Authenticity In Business

Is ChatGPT making everyone feel really inauthentic??? 😳 🤖 Am I speaking to you... or your AI? 📧 Old emails: “hi mate, quick one…” 📧 New emails: “Greetings Steven, I trust this email finds you well as we forge ahead…” Same sender, totally different planet. When I can’t hear your real voice, my brain files the message under ‘Probably Auto‑Generated’. So if AI improves your grammar but destroys your authenticity, you’re better off without it. Humans make mistakes, they’re imperfect, unique and distinct - that’s what makes them human. So if you show up with perfect, AI-made, cookie-cutter communication, you’re removing the meaning from your message. 📈 The rise of the LONG—————DASH People are frequently using words and punctuation today, that I never heard 2 years ago. In 2025, the simplest authenticity test for a paragraph is it’s “em dash” (—) count. I don’t even know where that long dash lives on a keyboard, but it seems to be in every email I receive. People weren’t emailing me casually using words like “forge”, “paradigm”, “robust”, “revolutionary”, to discuss trivial issues. It’s funny that we can spot AI in someone else’s words, yet don’t realise everyone else can see it in ours. 🫀 The best communicators will SPEAK WITHOUT AI If ChatGpt is churning out the same perfect text on every email, post and caption, than maybe the most resonant, impactful and powerful writers will be those that break the rules, get creative with grammar and embrace their typos. Human‑sounding text will carry a premium because scarcity drives value, and raw voices are fast becoming the rarest commodity online. Save AI for spell‑check... And when the message matters.... the pitch, the apology, the love note....spend the extra energy, and speak for yourself!

🚨 Wake-up call: Black women face a battlefield disguised as a workplace. It's time we confront this head-on. The harsh truth: Shrinking to fit: Black women often diminish their brilliance, expertise, and understanding just to make others comfortable. Even their names become casualties in this war of conformity. Invisible then hyper-visible: Overlooked as leaders and innovators, until they're thrust into the spotlight as tokens. Glass cliffs await: When leadership roles open, they're often set up to fail. The double-edged sword of intersectionality: Race 🔗 Gender = A uniquely challenging experience Think about it: "Thriving at work is considered as a source of personal growth." But how can you thrive when you're busy shrinking? In white, male-dominated spaces, the pressure to conform is suffocating. Conceal your identity or risk being marked as "other." The tokenism trap: Added for appearance, not genuine inclusion Expected to represent an entire race and gender Set up as diversity window dressing, not empowered leaders This isn't just unfair. It's a waste of talent, innovation, and leadership potential. The question isn't whether this is happening. It's what are YOU doing about it? Leaders: Are you creating real opportunities or just checking diversity boxes? Colleagues: Are you amplifying Black women's voices or contributing to their silence? Organisations: Is your culture nurturing Black women's talents or forcing them to conform? It's time for real, systemic change. Not just words, but actions. Because a workplace where Black women can't bring their full, authentic selves isn't just failing them — it's failing everyone. Are you ready to be part of the solution? #BlackWomenLead #AuthenticLeadership #WorkplaceDiversity #IntersectionalityMatters

I recently came across how Lululemon tackled the $2 trillion counterfeit problem in fashion, and it’s a masterclass in marketing. Lululemon, a well-known athletic wear brand, faced the common challenge of counterfeits. As a marketing professional, I've seen many strategies for this, but Lululemon's approach truly stands out. In an industry plagued by a $2 trillion counterfeit issue, fake products often undermine brands and deceive consumers. Lululemon faced a similar challenge when fake leggings affected its brand. Instead of sticking to traditional legal battles, it launched the Duke Swap Challenge. Here's how it worked: They offered to exchange fake Lululemon leggings for genuine ones, free of charge. Now, you might think, Why would a company give away free products? But here's why this strategy was brilliant: 1. Customer engagement: People willingly waited for up to 4 hours to participate. 2. New customer acquisition: Many people exchanging fakes were likely not previous Lululemon customers. This clever move converted them into potential customers. 3. Positive brand image: Instead of aggressively pursuing legal action against counterfeiters or blaming customers, Lululemon's approach was positive and customer-centric. 4. The results were impressive: Lululemon saw a significant increase in new customer acquisition, gained millions in free advertising through the campaign's virality, and effectively tackled the counterfeit issue while expanding its customer base. What I find most impressive is how Lululemon turned a potential crisis into an opportunity. They didn't just solve their counterfeit issue; they created a powerful marketing tool. It's a reminder that sometimes, the best solutions aren't the obvious ones. What do you think about this approach? Have you seen other examples of brands turning potential crises into opportunities? #BrandInnovation #Marketing #Engagement

With 61% of consumers saying that businesses actually make their lives harder, consumer skepticism directly hits your bottom line. To weather the storm, companies like Patagonia and Southwest use authenticity checkpoints to screen growth initiatives against core values. Rather than check-the-box exercises, these filters preserve the reasons that your customers choose you. The payoff? Organizations maintaining trust during growth can turn a 5% increase in retention into a 25-95% revenue boost. I recently worked with a client facing the classic warning signs: rising CAC, slipping conversion rates, and increasing pricing pressure. Despite this, they were hitting growth targets. So what was wrong? Their customers were losing faith in them. My client was not alone. Qualtrics research shows only 50% of consumers have confidence in the brands they do business with—a metric that hasn't improved since 2020 despite massive CX investments. My client realized it was a P&L emergency. Trust erosion is a vicious cycle that directly impacts unit economics through higher acquisition costs, shorter customer lifecycles, and vanishing price premiums. A small number of aggressive tactics had tarnished the credibility that made my client's growth trajectory possible. So they decided to create authenticity checkpoints—systematic filters that evaluate growth initiatives against core values. With hard work, their ACVs are rising, their clients advocate for them, and their CAC has stabilized. What makes effective authenticity checkpoints? Five critical elements: - Decision filters to evaluate initiatives against founding principles - Product validation processes that preserve core differentiation - Regular operational reviews to ensure a consistent customer experience - Values reinforcement for team members, beyond onboard - Structured forums to identify and address emerging vulnerabilities Implementing these checkpoints starts with three simple steps: audit your recent growth initiatives for authenticity impact, map your specific vulnerability points, and create accountability with dedicated resources and metrics. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eJbTcVMa __________ For more on growth and building trust, check out my previous posts. Join me on my journey, and let's build a more trustworthy world together. Christine Alemany #Fintech #Strategy #Growth

“But, you said we will get 4x ROAS!” In our industry, there’s always someone making louder promises. It’s tempting to join the race, promise big numbers, get the deal, deal with the fallout later. But here’s what most people miss: It’s easy to talk up results in a pitch deck. It’s much harder to build real, repeatable success in the wild. That’s why I’m a firm believer in that classic advice (Tom Peters said it best): “Under promise and over deliver.” Not because I want to play it safe, or because we can’t achieve bold results. But because I’ve seen what happens when the entire ecosystem starts chasing unrealistic benchmarks. Margins shrink, trust erodes, and clients hop agencies the minute a new, shinier offer comes along. This isn’t just about protecting my agency. It’s about building a healthy market where fair pricing, sustainable growth, and honest expectations win out over one-upmanship. I’ve worked both sides: corporate and agency. I know how much pressure there is to show up with “guarantees.” But now, I’d rather have tough conversations up front than scramble for explanations later. In business and in life, overpromising looks flashy but rarely pays off. A spouse who hears “I’ll bring you the stars” is happy for a day. But it’s showing up, doing the work, and quietly delivering more than you promised, that’s what sticks. I’d rather be the one who delivers steady, compounding wins than someone chasing their own hype. If you’ve ever faced the pressure to “promise the moon,” you know how tempting it is. But the real win? Building trust that outlasts the campaign.

He was our boss. But eventually, no one followed him. At first, it was subtle. A missed deadline here. A teammate talking over others in meetings. Someone fudging numbers on a presentation. The first time it happened, we waited for him to step in. He didn’t. The second time, he smiled it off. The third? He looked the other way. And over time, something shifted... We stopped trusting he’d do the right thing. Not because he was mean. But because he was silent. When a leader refuses to hold people accountable, they lose the one thing they can’t lead without: authority. Because leadership isn’t about being liked. It’s about being trusted to protect the mission and the team. I’ve learned this the hard way. In my early days leading, I confused accountability with conflict. So I delayed hard conversations. I let a few people slide And lost the respect of the many who didn’t. Here’s what I know now: 👉 Accountability is the immune system of leadership. 👉 When you let dysfunction spread, it infects the culture quietly. 👉 And when good people leave, they won’t tell you it was because you stayed quiet. So ask yourself: Are you avoiding discomfort today… only to lose trust tomorrow? Because once your authority is gone... your title won’t save you. Follow me for more leadership lessons I had to learn the hard way. #Leadership #CareerAdvice #Trust #TeamCulture #Management #CareerGrowth

I’ve watched founders try every personal branding strategy in the book. But what really works? Letting their guard down. Not the polished LinkedIn posts. Not the humble brags. Just showing up as an actual human being with real struggles, doubts, and messy progress. But most founders think it’s “too risky” to work. After working with founders through authentic personal branding and seeing the results… I’m convinced vulnerability is the highest-impact strategy most founders are avoiding. Here’s why dropping the facade changes everything: [1] It breaks through the noise While everyone else posts generic “hustle harder” content, your honest take on failure cuts through instantly. Authenticity is so rare in founder content that it immediately stands out in the AI noise [2] It builds unshakeable trust When you admit you don’t have all the answers, people actually believe you when you share what’s working. Vulnerability creates psychological safety that turns followers into advocates. [3] It attracts your actual ideal clients The founders willing to work with you aren’t looking for perfection, they’re looking for results and honesty. Pretending everything is smooth sailing attracts tire-kickers, not serious buyers. [4] It creates magnetic connection People don’t relate to your wins. They relate to your struggles. That relatability transforms casual followers into genuine champions of your work. [5] It unlocks referral goldmines When people feel connected to your story, they naturally want to help you succeed. Those authentic relationships generate more warm introductions than any networking event ever will. [6] It positions you as refreshingly real In a sea of “crushing it” posts, being honest about the hard parts makes you memorable. That differentiation alone is worth more than perfect branding. [7] It compounds into authority Consistent vulnerability builds a reputation for authenticity that can’t be faked or copied. People start coming to you specifically because they know you’ll tell them the truth. The more human you appear, the more professional opportunities you attract. What’s the biggest mindset shift that’s transformed how you show up in your business?

Empowerment posts today, unfair payments tomorrow—sounds familiar? Social media is flooded with posts about empowering women, but behind the scenes, many of these same brands underpay, undervalue, and overlook women influencers. I’ve spent six years in influencer marketing, working with some of the biggest brands and managing thousands of creators. I’ve seen firsthand how women drive this industry—shaping trends, building communities, and creating content that people actually relate to. They influence what we wear, what we eat, and the brands we trust. Yet, despite their impact, brands still hesitate to pay them fairly. The real problem with women in influencer marketing. 1) Women influencers are paid less than their male counterparts—despite delivering higher engagement. 2) Many brands still believe “male influencers drive more serious impact.” 3) Women creators are often expected to work for barter deals instead of actual budgets. I’ve had brands tell me: “Let’s pay male influencers more because their audience is ‘serious.’” “Can we offer a barter deal instead of a budget?” And my response? Would you ask a male creator the same thing? The Truth About Women’s Impact in Influencer Marketing ▪️ Women aren’t just influencers—they’re decision-makers. ▪️ They drive 80% of consumer purchases and create some of the highest-performing content. ▪️ Their impact isn’t just about engagement—it’s about real brand trust and sales. This Women’s Day, let’s do more than just ‘celebrate’ women. ✅ Pay them fairly – No more “barter collaborations” disguised as opportunities. ✅ Give them creative freedom – Stop dictating how they should tell their stories. ✅ Invest in long-term partnerships – Not just token campaigns, on March 8. If your brand truly values women, show it in your budgets—not just your captions. Brands, are you ready to walk the talk? Tag a powerful woman creator who deserves more recognition! #WomensDay #InfluencerMarketing #WomenInBusiness #PayCreatorsFairly #EqualPay

Trust isn’t built through perfection. It’s built through authenticity, vulnerability, and humility. In the best teams, people don’t need to have all the answers. They need to show up honestly, ask good questions, and stay open to learning. That kind of culture only works when leaders model it from the top. When they don’t, it creates distance. People start managing impressions instead of solving problems. Energy gets spent on appearances instead of outcomes. I once worked for a boss who really wanted to be a great leader, but never quite showed up fully. He said all the right things about collaboration, strategy, and innovation, but there was always a filter. Something about him felt slick. I remember inviting him to an offsite about our product roadmap. It was an early-stage, messy kind of conversation: technical debates, half-formed ideas, back-and-forth about what might work. Inviting him was a bit of a risk, given what I’d observed. He sat in, but you could tell he was uncomfortable. He wasn’t used to that level of transparency. He was used to polished slides and confident answers, not the raw process of figuring things out together or dealing with uncertainty. That moment stuck with me. I realized he maintained trust by appearing right and in control. He saw our openness to uncertainty as a weakness, when in reality, it was how we built great products and strong teams. That’s when it clicked: I couldn’t work for someone who equated vulnerability with incompetence. Real trust requires showing up as a human. And if you can’t do that, no amount of talk will prove you are qualified.

Last week I got an email from a disgruntled subscriber. This was a successful woman entrepreneur who wanted to share some feedback about an email she'd read. Her message was that I was being "too perfect" by using AI (she thought) instead of letting my “authentic” voice shine through. The irony was exquisite. Here was someone simultaneously telling me I was too perfect AND not perfect enough, because apparently, truly perfect leaders don't delegate to robots. But this isn't really about AI. It's about the same conditioning that keeps the vast majority of women entrepreneurs stuck under $200K in revenue while companies like Microsoft are laying off humans and investing billions in automation. Women have been trained to believe our worth is tied to our output. That delegation - whether to a human or an algorithm, somehow diminishes our value. Meanwhile, male CEOs are openly discussing how AI generates a third of their code, and no one's sending them concerned emails about authenticity. The resistance to AI isn't just technological. It's cultural. It's the same force that makes women feel guilty about hiring help, suspicious of systems that scale, and convinced that if we're not personally touching every aspect of our business, we're somehow cheating. But here's what I know: AI isn't the enemy of authentic leadership. It's the greatest feminist business tool we have access to. It's the work wife that gives us back sovereignty over our time and energy. The companies investing in AI will scale. The ones that don't will be left behind. And women who continue to resist delegation (in all its forms) will keep ourselves small and broke. The conversation about AI and authenticity is really a conversation about women's relationship with power, productivity, and proof of worthiness. Time to rewrite that narrative. #AI #WomenEntrepreneurs #FemaleLeaders #BusinessGrowth #WomenInBusiness #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #Delegation #TechTrends #BusinessStrategy #WomenInTech #ScalingBusiness #FeminismInBusiness #ProductivityTools #WorkSmarter