Social Media Highlight Reels

I just watched someone apologize for only showing the "good stuff" and then start saying all the personal shit she was going through.

Hmmm. I don't see Starbucks airing their dirty laundry.

If you have an online business, you treat it like a business.

What it boils down to is that I am going to be responsible for what I consume on social media, viewing magazines and TV or whatever. I am a responsible adult and I know that these things that I am seeing are the highlight reels.

And I’m responsible enough to not let allow those things to let me feel like my life is somehow less than. I know that if I had a pro-makeup artist, pro-lighting, a pro photographer and a pro air-brusher I would be looking just as fucking good as Kim Kardashian. 

I think maybe we can all use a little bit more responsibility, and not start blaming other people for making us feel bad with their "highlight reels."

If I were to start putting all of my dirty laundry on social media because I felt badly that I show my highlight reel, that would be like me telling somebody,  "I’m going to let it all hang out because you’re not responsible enough to understand that I’m showing you my highlight reel.” 

At the end of the day, I think if you’re running a business on social media, you have to have a responsibility to your business to be showing your highlight reel. I mean, you don’t see the CEOs of Target broadcasting videos of them crying or looking homeless, because it’s a business.

I repeat - it's a business. It’s not a diary. It’s not midnight chat with your bestie over a glass of wine. What we’re talking about here is appropriateness. If you’re running a business on social media it is appropriate for you to be showing your highlight reel. 

Now, if you want to be showing some of the dirty laundry or some of the not so cute sides of the business, which do happen, that’s totally up to you. And I’m not saying to not do it, but what’s the intention behind it? Is the intention behind it because you feel like people are going to feel bad about themselves if you show off the amazing aspects of your life? And so you want to show some of the not so great parts to make people feel better about themselves?

Or are you posting about the not so great parts because it's apart of your personal brand? There is a really big distinction. I think there’s this trend where people are really forcing this authenticity or keeping it real and letting it all hang out. And to be honest, it doesn’t work for everybody. It doesn’t work for every single brand. Every single brand does not need to let their dirty laundry hang out. Every single personal brand does not need to be overly authentic. 

This whole word, authentic, gets thrown around like it’s some sort of achievement. It’s completely unnecessary in many cases. There has to be a little bit more intention behind it. Don’t let somebody tell you that you need to be more authentic or you need to show people the real side of things in order to get more people to like you or to get more people following you. Because that is not the case. 

You could go as far as to say that you are going to attract those kinds of people to you. So if you’re showing them all of the nitty-gritty, not so great things about business, you’re probably going to attract those kinds of people who are experiencing that same thing to you. Which is not necessarily good or bad, it just depends on what your intentions are. It’s just really about being intentional with it and understanding that, again, I’m going to put out my highlight reel because that’s what feels good to me, and I’m going to assume that everybody’s an adult and knows that behind my highlight reel there are some frustrations and not so great moments sometimes when I yell at my kids, or eat something I shouldn’t or sleep in late, or have a lot of boogers. All the messy, dirty things in life. 

I’m going to assume that people are responsible enough to know that my life isn’t perfect. And sometimes when I let people have a glimpse into that, it’s very strategic, and it’s part of my brand. I don’t let everything hang out. It’s just pieces that enhance my personal brand. So, I’m not going around forcing "authenticity," and show people the dirty messy side because I somehow "owe them" to show them that’s not all about the highlight reel.

I don’t take personal responsibility to showcase the whole enchilada. I feel that adults are perfectly capable of understanding that there is other shit going on behind somebody else’s highlight reel. So, it really comes down to personal responsibility. I don’t owe it to anybody to come on and talk about the bad parts or the uncomfortable parts or the scary parts. If it comes down it and I’m ready and I feel like it, I will. But I’m not going to do it because I feel like I owe it to other people.

If we look at things along the lines of that we’re all adults, and start being intentional with the aspects of our lives that we’re showing to people, our businesses will be that much better.