Last  Sunday I had a rant about entrepreneurial myths, and set out to bust a few. It felt good, liberating and daring. It also felt scary. I was worried about being too negative – too bitter, too petty. As if my own pain from the past few years had turned me into some kind of business Miss Havisham and the joy I had also felt with Billie Goat over the years had been forgotten. After some reflection I realised this simply wasn’t the case. I just decided it was time to get real. Time to dare greatly as Brene Brown would say.

Billy Joel said it so perfectly back in the 80′s…“we all have a face that we hide away forever” and I think sometimes we become so comfortable wearing masks that show who we think we should be, or who we are expected to be that we risk losing our true selves. Business people are very prone to this thanks to entrepreneurial stereotypes. My business woman mask was so firmly attached to my very presence that losing it to write last Sunday’s post was quite daunting. However, I recognise that for me, my mask was stopping me from being my authentic self. The primary reason for me starting this blog and  book is because I have had a nagging feeling if people do know the Billie Goat story, they most certainly don’t know all of it. I kept the juicy parts hidden behind my mask (damn ego!). Once I cast it aside on Sunday I felt a great sense of congruency between my inner most thoughts and my actions. I felt free for a while. That mask still lurks in my mind and at moments of insecurity I slip it on if needed. I’m not unbound completely yet…and that’s ok.

Do you wear various masks? It can be hard to shake them, particularly when others like the ones you have. However, if you notice a niggling feeling when you are behaving in a particular way, it may be that you’re not feeling congruent – beliefs, values and actions aren’t aligned. It might be time to step out from behind the mask and just see what that feels like instead…

• Bio

Leanne Faulkner

An Australian entrepreneur, I share my experience building a business from my kitchen to the world retail stage, and all the lessons I learnt about myself along the way. This is not a start-up guide or business blog, but rather reflections on my personal insights as an entrepreneur and more importantly, as myself. I built a successful skin care company, but realised the gift was never about the soap...the gift was about me. I hope my experience and reflections will benefit others on their life journey. Welcome x