How To Be Yourself – Matthew Kimberley, Ep. 73

Podcast interview on how to be yourself with Matthew Kimberley.

Ever wondered how to be yourself? What do you think would happen if you were to allow yourself to just be exactly who you are? How would things change if you were to also embrace who you are not? What if you connected only with the people for whom you are a good fit? How would it feel if you joyfully wished all others well as you let them go, with or without you?

It sounds fundamentally simple, doesn’t it?

Well, it’s not. If it were, you’d be doing it. And so would I. And we’d be better for it.

The good news is, today I’m going to introduce to somebody who is doing that better than just about anyone else I’ve ever seen. Listening to him is going to help you see how to be yourself.

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Here’s a “magic bullet” for small business owners looking to set themselves apart and build their business. What if you just allowed yourself to be yourself? What if you communicated like an actual human being, free to engage and help those who vibe with your style, and equally happy to let others go to be helped by someone else for whom they may be better suited?

What would happen if you did that?

Listen to today’s guest, Matthew Kimberley, and then you tell me. Because he’s one of the rare people who I believe to be doing just that, and in this episode, Matthew shares about his journey of self realization, what worked for him, what didn’t, what he did about it and how he decides what now gets his time and attention and what does not.

How to Get a Grip

Matthew is the creator of Professional Persuasion and author of the self-help classic, “How To Get A Grip.” He trains sales teams and helps very small personality-led businesses get more customers.

But more than any of that, when I first came across Matthew and his work, his voice, I felt like I had finally found a breath of pure oxygen in world full of carbon dioxide. Or more specifically, someone in the sales, marketing, coaching and speaking space who is actually real; an authentic and 100% genuine voice shared by someone who is perfectly happy to be exactly who he is and who he is not.

It’s possible that my viewpoint is slightly exaggerated because I’ve had so much first-hand experience in sales and marketing in some form or another. I’ve been put through more sales trainings than I can remember, read all kinds of books on the topic and studied my fair share of “leaders in that space.”

Matthew’s voice rings the most genuine to me. I already liked Matthew’s work a lot, but I like it even more after having had the chance to speak with him in the discussion that makes up this episode of the podcast.

A few highlights from the conversation with Matthew:

1. Confidence vs. Enthusiasm – Matthew talked about how they’re not the same thing but how you can use one to help deal with the idea of (or fear of) rejection. Guess which one it is, and how to use it? 
2. “Idearrhea” – When Matthew talked about “getting better at finishing,” I instantly related to what he was saying. It’s an area I am constantly working at having the discipline to improve. And if I’ve ever heard the phrase “Idearrhea” before, I don’t remember it, though I can quickly confess I have that particular affliction.
3. The struggle with comparison – Matthew talked about people’s tendency toward downplaying their own progress or achievements due to comparing with others. It’s an important observation that many of us would be wise to take to heart.

I also really like Matthew’s framework of “Procrastinator, Player, Manager, Master,” which he touches on toward the end of this conversation. That alone will provide anyone in business with a good accountability exercise or “temperature check” on where they really are and what kind of help might most benefit them.

This really was a lot of fun. Here is the conversation with Matthew Kimberley, on Journeys with the No Schedule Man: