I love to cook. I love everything about the process. I especially love to research recipes. I pull cookbook after cookbook off my shelf flipping endlessly through pages and tabbing the ones I want to consider for a special meal. I comb through Pinterest and dozens of my other favorite sites in search of that one perfect dish for that one specific meal.
But what I find most exciting is unearthing that one secret ingredient that makes a dish truly amazing. That spice or herb that makes people pause, close their eyes and say “Yummm” . That one ingredient that make people ask, “What is it? What makes this so good?”
It could be the espresso in the chocolate mousse or just the perfect pinch of nutmeg in your béchamel sauce or the harissa paste you added to your slow-cooked brisket. Whatever it may be – you know there is just something oh so delicious that that one ingredient makes.
When I’m not thinking about business I’m thinking about cooking and vice versa.
I’ve often wondered if there is a secret ingredient to business – in particular to creating a seriously amazing profitable sustainable and all-around kick-ass business.
There are plenty of articles, classes, YouTube videos trying to sell you on the secrets to business. There is no shortage of people also trying to hard-sell you on their particular secret.
It’s exhausting and annoying! You all know how much Cortney and I can’t stand the yelling, the fear tactics, the blinking yellow arrows and the Buy Now buttons leading you to $2,000+ programs. Ick!
But when I sat down to really consider if there is truly a secret to the secret sauce of business – one thing did jump out.
It’s the one thing that if you add it to your business, it sets you apart.
It’s the orange peel in your hot chocolate or the balsamic vinegar in your Bloody Mary.
The real secret ingredient to your business is in fact YOU.
Here are some tips to infuse more you into your business.
1. Share Your Story
Find clever ways to weave your story into your marketing and content. It seems people are either way too formal (presumably left over from their corporate days) or entirely too forthright with their sharing (and turning people off). There is a happy medium where you’re sharing your story of struggle and solution or how you’re currently making changes in your life. Remember, your story needs to resonate with your audience – either getting them to relate to some aspect of your journey or being an inspiration or aspiration for them.
2. Be Authentic
I know I know… You’ve heard this before. But I think this advice needs to be repeated often and frequently! Be authentic in how you speak to your audience. Don’t pretend to be something or someone you are not. Don’t be phony authentic – that’s even worse. You know those folks who pretend they’re all vulnerable and open but they’re putting on a show – more like a reality show. Ick Ick Ick!
It’s easy to be enamored by how others are coming across online. It may even spark in you how you ideally would like to present yourself. But if that isn’t you – if you’re not glossy or irreverent or overly enthusiastic – people will read that instantly and will click elsewhere.
I know I would be incredibly uncomfortable wearing a mini skirt, my hair down and fake eyelashes while jumping around on stage. It isn’t me and you’d see totally through it. (I’m not good at pretending at all!)
3. Act like Zappos
Zappos is known for great customer service and one way to really add more you into your business is to be sure to interact with your peeps.
Even though it is tempting to have a faux customer service email address that you use to make yourself seem larger than the one-woman show you might be running (right now at least) but I’ve found that people love getting notes back from the CEO of the company… that’s me. 
Take the time to really interact with your customers when they make the effort to reach out to you and your business. Dump the canned, professional, robot-sounding messages. And if you do have a VA – make sure they forward you the heart-felt messages that your audience has thoughtfully taken time to send you.
There is nothing worse than this type of response: “So and so appreciates you reaching out to share how much her blog post emotionally touched you. We’ll make sure she knows that but she gets a ton of emails like this everyday and cannot possibly respond to every one. Thanks for being such a great fan” Yuck! (and unsubscribe).
4. Share Your Fear
People are tired of hearing all the success stories out there. It often makes you feel worse about how hard you’re working and struggling to make things click. Share your missteps, share your flops, open up about your fears. People want to hear the honest truth – not the glossy “best of” stories. By stepping outside your comfort zone – you give others the courage to step outside of theirs too.
![Secret Ingredient to Business Success is You... and LearnSavvy.]()
5. Sprinkle … Don’t Dump
Just like in cooking – there are always the right amounts. Too heavy handed on the sugar and your dessert turns out horribly sweet. Too little and your confection turns out bland and tasteless. Similarly, you have to find the right amount of you to add to your mix. The right amount for you AND your audience. Play around and see what works, what resonates with your audience and how much you feel comfortable exposing/sharing.
So how can you find ways to add your best secret ingredient into your business mix? Share your thoughts and successes below!
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