By: Coach Keren Eldad, ACC, CPMA, CPBA, CPTA
“Fame-I’m gonna live forever/I’m gonna learn how to fly
I feel it comin’ together/ People will see me and cry,
Fame – I’m gonna make it to heaven/Baby, remember my name” – Theme song, “Fame”
It may sound uncouth, but here’s a fact: if you want to be a star in your business, you need to be visible. You cannot work with other people, in fact, in any industry, without a certain number of people knowing who you are.
And here is another fact, based on my experience coaching high profile clients, from founders of non-profit companies like Beyond Capital and those of very much for profit hedge funds such as Common Wealth Asset management: the number one reason you’re not succeeding -if you currently are not doing so – is your own belief that there’s no value for you in becoming famous, or that you are not ready to step up and shine brightly, or that fame is not for you and you’d rather “stay in the background.” These beliefs are either related to self-worth, or to the commonly held belief that fame is always gratuitous, or superficial – which is really the belief that wanting fame is superficial. Dig a bit deeper and you will discover that this is really the belief that if you get famous, other people will judge you as superficial.
But how can that be true if Mother Theresa, Gandhi and Bill Gates are all famous? Do their lives’ work all appear superficial? Just imagine if they’d remained in obscurity. The world would have missed out on so much light.
If you love your endeavor and are committed to it, you would do well to challenge this limiting belief because your work deserves to thrive. For the sake of your work, consider allowing yourself to know that you were meant for more than obscurity. Step up and into the light, because somebody has to, and because of all people – you are ready to do this. If you are here, there are two things that will help you “sell yourself” without coming across as an ego-maniac who is only it for fame, because you are not:
1. Authentic leverage. To know your leverage is to be solidly rooted in your value. What I mean by this is that before any fame or acclaim, you must have earned this position, meaning that you need to know what you are talking about, you need to know and own who you are and your brand, and you need to have not only an audience, but a demonstrable grasp of who they are and in what ways specifically you serve them. This is basically having a stronghold on two things:
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- Who YOU are – meaning that you understand what gives you the right to serve, what makes it a privilege to work with you, and that you are worth what you charge, and-
- Whom you are SERVING – meaning that you understand who your ideal target audience is, what your requirements are of your ideal audience, why they need you, and what makes them unique.
2. An intent to serve. This means getting clear on why you want to raise your profile. That why, if you want it to resonate authentically, must be rooted in service: the contribution of what you have brought to this world to others. As you know that and anchor your endeavor in it, it will shine right through. That is authenticity – and it is the greatest fame magnet of all, because it’s very attractive. The opposite, inauthenticity – is the greatest repellent of all. You are your personal why – what you have to give, how you came across it and why you want to give it to everyone into your core brand statement and all your materials. Therefore, tell your story honestly. What you put out there affects other people, and that is a responsibility. Come to serve, and not just serve – but to serve excellence.
In sum, fame and self-promotion needn’t be hollow; they can form part of a spiritual path, too. If what you have to offer is authentic, valuable and of service, there are people out there waiting for it and for you.
As a business coach AND speaker, Keren Eldad (“Coach Keren”) is a trusted advisor to industry-leading executives and superstar entrepreneurs who are setting records at the top of their fields. Over the last three years, Keren has developed a measurably impactful and streamlined executive coaching process to do this, while working with top organizations, including Luxxotica, J.P. Morgan, Christian Dior/LVMH, Soros, Van Cleef & Arpels, Vacheron Constantin, IWC, Waypoint Helicopter Leasing, Beyond Capital, YPO and more. Coach Keren’s teachings are designed to help anyone evaluate their state, and work one-on-one to uniquely and strategically build the most effective ways to hone-in on what matters most, work less on what doesn’t, and live your best possible life. Reach her online at www.KerenEldad.com.