Lately social media has been more of a burden than a blessing in my life. I’ve had misunderstandings with a couple of close friends and and it’s definitely not helping me feel more connected to my community.
This led to me reading this wonderful article about authenticity in our always-online world. (It probably helps that he includes some great funny graphics.) It is completely worth the read but my understanding of it centered on this: being yourself and following what you believe in, without obsessing over followers and likes.
So many blogs and entrepreneurs seem to obsess about growing their following and how to show your huge audience on social media, but authenticity is still a huge part of connection. Pretty much everyone wants to work with someone who “gets it” and is honest and relatable.
Just like when you pitch to an investor or the media, it’s important to be authentic. Another way to describe this is to ‘simplify’ – to meet people where they are, to cut out the jargon, and to leave out unnecessary details. Your honesty and directness will make you seem more authentic and ideally help you connect with your dream audience as well.
This obsession with increasing an audience instead of authentically engaging can cause the opposite effect – getting lost in the noise and not connecting with people at all. It also can be detrimental if you’re only focusing on that – on more and more and more – instead of how to help people or listen.
One of the things Access Office Business Center prides itself on is the creation of a community out of a specific need. This business was not created to make a massive profit, it was created to invest in the local business community.
Unlike recent coworking spaces in the news, we are not leasing buildings and racking up billions in debt. Instead we continuously reinvest in our own space (we own the building!) and our community. We also frequently reach out to our clients and are always open to feedback – in fact, we’re right down the hall and are often available for an in-person conversation. It is important to us that we are meeting your needs and helping you because we are invested in your success too.
“We don’t have a lot of time on this Earth! We weren’t meant to spend it this way! Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about mission statements!”
— good advice from the Office Space movie
