The Power of Authenticity with Jasmine Hermann
I am thrilled to celebrate the one-year anniversary of my podcast with an interview with my writing coach, Jasmine “Jae” Herman. Jae is an award-winning storyteller with 20 years of experience in content strategy and copy editing. She works with various clients in the entertainment, wellness, marketing, and nonprofit sectors to improve their digital marketing. Jae also supports women entrepreneurs through Boss Squad, a community for female leaders.
I found Jae through a colleague’s Instagram and she helped me tremendously in shaping my book. The process was transformative and empowering. Writing is such a personal creative expression, it’s vulnerable, and sometimes we stray away from trusting our own voice. Jae helped me find my voice, while reminding me that I’m writing for you.
I need to be clear and I need to stay aligned to my desire to help and guide, not because I have all of the answers, but because my personal experiences, the times I’ve fallen and had to pull myself up, it might keep someone else from having to fall.
Jae’s entrepreneurial journey wasn’t a linear one. She was called, early on in her career, to forge her own path. She started with making jewelry, and was eventually ledto content strategy. . As opportunities presented themselves, Jae made sure to always say yes. She learned the idea of “yes, and” through improv.
“If you're in a scene with someone and they give you something, you don't drop it. You take it and you run with it. That was my thinking about opportunities that presented themselves in my career. I'm going to take it and go with it. It may go well, it may complement something I'm already doing, or “ok, I tried it and that didn't fit”. And that's how I saw it. This mindset led me to discover new paths and opportunities in ways I may never have discovered if I wasn’t open and curious.”
Jae and I discussed the concept of juggling a job and a side hustle.
Working for someone else, whether for benefits or opportunities, becomes the side gig. It's more about maintaining a separate identity, not letting the job define you. It's about prioritizing your own goals, finding what works for you, and sticking to that path. It's a mindset shift, focusing on your core values and how they can benefit others. This understanding takes time to develop, but once you grasp it, everything else falls into place.
Jae calls this focus your “belief beacon.”
Finding your beacon, even if it's not crystal clear, is vital. It's essential to maintain belief and focus on your path, especially during challenging times. Straying from your integrity and your personal values can lead to losing sight of your beacon in difficult times. Entrepreneurial paths evolve alongside personal growth, requiring constant adaptation.
There are always opportunities for change and improvement butconstant evolution is key. The notion of sticking to one thing for decades is outdated. Instead, having a beacon to follow as a foundation that remains constant no matter what circumstances are circling around you is a key to longevity and success in your business..
For Jae, finding her beacon was the work. She, like many others, had to overcome imposter syndrome while sharing her own writing alongside helping others with their own content. She realized she needed to share her own personal experiences, successes, and failures in order to improve. She confronted the limiting belief that she was inadequate compared to traditionally trained content creators and learned that her unique perspective and experiences have inherent value. Every individual's viewpoint adds richness to shared knowledge, even if it differs from others'.
Embracing her unique perspective allowed her to confidently express herself.
It's common for people to doubt their expertise, especially in service industries where they are front and center. Imposter syndrome often arises when presenting oneself as an expert. However, everyone brings their own expertise, and it's up to others to resonate with their version of it. Staying authentic and true to your own integrity allows people to decide if they connect with your message.
It's natural to feel slightly off-kilter when striving for something beyond your current capabilities. Rather than viewing it negatively, celebrate it as evidence of your ambition and courage to reach further. Getting comfortable with this feeling can empower you to keep striving instead of letting it hinder your progress.
“If you weren't reaching for the thing that you think that you can't get, just reaching alone will cause you to feel like maybe I shouldn't reach for that at all. So if you have those feelings you should be celebrating them because that means you're doing it, that you're going for it, that you're reaching.”
Content Strategist, Jasmine “Jae” Hermann
Jasmine (Jae) Hermann is an award-winning storyteller with +20 years of experience as a content strategist and copy editor. She partners with entertainers, wellness providers, marketing agencies, and nonprofit leaders to help them clarify and perfect their digital marketing. Jae also passionately champions women entrepreneurs to embrace their creative storytelling confidence in Boss Squad—a membership community for women leaders. Get her free tips to become a more confident content creator in the Boss Creator Bulletin. Jae is running a workshop on April 9th. Register here.
The link to Jae’s article: Embrace Impostor Syndrome As Your Creative Superpower
Jaime Gennaro is a certified business coach with decades of experience working with and growing start-ups. She’s always been committed to finding creative ways to make money, either by starting businesses or landing interesting roles that helped her pursue her passions. Book a consult call to learn more about her coaching programs here.
