Why we all need to stop aiming for “Authenticity”

First, just to be clear, because nuance matters, I’m not saying we shouldn’t be authentic. 

But authenticity should be the baseline. It’s the bare minimum for being a decent, trustworthy human running a business in public. And let's be honest, you can smell it a mile off when someone’s performing a personality they don’t live and breathe. 

But authenticity is an absolutely terrible goalpost for your brand.

Because authenticity isn’t operational. It’s not a strategy, it’s not a decision-making system. It’s not something you can build a category on.

It’s just basic brand hygiene.

It’s the plaster before you layer on the fabulous fucking wallpaper.
It has the same energy as honest. Like… yes? We would flippin' hope so? Unless you’re Trump, of course.

So the issue isn’t authenticity itself.

The issue is what happens when authentic becomes the North Star, without any definition beyond being yourself and showing up more.

That’s when it turns into a comfort blanket. A vague permission slip if you will.

It's an easy trap to fall into because it feels like the antidote to the gimmicks and glossy marketing a lot of us instinctively repel. And when you’re trying to build something real of course it's the word we gravitate to.

The trouble is, when your brand goal is authenticity you can end up avoiding the true work.

• What makes you remembered?

• What makes you chosen?

• What makes you a leader in your space?

Authenticity is not a differentiator, it's the price of admission.

So what's the answer?

Be authentic, absolutely. But stop using authenticity as a benchmark. Benchmark your brand on things that create category power:

• Clarity: Can people instantly understand what you do and why it matters?

• Conviction: Do you stand for something sharp enough to draw a line in the sand?

• Coherence: Does the meaning stay consistent across your messaging, offers, visual presence?

• Distinctiveness: Could your words be swapped with another brand without anyone noticing?

Because authenticity only matters when it translates into authority and outcomes.

If being authentic has become the place you hide…book one of my new Power Sessions.

We run your brand through the 4 benchmarks.

• What’s the sentence people repeat about you?

• Where are you leaking clarity, conviction, coherence, distinctiveness?

• What’s the one lever that would create category power fast?

90 mins. You’ll leave with a one-page strategy document that tells you exactly what to sharpen next.