Miriam-Webster defines authentic as “true to character, real and worthy of belief”. The urban dictionary, which my teenage daughter tells me she would prefer I keep away from, defines authentic as “being true to your own nature in the face of pressures to conform to local norms”, or “being all real and not about the fake stuff”.
You probably feel as though you’re a pretty authentic person. You have values you try to stick to, including telling the truth and being someone people can believe. So it may seem logical to presume that since you feel this way personally, you are building an authentic business. But are you?
Let’s presume that when you launched your business it was a labor of love. Hopefully, it still is because loving and being passionate about what you do so much that you find yourself continuing to do it even when you could be taking a break, is the first ingredient to authenticity. I truly love marketing. I find it completely fascinating. So much so that I think the last fiction book I read was Harry Potter. When I’m driving, I listen to marketing books on Audible for fun. When I’m at the pool, I listen to marketing podcasts for fun. When I have extra time to play around online, I’m checking out marketing videos and blogs for fun. Now I won’t go as far as to believe in that old expression, “do what you love and the money will follow”, because there are many things I enjoy doing that I would probably have a difficult time making money at. Floating in the pool with a margarita is amazing but so far I haven’t figured out how to make a dime from doing it. That said, I do strongly believe that if you focus your business on something that is truly your passion, your energy will become contagious and you will naturally attract good employees and clients. They will sense your authenticity and feel drawn to it.
Even business owners who start something because they think the idea is pretty cool can fall into the trap of chasing market trends and client pain points like a cat chasing the light from a laser pen. At some point, they forget where they started and lose the purpose that gave them authenticity. I always advise business owners to set a clear vision and mission for their business when they start. The vision is the north star and really shouldn’t waiver. It is why the business is here on this Earth. The mission may vary, since it states how the business will achieve the vision. But the vision can be a great acid test of authenticity. My company’s vision is “to empower the growth of companies who make a difference in the world.” At its simplest level, that means that we will never work for a client who sells tobacco products, tests products on animals, or is careless about checking to make sure its products are not manufactured using child labor. But deeper than that, it also means that we will actively seek out services that help small business owners, who are the backbone of our economy, to grow. It means finding creative ways to launch more services that benefit the tiniest of startups and to give those tiny clients love and attention, even when larger companies entice us with large retainers. Authenticity lesson number one is to define a clear vision that aligns with your values and stick to it.
From the time you hire your very first employee, you’re creating your company culture, which directly impacts how your team will interact with prospects and clients. But this is also the first test of your authenticity as a company. Getting the right people on the bus is one of the most important jobs you have as a leader. I share this as the voice of experience. Let’s just say that a hiring mistake I made many years ago, and later rectified, although probably not quickly enough, led to “No BS” being our #1 company value that guides everything we do with clients and ourselves. For a small company, the wrong hire can be toxic to your culture. I am now personally involved in every hire, and promising candidates with the right background and skills face a panel style interview with my entire leadership team. It’s like sitting in the middle of a virtual circle while multiple people throw questions at you. We get to see how well the person thinks on their feet, connects with others, demonstrates confidence and credibility. And most of all, the team gets to test out what it might feel like to work together. Authenticity lesson number two is that you can train skills but you can’t train cultural fit.
And speaking of No BS, the third most important area to test whether you are building an authentic business is how well each member of your team can tell your company story. Your brand is what people think it is and your story summarizes the heritage of your company, what makes you different and what your company believes. Test this out this week with your team. Ask the newest and the most established members of your team to tell your company’s story. This is a more important question than you might think. Having a shared story can bond your team together. It can provide a sense of purpose and meaning. It makes sure your team feels good about dedicating time to a common cause. What they do shouldn’t just be a job, they should feel that they are joining together for a common purpose. If your team members can’t tell your company story, then it’s time for a working session to align everyone to the company’s “why”. When the team feels that they are helping to tell the story, they will be more inspired to present innovative ideas to move the company forward. Authenticity lesson number three is that each member of your team needs to feel as though they are part of the company’s story.
Being authentic doesn’t mean showing up in a hoodie at work and having adult beverages in the lunchroom fridge. It isn’t about looking at what your competitors are doing and trying to emulate their best practices. And having an authentic company takes way more than you out there networking and saying how great your company is. The best test of authenticity happens when your employees say how great your company is. That requires a vision that they can get behind, a team of really good human beings who genuinely care about one another and who feel that they are taking part in telling the company’s story.
Oprah was once quoted as saying, “I had no idea that being your authentic self could make me as rich as I’ve become”. This was from a woman who was moved into daytime television and off of the reporter beat because her emotional reporting straight talk struck the wrong chord with the network. Her first broadcasting job when she was 17 earned her $100 per week. By the time she was 30, she was earning $30 million per year. By 2011 she was earning $315 million a year or $10 a second!
In the midst of the craziness of 2020, Escalent launched the Brand Authenticity Index™, evaluating companies on the dimensions of being thoughtful, transparent, reliable, committed, and socially aware. For the companies who landed on top, “their values are intrinsic to who they are and how they do it.” Oh, and if you’re curious, based on a survey of 1000 consumers, the most authentic companies were voted as Trader Joe’s, AAA, Samsung, USAA, and Target. I found the Target example particularly interesting because as recently as 2017 the company had to pay $18.5M for that famous 2013 card data breach. It turns out that being an authentic company doesn’t mean you won’t ever face hard times, but your clients are a lot more likely to stick by you if you do.