How to remain authentic in a world that seems to be getting less authentic

OK, on one hand, you could start by saying that everyone is showing more and more of themselves online in relation to their businesses, and therefore it's very authentic – yes I totally agree and I think it’s wonderful to see a lot of the brains, makers, and personalities behind all of these new and fabulous brands.

However, there is an argument that with all of the sales channels we have now, there are also so many people seeing rubbish, buying followers, and showing you only the parts that they want you to see.

One of the reasons I stopped posting so much on social media was mainly because I found people had this idea about my life that simply wasn’t true, but of course, I only posted the pretty pictures or the best I had of a one-off day that was probably quite the opposite to how the picture made you feel. The power of photography never ceases to amaze me – anyway I digress.

So. Back to what I want to share with you today. How do I stay authentic as a brand in a world where there’s so much inauthenticity?

1. When I feel in the moment to do videos and posts I do them whatever state I am in - makeup, sports clothes, no makeup, hair brushed/not brushed, kids screaming in the background. I try to go with the flow and not revert back to feeling insecure because I don’t have mascara on (hello other fair-haired friends) People always used o say I looked as though I had been crying because of my lack of eyelashes! 
2. I do not follow trends on social media, I am not going to say it's because I refuse and don't find it hard because I absolutely find it hard to keep up but in my heart of hearts, I do believe in following my gut feeling which is to keep doing what I am doing, keep learning and being aware of what's happening and changing. But also not give myself a ton of additional stress and throw the towel in because suddenly the way social media are doing things has totally changed. I will just try to keep gaining small wins.
3. I don’t believe in purchasing followers - although I am trying to get more with a free giveaway haha - but not buying people to pump up my followers and make me look more popular. I am so happy that I have more than 1, how lovely that there are people out there who like my brand whether that 10 or 10,000.
4. I don't pretend to be something that I am not. My product is simple, I am not the first person to design a Cashmere wrap and I am not a London College of Fashion graduate with an incredible design portfolio. I am selling a product that I know exactly what it is made of, how and when, and by whom. I know about my yarn providers and their commitments to sustainability for everyone involved, I know my factory and how they conduct their business and I know that the quality of my product is high and priced reasonably. I am selling a product that will be used and loved for years, not a trendy design. This is called Slow Fashion.

I do hope that has given you some food for thought. How are you authentic or not?

Have you changed anything lately that you felt had fallen along with the trends and you realised it wasn’t really you?