It's Not Who I Am...It's WHAT I Am.

Here we are… 2025.

The other day, I received a message from a former colleague who suggested I dial back my “enthusiasm” — let’s call it that — regarding one of my recent posts. Their warning? That I might alienate and lose half my audience. The implication was that I was just another “keyboard warrior,” hiding behind a screen.

I didn’t respond right away. I took a couple of days to sit with it. And yes, I even took down one of my posts because, even for me, it was a little too passionate.

But here’s the thing: that message was actually a gift. It reminded me that my audience follows me because of my narrative. Because of my passion. Because I’m authentic, real, and unapologetically me. No fluff. No BS. What you see is what you get — pure transparency and honesty.

And honestly? I think that’s what we’re missing in 2025. True honesty. True transparency. A clear view of who we really are. Social media has given us permission to be someone we’d probably cross the street to avoid in real life. It lets us put on a mask, exaggerate our accomplishments, slap a filter on reality — and pretend.

But when the phone is down and the mirror is in front of you — are you the same person? For many, I hope the answer is yes. For me, I know it is.

So here’s my takeaway: stay true to who I am, while staying mindful of who I’m speaking to. Words do matter. They can hurt. They can offend.

But they can also inspire.

I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes — it’s been sitting on my desktop for years:

“Worry less about who you might offend and care more about who you might inspire.” – Tim Allen