I was Yogi Bear. In my last summer of college, I took a job in Wisconsin. I thought I would be teaching kids to play sports. Instead, I was running Hanna-Barbera-themed activities and birthday parties. And twice every day, I was zipping up a giant fur suit, slipping into rubber boots that were too large, and walking five miles. I lost ten pounds, despite the ice vest we wore underneath. When you put on a Yogi Bear costume, you don’t take on the full character. You’re not allowed to steal pic-a-nic baskets or swat beehives. And you’re not allowed to do the Yogi Bear voice. You have to stay silent, because while the giant costume sure makes you LOOK like Yogi, no one actually SOUNDS like Yogi. Little kids will run from their cabins and tents to hug Yogi’s legs; but if you speak, the illusion is shattered. You’re only authentically Yogi until you’re obviously not. “Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater.” – Einstein Being a genius made Einstein good at his job. But being relatable made him popular. Authenticity, in business, means that you have skin in the game. It means that you identify with your audience because you are them. You know all about their accounting problems, because you have trouble balancing your own books. You know all about their weight loss problems, because after working a 14-hour day at the gym, the last thing you want to do is cook dinner. So, donuts. You know all about their bad hair day because you have them, too. Remember that time the blinkers wouldn’t turn off in your truck? That was annoying. And it happens to your customers, too. Sharing these stories with your clients tells them, “We’re the same.” It says, “You can believe me when I tell you ...
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