Why It Took Me 4 Years to Stop Performing in My Business

I built a business over 15 years on a persona. It worked.

Clients paid big. Journalists called for quotes.

People lined up for me to mentor them. And I hated it.

It took me four years from the day I decided I was done to get back to who I really am. This episode is about why it took so long.

I tell you how I studied about a thousand resume writing websites, noticed something about the people at the top, and decided to become them. I talk about the season I couldn’t work and realized I didn’t know how to dress, hang out, or have fun as just Mel.

And I tell you about walking away at the top of my game while it felt like every client, mentee and family member was watching to see if I’d fall on my face. There’s also the side business I launched on my way out, why the people around you get uncomfortable when the real you shows back up, and what dyeing your hair purple has to do with your brand.

You leave with one assignment for this week. Your close people already know what it is.

Bring her too. She wanna come.

Research mentioned William B. Swann Jr., Self-Verification Theory: Herminia Ibarra, Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career : Ready to stop performing?

Start With SELF is a self-guided identity process. Six modules, one weekend.

It’s the work of finding the woman underneath the persona and putting her back in your brand. Introductory rate: $97 → Join the Rebellion.

New episode every Wednesday, sent right to your inbox so you never have to go looking. → Come talk to me on Substack. What’s one thing the people close to you see that the people in your business never do?

Tell me in the comments. → https://substack.com/@mellynated Watch on YouTube: Your identity is the strategy.