[Needs to Be Said]
Perhaps I’ve been to too many 3 day events, retreats, masterminds and coaching industry events, but we’ve really got to talk about the utter lack of SUBSTANCE going on in our industry.
The Lifestyle Brand is dead, and has been for awhile.
People are sick of the slick, perfect pictures from the photoshoot in Paris. But it’s STILL going on and it’s set a tone that I see seeping into our in-person events.
It’s all hype, flash and shimmer without the SUBSTANCE. GRAVITAS. DEPTH.
The best I can articulate it is as some sort of fashion contest.
Who’s got the best dress?
Who’s got the cutest outfit?
Who’s most unique?
MOST of this is subconscious behavior fueled by survival instincts that have us women ever-so-subtlety competing with each other, even while we speak of building each other up and supporting each other.
But it’s ironic because most of us are committed to massive transformation, expansion and growth — for ourselves and our clients.
We all like to dress up and look nice but c’mom. It’s not the red carpet.
So wear your pretty dresses and skirts and faux pantsuits (non matching pants and jacket), wear your dark jeans and beautiful blouse with cool jewelry.
You do YOU of course but for the record:
It’s not the place for tight as hell body-conscious dresses and cage / bondage-inspired shoes. That’s for a nightclub (if that’s your style), not a networking event or industry conference. It’s not professional and seems incongruent to the environment.
And much, MUCH more importantly, we need to make a collective decision — are we here to have dress up contests where who’s cutest wins or are we here to profoundly and irrevocably change people’s lives?
Because the fashion contest creates the damaging comparison loop that has online coaches striving to be the next It Girl of the coaching industry. (There’s an actual brand based on this, btw.)
I don’t know about you but I have the chops, the substance and the depth, broad and extensive expertise. My work is backed up by years in business, years of training, refinement and personal growth.
I personally don’t want to be an It Girl or to be the winner of something that seems way too much like a popularity contest.
We can most definitely change lives AND look cute, too but let’s put a stop to the fashion-plate, dress up, runway show party show.
We are SO much more than that.
Thoughts? Have you seen this too?
<3