This is the #1 key to grow the audience you want

This is the 1 key to grow the audience you wantThis is the 1 key to grow the audience you wantOur fast-paced instant-gratification digital world is teaching us all the wrong lessons.Its me-first. And you second. And yet its guised in this manner as if to placate you and lead you to believe that its all for you. But its really all for them. Many people arent offering true value. Theyre offering a regurgitated version of a reality TV show. One that you may not be able to turn away from, but one that isnt really helping you.Want go for the win? Want to truly start building an authentic community that you can interact and grow with, and that can lead to an abundance of great opportunities? Be yourself and give away every ounce of value that you can give without any expectation of anything in return. Do that and you will be on your way to growing and retaining the exact audience that you want.Social media today teaches us to sell others on things that we dont even believe ourselves. Which leads some to craft personas and images of themselves that are the farthest thing from authentic. And yet, the living of the lie continues are they are passed off to others as if theyre the representation of that persons true self.The social media landscape isnt a game like so many people like to say.Its a magnanimous opportunity to show millions of people who you really are and why you matter. If you showcase yourself in a way that is true to yourself, and that demonstrates value that others crave, youll start to see that the world is buying what youre selling.The point of representing yourself for who you truly are is that the opportunities and relationships that you desire most will actually come your way. And when they do, you wont have to even hesitate in your decision-making to emphatically and enthusiastically say, YESYoull feel it and youll immediately know. Then, youll start to say Yes, Id love to come collaborate with you on this idea for a start-up.Yes, Id love the oppor tunity to come build the _____ program at your company.Yes, Id love to come craft this marketing vision for your organization.Yes, Id love the opportunity to come speak at one of your events.Yes, Id love to sign this book deal. When can I begin writing?AuthenticityThe times that Ive gotten badeanstalt results are the times that Ive put out a version of myself that isnt really myself. I got caught up in the game. I got caught up, like you may from time to time, in the game of writing for likes, comments or offers of whatever. Thank God I discovered this early on and kept this to a minimum. What a colossal waste of timeThe game to win is the one of being your unique self every, single day and producting a product or content that will change the world around you.Thats the person that others want to see. I know this because every time Ive gotten up to speak in front of an audience of people and Ive been myself, Ive been well received. When I poured my heart out into my book, The Value o f You, others saw it as an authentic guide that changed their lives. They thanked me.Maybe you know exactly what Im talking about. Its a feel thing that feels SO right when you nail it. And its not hard. Its easy to lean in to who you really are, while dismissing any notions or perceptions of needing to be someone else.Do whatever youre going to do for the pureness of it - the love of it. You must do this first.Youll find that over time, even if you receive adulation, likes and comments, it will become darn-near impossible to sustain the consistency and passion that you need to keep producing great work if you dont actually love it. Every successful person that Ive worked with got to where they did because they loved the process of what they were doing.They were committed and enthusiastic about reaching their goals.It becomes mentally and emotionally draining to continue doing something that isnt true to who you are. You eventually ansturm out of ideas. You run out of motivation. Y ou start to doubt yourself more. If your whole platform is built off the likes and attention of others, what in the world do you do when its no longer there?Or when its diminished in size?Do you add more sensationalism? More shock and awe? If so, it sounds like you may be operating more like a print journalism operation in the year 2018 than what would be a successful digital representation.Is being someone else and living a phony life really what you want? Or do you want connection with the customers and fans you aim to attract? What could be better than using your natural skills, talent and passion, and melding those things together to form a product that is authentically you?Is there anything better than that?Isnt that the product that people will want to buy, follow and trek with on their own journey? If its real and good enough, yes.Be a bossThe world doesnt like copycats. The world likes originals. People who have a positive attitude, work hard, practice what they preach, then back it up with highly productive output on a consistent basis. When you are achieving this by doing what you love, you have truly achieved the pinnacle of self-actualization, as defined by Abraham Maslow.Youre a boss. And you have the power of creativity in your heart, mind, and soul.Dont be fooled by what you dont have.Dont long for something that you dont really need.Read the books that stir a passion in your soul. Seek out an education that demands that you challenge your beliefs - one that opens your mind to limitless possibilities.Discover opportunities that arent going to be handed to you on a silver platter - ones where you may have to dig a little bit deeper to find. Opportunities that dont come with an easy-to-use instruction manual. Ones where you may have to come up with a pitch or unique proposition to gain the attention of the decision maker. Forge your own path. Be a pioneer.Create relationships that will cause you to become overjoyed with positivity and self-disco very. Find people who help stir excitement, hope, confidence and self-realization inside of you. Then, turn around and add value to those peoples lives. Offer up your services, a listening ear or companionship to them. Help them. Help them help others.Your end product will be one of delightful self-satisfaction because it will include all of the ingredients that make you, you. Stop searching for ways to replicate someone elses exact approach toward life. Use them as examples, instead.The audience you want is identical to the person that you want to be. They want the same thing. The authentic you.Get startedJoin my newsletterandcheck out my bestselling book,The Value of You. This will give you inspiration to start planning for success on your journey. If youre interested in working with metry me here.Thisarticlefirst appeared on Medium.