I hope you all had a fun Halloween! I really enjoyed seeing all the cute little trick-or-treaters, and I may or may not have a stash of leftover candy sitting in front of me as we speak!

All the Halloween shenanigans got me thinking about how often we wear costumes and masks in real life. Not real costumes – unless you’re into that kind of thing!! But we often dress or present ourselves in a way that’s not really us. We hide our authentic selves behind a look or style that doesn’t really fit.

I know I’m certainly guilty of that very thing, but it honestly took me a long time to figure that out…

I’m an 80s girl at heart. Not the preppy, popped-collar 80s you see in the movies – I mean authentic 80s. Miniskirts, denim, leather jackets – the works! That 80’s free spirit soul never left me, but I let the look go.

Despite the fact that it was authentic to the core of who I was, I covered it up. I put on a costume that I like to call “Business Sophie” and went out into the world.

Why did I do it? I thought I had to.

I didn’t think I could get ahead if I didn’t project a look that people expected. I didn’t think I could build a business without a “business lady” façade. So, I masked up! I changed my hair, my makeup, my clothes – and I wore my Business Sophie costume faithfully for YEARS!

But then, one day, that mask slipped, and it revealed the real person behind it. And lo and behold – it didn’t frighten people away! Quite the opposite in fact. When I revealed my authentic self, the people around me were drawn to it!

Once I embraced my authenticity and gave myself permission to be real, it all started coming together. I figured out the direction I wanted to take my business. The new look and feel of my branding started to take shape – and let me tell you, it felt good!!

In just a few weeks, I’ve added several new clients to my roster. My rebrand is coming along beautifully, and I’ve got some really exciting things coming up. My business is actually better than ever, and I don’t think it’s coincidence. I truly believe that setting myself free and taking off the mask opened me up to so many wonderful possibilities.

So, I want to encourage you to do the same. Stop hiding your beautiful, authentic light behind what you THINK you should be, or what other people expect you to be. Be you – life is too short to waste time trying to be someone else.

If you want to learn more about the experience that freed me from a mask and persona that never really fit, check out this week’s episode of Building Your Empire with SophieZo!