Lately, a lot of people have been asking me how I do it.

And by it, they don’t mean..like, IT. (Cause that would be rude. And weird. And probably result in me filing a restraining order.) They mean how I run my business.

And honestly? It kinda sorta trips me out. People are asking little old me for advice on running a business? At first I think, “What the hell do I know?” and then I take a moment. And I realize…Wow. I may not know everything, but I know a helluva lot more today than I did a year ago, or even 3 months ago.

What’s even crazier is that not only do I know business a lot better than I did a year ago, I know myself a lot more today than I did a year ago.

Honestly when I first started copywriting, I was doing two things:
1. Trying to be like everybody else
2. Trying NOT to be like me

Okay, it’s not like I was actively trying NOT to be myself. But I definitely wasn’t looking inward for answers (like I suggested you do through meditation right over hurr).

At the beginning, I think I truly believed that somebody else had some super-sweet secret that would immediately make my business blow up like a sorority girl after the holidays.

I think a lot of us feel that way at first, when encountering new things with fresh eyes for the very first time. (Anybody else totally have a Madonna moment? Ahem. Anyway…)

It seems like everybody has it together & you’re just kinda making it up as you go along & praying the whole operation doesn’t fall apart.

Newsflash: We’re all making it up as we go along.

(But that’s another post for another day.)

So first, I realize that nobody really knows much more than I do. AND THEN I realize that by being me & bringing what I do know to the table, I’m actually doing oodles more good than I ever could hiding behind my MacBook never making a peep.

SO. I took my own advice, and tuned inward to try to ferret out what makes so me uniquely Erica Lee.

And a funny thing happened: I realized that a lot of the things that make me different and awesome at what I do are things I used to dislike about myself.

Ouch, right?

Well let me further explain. Below are a few things I used to loathe about myself, and how they actually make me da bomb at what I do now.

1. Being “overly sensitive” (& crying a lot) seemed dorky & got me picked on a ton.

Now it helps me connect with healers, coaches & therapists & truly understand where their market is coming from because I feel for other people and I’m not without my own problems.

2. Being so in tune with others’ emotions whenever I was in a room with them made me feel like a weirdo, and a people-pleaser (always trying to make the other person feel at ease, although that’s not my job).

Now it helps me read a potential clients’ energy so I can easily decide 1. If we’re a right fit and 2. How committed they are to moving their business forward. (Because you gotta be committed ya’ll. Again, another post for another day.)

3. Feeling – like really, truly, deeply – for other human beings & my freakish ability to slip into their (metaphorical) stilettos (and/or TOMS, if that’s more their thing) made me feel emotionally heavy allllll the time.

Now it’s such an asset to be able to truly connect with business owners and feel the passion for what they do. SUCH. An. Asset.

4. Desperately wishing to be “like other people,” stalking the Instagrams and Tumblrs of gorgeous girls who seemingly had it all (natural beachy blonde waves and a wardrobe Rachel Zoe would envy? Life is so unfair!) & studying them like crazy used to make me feel insecure & different.

Now, I realize my fascination with pretty things and pretty people is based mostly on my desire to know what makes us all tick. And now this deep psychological desire to truly know what determines human behavior helps me do stuff like figure out makes Suzy Q’s coaching business (and sassy lil’ Suzy Q herself) radically different than Suzy A’s coaching business. I’m able to easily see the differences in people & what makes them so darn amaze. And I think I help boost my clients confidence as a result (and rightfully so!) I’ve had many-a-client tell me that after I wrote their bio pages, they totally wanted to befriend themselves. (And not just befriend, but BF-Friend.) Talk about a compliment!

All of this has opened my eyes so much.

In fact, I’ve embraced the idea so wholeheartedly that I’ve decided loving (+ capitalizing on) that thing that makes you a weirdo is a part of my core message.

(And I gotta say, it’s been sooooo much fun helping others discover that “thing” with my Mini Message Sessions which I’ll be offering again soon!)

Now, since you’ve made it this far, I’m gonna go ahead & assume the idea intrigues you. SO. I want you to take a moment today to sit, center yourself + take a few deep breaths. (No, really. Don’t just think about it. Do it, lady!) And then, repeat the following:

I am okay just the way I am.
I can become successful just by being me.
Nothing about me needs to change for me to have a thriving business. NOTHING.

Don’t you feel better already? I thought so!

Your Turn! //

I’d love to know what it is about you that makes you so damn weird – and how you can use that in your business. I challenge you to brainstorm at least one way to totally rock your individuality in your biz. Share it with us in the comments!

I’m Erica Lee Strauss, pixie-sized copywriter, word weaver & marketing maven. I help women entrepreneurs craft conversational copy that sells. I want to live in a world where women rule, people aren’t afraid to say “I love you” and sequins can be worn year-round, without question.

When I’m not working out, downward dogging on my yoga mat and tinkering away on my MacBook, you can find me laughing with friends in the sunshine, sipping chai tea or ferociously writing in my journal. Or shopping.

Keep up with me on twitter @ericaleexo or come hang out over on the Facebook page.