Years ago, our congressman was Mack Collins, and I had him as a guest speaker at a men’s event I was hosting. After the event he invited me to come to Washington to his office for a day and he would show me around. I went and it was one of the most impressive things I have ever seen, and he took to meetings that I had no business being in. One of the things that impressed me was s sign he had hanging over his desk that simply read, Be Real. I know he practiced that because Mack was the same Mack in DC as he was in Jackson Georgia.

I continue to be amused by people in my industry that put on a good show but don’t have anything to back it up. I called it all show and no go. Ha. They look good, smell good and have perfect gelled hair, but couldn’t buy their way out of a wet paper bag.

Think of a Peacock bird.  That is exactly what I am talking about. They fluff out the amazing feathers and they look much bigger than they really are, they are beautiful and amazing, but their only skill is to fake their predators into thinking that they are bigger than they really are. They can’t fight, they are slow runners and can only fly a short distance. Basically, they are all show and no go.

I was on a conference call yesterday with the grandson of the founder of a large privately held hotel company. This guy was probably late 30’s and early 40’s and he didn’t try to impress with his name and the way he looked, but when he started talking, everyone on the call took note. I respect people who are authentic and not styling and profiling. They are who they are and don’t try to be someone they are not.

I believe people respond to people who are real and comfortable in their own skin just the way God made them. The ones I have trouble with are the ones that try to be someone they are not to impress people they don’t even know. People who try to be a peacock can quickly become a feather duster if they are not authentic.

The sign in Mack’s office said, “Be Real.”  That’s pretty good advice all around. KT