Instagram to help grow a business. I truly do believe that having a social media presence is an important branding tool for any brand (personal or business), and when asked I will always share that.  People (me included) have a hard time showing the ugly authentic side of life, which I truly belive is what will draw people to your business and that my friend is what we will explore during my webinar, while sharing some tips and tricks on how to Think like Instagram so your content is viewed. 

So here is me. The authentic, over-thinking, uncertain, extroverted Amy, from A2 Sales & Marketing saying, check out my webinar on December 6th at 12PM over Zoom. I know it will be filled with a ton, a handful, yeah a handful of nuggets that you don’t want to miss. Because at the end of the day you have to sell yourself and your story. No one is going to do it for you and you’ll do it as authentically as possible.