The personal development I didn't know was coming: How my business changed me (Why my intuition chose the 2000s makeover instead of the 90s one)

Originally published on Substack

My business gave me a late 2000’s natural makeover but it could have been a 90s business template makeover if I had ignored my intuition.

The way it could’ve gone:

I would have joined a networking group like BNI, ignoring the internal squeeze I felt my first 2 visits. I would've tried so hard to fit in, imitating the way members did things. And it probably would’ve worked, just matching myself to their template of a “successful entrepreneur”.

Just like a 90s makeover.

The makeover artist would’ve looked at my frizzy, kinky curly hair, big glasses, and comfy clothes and thought “She’s got potential.” And then remade me into a classic 90s fashionable woman: straightened the hair, ditched the glasses for contacts, traded out the comfy clothes for pencil skirts with heels. And then erased my face with makeup to create a new face, just like every other fashionable woman’s face.

But I didn’t finish that makeover.

The pull in my stomach wouldn’t let me - it screamed “NO!”

It warned “If you finish this, then you can’t stop. You have to keep bro marketing and networking and showing up ALL THE TIME. That straightened hair needs regular straightening to stay that way. And that makeup requires daily application to keep your face fabulous. Starting means not stopping if you want to keep this success.”

So I took the harder path. I followed my intuition, not knowing where that led, just knowing it was better than staying in templated makeover hell.

Instead, I got a completely different metaphorical makeover.

And that was like a late 2000s makeover. The era of the natural hair and curly girl movements. There was no template for this kind of makeover. It was new.

The makeover artist was creating her own art as she looked at

my metaphorically scraggly hair, tired from constant flat ironing,

my red eyes, dry from daily contact use,

my slightly too small clothes, bought trying to fit in.

The artist could see the real Me hiding and worked to bring her out.

They’d get rid of the flat iron and coax my kinks and curls back to life. They’d tell me to return to glasses and find me clothes in the right size and silhouettes.

And after the makeover I wouldn’t be a new person with a new face and new hair. I would just be more Me.

That’s what doing my business my way did. It made me more Me.

Building my business brought out what was already there, showed me what I unknowingly was already great at instead of contorting myself to fit another’s ideal of a “successful business person”.

And I’m glad I took that way. The natural makeover is superior because the more you complete the makeover, the more YOU you are. Over time, it’s easier to maintain because you become more You.

Just like curly hair getting curlier and healthier with each wash.