Happy Friday. And happy Pride month!
This week on the podcast, I explored a topic that feels especially meaningful this time of year: the cost of hiding who you are in your business. As entrepreneurs, many of us spend far more energy than we realize trying to fit expectations we were never meant to fulfill. Sometimes it looks like softening our personality, avoiding certain stories, or trying to sound more “professional” than authentic. For LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs and others with marginalized identities, that calculation can feel even more constant.
The challenge is that masking takes work. It requires ongoing self-monitoring and can quietly drain energy that could be spent serving clients, creating, leading, or simply enjoying the business you’ve built. Over time, that disconnect can leave you with a business that looks successful on the outside but feels surprisingly hollow on the inside.
One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that people aren’t just looking for expertise anymore. They’re looking for connection. More and more, clients and prospects ask about mission, values, and purpose. They want to know who they’re working with. When I stopped trying to sound like the financial advisor I thought people expected and leaned more fully into my own voice, values, and focus on LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs, something interesting happened: the right people found me faster, conversations became deeper, and the work felt more meaningful.
For me, authenticity isn’t about sharing everything. It’s about alignment. It’s the feeling that who you are, what you value, and how you lead all work together. When those pieces align, decision-making becomes easier, boundaries become clearer, and your business becomes more sustainable.
As you head into the weekend, consider this: What part of yourself have you been minimizing in your business? You don’t have to become more visible overnight, and you don’t owe anyone unlimited access to you. But you might discover that allowing a little more of yourself into your work creates greater clarity, a stronger connection, and a business that feels much more like home.
Questions of the Week
- What part of yourself feels most hidden or minimized in your business today?
- Where are you making decisions from alignment versus expectations of what success “should” look like?
- What is one small way you can show up more authentically in your business next week?
Tool of the Week
Values Exercise
Set aside 15 minutes and go through this values exercise.
Then review your current marketing, client experience, and business goals. Where do those values show up clearly, and where are they missing?
Often, the fastest path to greater alignment isn’t adding something new—it’s removing what no longer reflects who you are or how you want to lead.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Best,
Brian