Fortunately, our tomatoes have started ripening now. So I was in the garden, harvesting them and I found some of those ones that have “stretch marks” on them. A lot of our tomatoes are like this, because of all the recent rain and insufficient sun to ripen them quickly enough.
These tomatoes would be completely rejected by any supermarket because they don’t look “perfect”. But if you’re like me, you think, they look really tasty, home-grown tomatoes, I’ll make them into a lovely pasta sauce for my dinner! (And it was so yummy!)
Home-grown tomatoes, unlike commercially produced ones, are not grown to look a certain way or to all look the same. They are allowed to grow freely, so they’re all different, and this is what makes them so delicious with such a rich, complex taste.
The heirloom varieties, in particular, with their diverse colours, shapes, and sizes, have varied flavours that mass-produced tomatoes simply can’t match. Some of the ones we are growing this year are orange rather than red, as it’s so nice to have something a bit unusual.
Whereas, when it comes to ourselves, we are so self-critical, we see all our imperfections and it stops us from connecting with our business community, by avoiding putting ourselves online.
I completely identify with this, as I was born with a birth defect on my face and because of that, when I look at my face in the mirror or in photos, I have scars and don’t look very symmetrical. So I’ve definitely had that feeling of not wanting my photo to be taken, because I knew I wouldn’t like what I saw.
But as I grew my business, I began to realise that people want to see the person behind the business. And I found there were other people, who, for all sorts of reasons, were like me and didn’t like their photo being taken. And this is the reason why the key message in my business, is that I work with people who are camera-shy.
We fear being judged and compared to other people, and this prevents us from showcasing our unique businesses, despite knowing that in business people don’t buy our service for the way we look.
People work with us for our expertise, our personality and our values. We all want to work with real people, who are authentic, and we can relate to.
Conclusion:
So, the next time I sit down to eat an “imperfect” home-grown tomato, I’m going to remind myself to celebrate imperfections and embrace vulnerability in myself and other people.
It would be great if we could all share our authentic selves to connect on a deeper level with potential clients who appreciate us presenting the person behind the brand.
And if you’re someone who has avoided this until now, phone me for a chat, and we can showcase your unique business and personality so people can connect with you.
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