Two things happened to me this month that I keep coming back to over the last few days.

 

The first thing: I was in a meeting when someone mentioned that it was International Dance Day. And then she shared what it meant to her. Her eyes lit up. Her whole energy shifted. And one by one, other people in the meeting started sharing too. What dance meant to them. A memory. A feeling. Something they hadn't thought about in years.

 

The whole meeting changed because one person let themselves be genuinely excited about something.

 

The second thing: I was in Tampa watching my daughter compete at her cheer competition when a fellow cheer mom asked if she could ask me something personal. She wanted to know why I have trouble accepting praise. She'd noticed that I do a lot for the team but deflect whenever anyone acknowledges it. 

 

I told her the truth. I said it was because I didn't want others to feel like they weren't doing enough. 

 

These two interactions have shaped this month's issue. 

 

 

Most of us are navigating two things at once when it comes to our marketing.

 

On one side, we're so busy and so distracted that we've stopped listening for what actually excites the people around us who may truly be interested in what we offer. We scroll past them. We half-listen to them at the events we attend. We're already moved on from the conversation before it ends. 

 

On the other side, many of us are also quietly dimming our own light to make others comfortable. We downplay what we've built. We deflect compliments. We hold back our real enthusiasm because somewhere along the way we decided that playing it down was the generous thing to do.

 

But nobody is inspired by someone playing small. The woman in the meeting who talked about what dance meant to her didn't make the room feel smaller by sharing her excitement about dance. She made it bigger. She gave everyone else permission to show up too.

 

That's what great marketing does. And it starts with being willing to actually feel it, and show it.

 

 

Your audience is paying attention to more than your content. They're paying attention to how you show up. And when you consistently hold back, play it safe, or market from a place of obligation rather than genuine excitement, they feel that too. Maybe they can't name it, but something feels a little flat.

 

The businesses that build real connection, the ones where clients feel genuinely seen and come back again and again, are the ones led by people who are willing to be honest about what they love. What lights them up. What they actually believe in.

 

That kind of marketing isn't louder. It's just more real. And real is what people are hungry for right now.

 

So this month is about paying attention in both directions. Listening more closely to the people around you, and giving yourself permission to show up more fully too.

 

 

Have one real conversation with someone in your world, a client, a peer, a friend in business. Your only job is to listen for what lights them up. No agenda. No pitch. No mentally composing your next post while they're talking.

 

Ask them one question: What's something you're genuinely excited about right now? Then just listen. Notice what happens to their energy. Notice what happens to yours.

 

Then ask yourself: does my marketing sound anything like that?

 

 

 

This one doesn't require a conversation. Just your eyes and a little time.

Go somewhere people gather this month. A market, a coffee shop, a class, an event, anywhere with a mix of people moving through their day. And watch for the moment someone lights up.

 

You'll know it when you see it. The pace changes. The hands start moving. The voice shifts. The people around them lean in without even realizing it.

When you spot it, notice three things:

 

 

Pull up your last five pieces of content, posts, emails, whatever you've put out recently. For each one, ask:
 

 

 

This month I want to highlight one of my former 1:1 marketing clients, Jaquie. Jaquie is a new Parent Educator, Pediatric Sleep Consultant, Postpartum Doula and mom of two. She's also incredibly kind, funny and someone you should definitely have in your corner as a new mom.