“Authenticity is the daily practice of letting go of who we think we’re supposed to be and embracing who we are.” — Brené Brown
Prospecting for a small business can feel like you are walking the streets of a busy city wearing a dark veil. You can see them, but they can’t see you.
You probably have a good sense of how you can help people with your solution, if only the customers could see your professional, smart and caring qualities.
Marketing is the act of removing the veil, making the contours and weight of your business more palpable to the customer.
But if the goal is to be seen as you are, why do so many marketers encourage marketing tactics that are orthogonal to our brands?
Yes, marketing is a fight for attention. You are trying to get someone who is scrolling to stop and look at you.
But if you win their coveted eyeballs and they see you or your product in a light that is inauthentic, what have you accomplished?
In order for the effort to work, you need to find a way to authentically represent your business.
I’m here today to tell you to stop listening to what other people want for you and listen to yourself.
This is important in our:
The Life-changing Power of “No”
So often we do things we don’t want to do.
You go to the party even though you don’t want to.
You join the gym even though you hate weights.
Of course, if we lack internal motivation, we either lose steam and quit or make ourselves miserable trying to comply with other people’s expectations.
Last week, I was at the gym and the class instructor randomly offered the optimal amount of protein everyone needs to consume. She said something about a golden ratio of body weight to grams of protein. Then to make the math more clear, she said, “Most of us eat two eggs for breakfast but we should be eating six eggs!”
I’m sorry, what?
Who the hell wants to eat six eggs?
I like working out. I do it because I enjoy it. Yeah, sometimes it’s hard and I don’t feel like it, but I always enjoy the feeling of pushing myself and the endogenous bliss that follows.
I also like pastries for breakfast. A salty, buttery spinach and feta croissant is a work of God.
My point is, if you like something, do it. Exercise and nutrition are essential, but you have to find a way to do it that matches your pleasure sensors or you’ll peter out.
Buy Stuff that Makes You Feel Good
We also ignore our inner voice in our consumption habits.
We scroll on social media even when it makes us feel bad.
We watch the news when it enrages us.
We wait in line on Black Friday and online on Cyber Monday when we really wish we were spending time with family.
As consumers, I believe there are two dominant frameworks that drive our buying decisions.
The first is economics. Adam Smith pioneered the concepts of supply and demand; that companies sell a product at the price where maximal people will pay for it. Shopping for the best deal, aligns with this framework.
However, in the 1990s, a second framework emerged into what some call “conscious consumerism.” Naomi Klein, in her book No Logo, argues against globalization and highlights consumer actions that can fight for better treatment of workers and the environment. Shopping that considers the “externalities” or impacts of the consumption aligns with this alternative framework.
Both of these frameworks have value, but neither of them addresses the fundamental pleasure we receive from the process of buying.
How does the buying make you feel?
Most of us aren’t in touch with the value we actually receive from the buying process.
A quick example: I have been going to the same dry cleaner for over 12 years. I know the Korean immigrant couple who own it and they have watched my children grow up. Shopping there makes me feel like I am part of the community. It’s a commercial relationship, to be sure. But it’s a relationship I value.
I am well aware of mobile apps that offer home pick-up dry cleaning services. They might be more convenient and, unlike my friends down the street, take credit cards.
But I value the in-person experience over a soulless mobile application.
So I pay a premium in time or money to ensure I have the experience I prefer. You could argue that I’m being a “conscious consumer” by “buying local,” but I’m really just doing what I like the most.
So, for this holiday season, perhaps you can consider how you feel and how you can maximize your pleasure during your shopping.
Start Marketing Your Company the Way You Want to Be Seen
Okay, now let’s apply this to your business.
So many small business owners tell me that they hate marketing, yet feel compelled to do something to get new business.
Often, they end up being miserable and wasting money on marketing tactics they detest.
I’m sorry, but I thought the whole point of being an entrepreneur was to have control over your own destiny? Now you mean to tell me that you have to listen to so-called marketing gurus?
Who runs your company, anyway?
As someone who sells marketing services for a living, let me be clear:
You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.
In fact, for your marketing to be successful, you need to be authentic and relevant in your attempts to be seen by customers.
What does authentic marketing look like?
I’ve recently been impressed by a series of ads from my local internet provider that I found authentic.
I know a utility with near monopolistic market power would seem like the last place you would find great marketing. But Los Angeles-area internet provider, Spectrum, has a series of spots that highlight real users sharing their experiences. There is one with a wife and husband where the wife shares how she loves to seek out the best deals. Another is a father/ son duo talking about how they need fast internet for gaming.
Both of these ads are pretty boring. The camera moves slowly and the speech is unpolished.
But I like these ads because they're authentic. The internet is supposed to be boring. It would be weird if it tried to be otherwise. They just simply highlight the customer needs.
I’ve struggled with the authentic marketing of Kasvaa.
For example, I have experimented with direct-to-camera video on LinkedIn, but haven’t found it to make sense for me. I’m not swearing it off, as I believe it can be a powerful tool and I can get better at it.
But it hasn’t yet felt authentic.
My problem with recording a video is that I have a hard time understanding how to connect with all of you. The video seems a bit showy and self-absorbed. Furthermore, it’s one-sided. I don’t know what your reaction would be. Consequently, I prefer webinars where I can interact directly with folks and take audience questions.
Which brings us to my final point: your marketing must be relevant to your business.
Not only do I enjoy hosting webinars, but they are a more accurate simulacrum of our work at Kasvaa.
For the type of work we do, webinars are more relevant than videos. The back-and-forth, intellectual discussion with concrete action steps that I facilitate is highly correlative to actually working with Kasvaa, where we advise clients and help them take action with our fractional executive leadership.
In the webinar, I have found a way to engage new prospects that I enjoy and the customer gets a taste for working with my company.
Conclusion
Stop wasting time trying to be something you’re not. Focus instead on creating authentic experiences for your customers.
I am passionate about entrepreneurs because they can craft the world they want to see.
Don’t let your marketing be any different.
Market your business in a way that you love and your customers will follow.
Join our webinar on December 5!
I mentioned I like webinars. I like them because I get to interact with you! Please join our next one on 12/5/25 as we discuss this very topic with an expert in marketing, Ike Fontaine of Future Media. Ike produces podcasts for technology firms and believes that you should only take on marketing initiatives that you are passionate about.
If you are struggling to find the right way to market your business that feels authentic and relevant, I’d encourage you to sign up below.