Making Cent$ is a monthly newsletter by Mira Katz dedicated to the taboo topics that affect creatives in business, with a focus in female founders, but still applicable for everyone. Best enjoyed with a cup of ☕️ and a 🥐.
If you know me (which I hope you feel like you do!)… you know that I KEEP IT REAL. Always. So when it comes to authenticity I consider myself a seasoned expert.
Let’s start from the beginning.
Mom and Dad
I am the daughter of two artists. Musicians by craft. True creative spirits. As a child, I sang and danced and wore whatever I wanted. It was encouraged.
In the artist community (from which I came) authenticity and self-expression are a currency. The weirder you are, the cooler you are. At the time, I didn’t know it, but I was given the biggest gift by my artist parents and their friends - the freedom to fully be myself. Not only that, I was given the freedom to experiment and figure out WHO I wanted to be.
Self-actualization isn’t a straight line– it’s a series of trials and adjustments and risks and the result is a unique combination that becomes your unique personality. It’s comforting to know I’ve really committed to this process and honored my roots.
Nostalgia for Abercrombie
Unfortunately, mainstream culture promotes trends and conformity because #capitalism. This was a challenge for pre-teen Mira who was teased for her strange outfits and who desperately wanted to wear Abercrombie and Fitch like everyone else. For a brief moment in my childhood, like most girls, I thought fitting in would make me cool. I didn’t want to draw attention to how I was different — I wanted the relief of being the same.
(no photos from this period of time will be shown, sorry!)
But alas, I couldn’t do it. No amount of Old Navy could cover up my true nature. Finally, in my teens, I ditched the polos for wild patterns and thrifted fur. Guess what happened? I met my people. My forever friends. My authentic self was a much better magnet for the people I wanted in my life. And those people from my earlier childhood? I’m not in touch with a single one.
Rebellion
I think a lot of us go through the pre-teen phase of wanting to fit in and then don’t grow out of it. The lack of individuation of so many people in society benefits lots of brands who enjoy telling you what’s cool and then charging you for it. Not only that, what’s cool seems to change each season so you need to keep buying stuff to stay cool! OH MY!
Being authentic, not following trends, and deciding what you like, is in itself an act of rebellion. And also a great savings strategy (because you don’t need to keep buying stuff to be cool, you just need to have the stuff you like and you’re good).
A Return to Self
Throughout my career, I’ve tried on different personas. I think that’s fun too. I tried on “young professional woman” and started a company. It worked! People took me seriously and the company was successful. But… I wasn’t surrounded by people who I felt fully aligned with.
Years later, I find myself being the eccentric, artsy, colorful, blend that is so reminiscent of my golden teenage years, and I also find myself surrounded by MY PEOPLE. I look at my clients and friends and they are the same: fully themselves and not trying to be like anyone else.
Color Coding
You know the saying, “your vibe attracts your tribe”. I know this to be incredibly true. If someone is dressed in bright colors and is a little silly, I will probably get along with them. I have yet to successfully maintain a friendship with someone with an exclusively black wardrobe.
Fun fact: I barely own any black clothing.
The Punch Line
Authenticity is a business strategy.
Want to attract projects and clients, customers, investors, and opportunities?
Be yourself.
Easier said than done, so here are some ways to get started.
- Listen to your favorite music in the morning
- Stock your fridge with your favorite foods
- Fill your wardrobe with statement pieces that are “SO YOU” so that those become your default options when getting dressed
- Pick a color and decorate your house with it (throw pillows, blankets, candles)
This might also mean doing a little purge:
- Donate the clothes that aren’t your vibe anymore
- Stop reaching out to the people you don’t connect with or who don’t fully celebrate you for YOU
- Move into an apartment that is more aligned with your lifestyle
Branding Too!
I gave lots of wardrobe examples of authenticity because I find it to be super relatable. But authenticity also applies to your brand and communication. My brand uses the same red color as my house (which I love and is so much part of me). And I write these emails without any ChatGPT at all (which is why it sometimes has typos). You’re getting unfiltered Mira. This is what I actually sound like.
As always, I hope this email sparks some inspiration. And if it did, I’d love to hear what resonated. You can reply to this email with a little note - I read them all.
I hope this makes sense.
With so much love,
Mira
