I have reflected a lot on the business practice to “walk the talk.” In theory, it’s plain ‘ole good common sense. ‘Do as I say AND do as I do’ is much more compelling than just ‘do as I say’ or worse yet ‘do as I say and NOT as I do.’Yet theory and practice are 2 very different things.
My first solobiz was as a holistic health coach. I loved helping busy women eat healthy on-the-go and learn to prioritize their self-care. I always felt great when clients raved about how easy it was to kick their sugar cravings, have outrageous energy and regain their confidence.
While woman after woman would tell me they couldn’t wait to be like me, I was secretly ashamed to admit that…well…I was NOT the best healthy role model. I ate gobs and gobs of dark chocolate. I inhaled lunch while typing away frantically on “work” (aka: surfing fb). And every night I would park my butty in front of the computer and zone out to my hulu queue.
My self-care took a nose dive at a time when I was successfully coaching others to carve out time for themselves in order to gain more energy and redefine how to ‘have it all.’
Attempting to walk my talk made me feel like a big, fat failure. The pressure I put on myself to eat perfectly healthy and maintain a balanced ‘holistic’ lifestyle was literally paralyzing me and my income.
I remember thinking if a client or perspective client saw me drinking, eating french fries or having dessert they’d think I was incompetent. I was so caught up in how I ‘should’ act as a health coach and completely distracted by thinking how I’d have to ‘spin’ my fitness laziness, seasonal cold or junk food fest, that I lost all coaching confidence.
Walking my talk (or being the poster chic for holistic health) was not what I signed up for when I launched my business. Not even close. I just wanted to be real and inspire others to make simple, healthy changes on their terms.
Turns out, people like real. And that’s why I no longer walk my talk, but talk my walk.
Talking my walk is much easier and completely takes the pressure OFF to be perfect in business! Talking the walk is about simply allowing authenticity and transparency to guide the conversations. Telling it like it is, how I got here, how I’m moving forward and what I’ve learned along the way. Literally just sharing my journey – the good, the bad and the crazy.
No more pressure to ‘act’ a certain way because guess what? The way to ‘act’ in my business is just me, “being me.” (Pretty sure I’m the authority on that one. Well, maybe my husband knows a thing or two…)
Walk the talk or talk the walk? Which one resonates with you and why?
