Not Fake

On Being Authentic in a World of Filters & Facades

In an effort to distinguish themselves from all the other influencers and business owners, being “authentic” has become the newest marketing strategy. They constantly talk about being real, all while using filters on their photos and videos and carefully curating the content and aesthetic visual appeal of their Instagram feed. The influencers presenting themselves as “authentic” are in most cases the fakest of them all.

When I was learning how to “create a business and a life I love”, I was taught that I needed to feature an “I help…” statement on my website. The “I help…” statement I wrote for my Inner Chi Mastery business was:

A more recent trend is to highlight a values statement so that clients know what your core or fundament values are and can decide if they want to work with you or not. This is helpful if honoring your highest values is important to you. It’s essential if you’d like to work with people who share your values or at least don’t violently oppose them.

In the past, business owners would conceal their personal values, religious beliefs and political affiliation. They would keep their personal opinions and interesting points of view to themselves to avoid losing customers over issues that have nothing to do with their product or service. If you like your massage therapist and are happy with their service, does it really matter who they vote for? Well, in today’s politically correct climate of cancel culture and boycotts, it does.

In business, your reputation precedes you. You could even say, it’s everything! Once you know what people really think about the things going on in the world, do you want to support their business by using their products or services or referring others to them? I know I don’t!

What’s interesting is that the opposite is also becoming more prevalent. Influencers will take to social media to declare who their content is NOT for. They will even go so far as to ask people to unfollow them if they vote a certain way.

It’s important to make a conscious effort not to knowingly defraud clients and customers. Pretending to be woke when you’re not is inauthentic and disingenuous. When I designed my new website, with an intention to be fully transparent, I included a personal statement about my highest values, as well as, the control systems, agendas and ideologies I don’t participate in. That way people who think there are dozens of genders can pre-qualify themselves.

You can read my Personal Statement on the About page of my website here.

Having a following, email list, clientele or customer base of any size is a huge responsibility. What we say and choose to bring attention to, how we present information and share our own research and insights does influence people and affect our public image and brand.

Honestly, I lost all respect for many of the big names who chose to bow to use their platform to share their very politically correct opinions on topics that have nothing to do with their area of expertise or what their personal brand was known and loved for.

This promotion of certain anti-human agendas and ideologies to large followings of people with very varied values can be divisive and alienating, polarizing and destructive to the community who were connected through some shared interests and intentions.

There are definitely ways to speak about the  issues that matter to us, bring awareness to the ways humanity suffers under the various control systems and connect with the people who share our values.

In 2020, I stopped representing a company that chose to release a political statement I didn’t resonate with and have unfollowed many public figures after being greatly disappointed by their cowardly and fear-based submissive bow to the mob.

A wise person is authentic. Not to gain followers or customers. Not to get more clicks and views, likes and shares. Not to be relatable. And not to manipulate people into trusting you as a marketing strategy. But to be honest, transparent and real.

Real doesn’t mean you have to be an open book and share everything in a performative act of “being real”.  In fact, I find the oversharing and overexposure of influencers’ personal lives, especially when they exploit their minor children, to be TMI, inappropriate, not safe for anyone and no one’s business.

Real means being honest about what you know, think and feel about whatever part of the conversation you are intending to contribute to.

Trying to be “relatable” is an intentional manipulation for power and profit.  Portraying yourself in a way that you think others might relate to in order to build rapport and a following to sell them something, is fake.

As a single mom, the “success” story of a woman with a loving, supportive husband who provides for her or a woman without children is not relatable. But, even if I can’t relate, I can appreciate her experience for what it is, especially if she is being authentic.

So, be real with yourself and others, whether you’re relatable or not. Be honest and transparent with your potential customers. Not fake. Because authenticity is an admirable quality even haters respect.

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Pearls of Wisdom is a personal blog of the wisdom writings of Dara Eden that fall outside the realms of feng shui, The 8 Elements and her other personal energy work. Established in 2014, the blog is an expression of her highest values: Sovereignty, Truth, Wisdom & Inner Peace. It’s devoted to increasing awareness, expanding consciousness, bringing knowledge, sharing innerstandings and offering wisdom to the sovereign souls inhabiting the Earth.

Dara Eden is a writer and wisdom keepHER. The name, Dara, means “pearl of wisdom”. Pearls are formed when a microscopic irritant, like a grain of sand, embeds itself within the soft tissue of a shelled mollusk. To protect itself, the oyster or clam covers the invading gritty particle with concentric layers of iridescent crystalline calcium to form treasures, pearls of great beauty and worth. Gifts of the sea, pearls are the oldest known gem and the only gem that does not need to be cut, shaped or polished. Pearls are associated with elegance and luxury and are a symbol of mystery and purity. Pearls represent priceless knowledge, the rare wisdom that begins as a tiny, random, common irritant.