The Courage to Be Yourself—The Key to Business Success | EP 472

If you’re trying to build your business by following someone else’s formula, you’re already at a disadvantage. The most successful entrepreneurs aren’t just strategic—they’re authentic. They create brands that are aligned with who they are, and in doing so, they attract clients who are an easy yes.

In this episode, we’re breaking down why authenticity isn’t just a buzzword—it’s your biggest competitive advantage. You’ll hear the real story of a founder who tried to replicate someone else’s success, only to hit burnout fast. And you’ll walk away with a simple exercise to help you build a business that actually fits you—one that’s sustainable, fulfilling, and built for the long haul.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, uninspired, or unsure why your business isn’t gaining traction, this is for you. Remember, your people can’t find you if you’re hiding.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Authenticity in Business
• 18:00 The Dangers of Imitation in Entrepreneurship
• 34:00 Exercises for Discovering Your True Business Self

Transcript

Sheila: 0:02

If you're not showing up as yourself, your business is already at a disadvantage. Because here's the truth People don't buy from businesses. They buy from people, and in a world where we're constantly bombarded with content, the only way to stand out is to stop blending in. Hi welcome to the Connect with Sheila Botelho podcast. I'm a self-care strategist and success coach and I'm committed to helping you reconnect to your purpose, elevate your well-being and build your version of a happy, successful life. You're listening to a mini-sode where I share an insight designed to help you live into what lights you up this week. Today, I want to talk to you about the courage to be yourself in business, why it's the smartest, most profitable decision you can make, and how to avoid the mistake that keeps so many founders stuck, exhausted and uninspired. If there's one pattern that I see over and over again, it's entrepreneurs trying to build businesses that don't actually align with who they are. They see someone crushing it online, building a brand, selling out offers, attracting all the right people, and they think that that's it. That's the model. That's what I need to do, but here's where things start to unravel.

Sheila: 1:24

I once worked with a client who had been in business for a few years but felt stuck at a plateau. She started following a big name entrepreneur who had a highly successful personal brand and she was convinced that if she just mirrored what that person was doing, she'd break through to her next level. So she went all in. She adopted the same messaging style, she structured her offers the same way, even trying to mimic the same brand aesthetics and content style, and at first she saw some traction. People were engaging and there was a little spark of interest. But here's the problem she didn't have the same story as the person she was modeling. She wasn't fully aligned with the way that business was built and because she was making decisions based on what worked for someone else rather than what actually made sense for her, she quickly lost momentum. When it came time to be consistent, to show up every day, to market, sell, build relationships, she burned out really fast. She lacked motivation. The energy just wasn't there because, deep down, she wasn't fully bought into the business she was trying to build. She was just after the results. And here's what happens when there's a disconnect between you and your business. People feel it the clients she attracted were not the right fit. They weren't resonating with her because she wasn't even resonating with herself. So we took a step back. That's when she came to work with me. We looked at all of this and we stripped everything away that she had tried to copy and instead we focused on what actually lit her up, what she was obsessed with talking about. So like what was the work she would see herself doing for years, even when things got hard, and that is when the shift happened. It took a little bit of time for her to gain clarity, but once she started building a business that aligned with her her skills, her values, her voice she started attracting the right clients. Her brand felt like home to her. And while no business is ever completely linear, there were ups and downs and they will continue to come and go. Everything became a bit easier to navigate because she was fully invested in the work that she was doing.

Sheila: 3:40

So if you're listening to this and wondering am I actually building something that aligns with me? Here is a simple exercise for you Take five minutes and write down the answers to these three questions. One, if money wasn't a factor, what kind of work would I choose to do every single day? Two, what do people constantly come to me for that I love helping with? And three if I could only create one type of content for the rest of my career, what would I never get bored of talking about? Understanding that, just like myself, you do have permission to change. So this might be a stretch, but think about it right now if you had to really narrow it down. That third question these answers will give you clarity on what truly energizes you, because that's where your most successful business will come from.

Sheila: 4:38

Now let me be clear. You should absolutely allow yourself to be inspired by people doing incredible things. There are so many wonderful examples of people building amazing businesses, and I love to look around and celebrate the success of other people. And you know what you get to borrow ideas, you get to study business models and apply strategies that work for you. There are frameworks that are transferable in business. That's just the truth. But one thing that is not transferable in business that's just the truth. But one thing that is not transferable is who you are. There is only one you and if this business is something you're truly committed to building for the long haul, take the time to ask yourself what makes me different.

Sheila: 5:21

Why would people want to work with me specifically and, my goodness.

Sheila: 5:25

Why are people working with you right now? What do people appreciate about you right now, where you are? Because that your story, your values, your perspective is what will set you apart in a seemingly saturated market, and that is where you want to focus your attention. The courage to be yourself is what will make or break your business. So where can you start showing up more fully today, if this episode hit home for you and you're realizing it's time to build a business that feels as good on the inside as it looks on the outside, I've got something for you. The Seasons Growth Accelerator was designed exactly for entrepreneurs like you, founders who want to scale with alignment, impact and sustainability, without running themselves into the ground. Head over to the show notes to learn more about how this program can help you create success your way, where your strategy, your business model and energy are fully in sync, because when your business is built to support you, everything flows. Check it out and see if it's the right next step for you. Thank you.