The linked-to article in my post originally appeared on the Social Triggers website, How to Find Your Voice – And Own It, by Derek Halpern.

I have been at this blog for a few months. My blog is important to me, because it is the way I will find my voice. That is not enough. Will people listen to me? Will I connect with my audience? I have to work on that. This quote from the article says it all:  “What blends in gets forgotten. What stands out gets remembered.”

How to find your voice – and own it

Back when I started creating content, I had an identity crisis.

When you met me in “real life,” I’d be a loud, quirky, arrogant, and sometimes even border-line obnoxious, and larger than life personality.

I’d say funny things like, “it’s not FREE today?” to random clerks. I’d walk into a restaurant and bellow, “What’s up!” to the hostess.

And apparently I’m so quirky that the other week when I had a Social Triggers team meeting in NYC, my assistant ordered my usual cappuccino , sparkling water, and a cup of ice at my favorite coffee shop, and the clerk said, “Wait, is this for Derek?”

(This coffee shop gets bombarded with probably 1,000+ customers a day. But they remember my order, heh).

But back when I started creating content, I showed NONE of this. I smashed my personality into a little box and threw that box out the window. I was scared that people would judge me because apparently being judged online was scary to me.

I told myself, “Well, I can’t show the real me. It would turn people off, and I don’t want to do that. I’m looking to help everyone!”

Sound familiar?

Finding your voice, and owning it, is tough. Especially when you’re first getting started. I know this becaue I was in your shoes. […]

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How to Find Your Voice – And Own It

Have you found your voice? Please provide your thoughts in the comments. I would really enjoy hearing from you.