Last week I discovered a hilarious Twitter account called ‘Manwhohasitall.’ (I’ll share some of my favorite tweets in a minute.)
It’s a parody account that uses humor to make a very clear point:
How much is expected of women in general, and of working women (and mothers) specifically.
And how this shows up in the never ending stream of (often bullshit) advice women are constantly given.
Everywhere: in mainstream media, on billboards, Social Media, in magazines, movies, shows, commercials etc. etc.
No, of course you don’t have to listen to any advice that doesn’t ring true to you, and no, you don’t have to live up to anyone else’s expectations.
BUT when you get the same messages over and over, day in day out, it takes conscious effort & letting go to NOT let it negatively influence you.
Because this parody Twitter account turns the tables by giving the same type of bullshit advice to MEN, all of a sudden it becomes crystal clear how stupid and undermining it often is.
And it also becomes clear that you really don’t need a lot of the advice you get.
The same is true for business advice.
Some advice is good and helpful.
And some you really don’t need.
For example:
- You must have a big list if you want to make a lot of money (It helps for sure. But it’s not true that you can’t make a lot of money without a big list. There are plenty of other ways to get clients.)
- You must offer a high-end service or product because that’s what a small percentage of your clients want. (Love offering something high end? Go for it. Don’t love it? Don’t do it. You can build and grow your business without it.)
- You must pick a niche / one expertise and stick to it, or else!! (A niche naturally evolves from the inside out over time – IF this is something that fits you. If you’re multi-talented, you have all those talents for a reason. You can always find a way to express this in your business, or maybe even in several businesses.)
Never take ANYONE’S advice without making sure it will truly benefit and serve YOU. (Except maybe mine. My advice is usually spot on 😉 )
Listen to advice if it fits you, your business, your personality, beliefs, values and lifestyle.
Ignore it if it doesn’t feel right or makes you feel bad.
Just because something works for millions of people, doesn’t mean it will work for you, too.
And your feelings and intuition will ALWAYS tell you what’s true for YOU.
Go crazy, listen to your gut and break the rules, Amber – even your own rules if you feel they no longer serve you.
And as promised, here are some of my favorite tweets from Manwhohasitall:
© 2015 Brigitte van Tuijl