One of the good things about More Space is that you can listen to each of the chapters as an mp3 (just register at the More Space website for free access). I enjoyed reading Jory des Jardins‘ chapter in its early draft – and I enjoyed it even more in the audio version over the weekend.
Partly because her theme is “the inevitability of authenticity” partly because it is told as a personal story it’s good to hear her tell it in her own voice.
Jory’s talks about the difference between being taken for who you are, warts and all, versus being hired on superficial appearances. Here’s how Jory used to see things
To me, getting jobs was tantamount to having a bag of tricks. I could pull any combination of delightful qualifications, based on the hiring manager’s need and what I’d read about in the company’s culture.
She tells how she made the transition to authenticity with humour and candour.
I didn’t suddenly decide to be authentic. I had simply given up on my need to be “on”, to sell myself. If I went to my computer feeling gross, the gosh darnit, I’d let the scant few who happened to bump into my blog know it. Instead of trying to produce content, I simply translated the thoughts, the impulses that were already there… It was around this time that I generated readers, not traffic.
I like that distinction between traffic and readers. I think it’s a nuance that a lot of marketing misses when it gets fixated with metrics for “impacts”. Losing some of our “persona” and showing some vulnerability can be a key to creating vibrant relationships. Jory does a nice job of describing her path to this.
