Even in the midst of the chaos, lessons seemed to be stirring. Here's what I know, 5 days post-op…

Most people don't. It feels narcissistic, like they're placing a strobing spotlight on their ego, obviously desperate for external validation. But then I'm here telling you, “Your story matters! Share it!" Confused? I get it. Read on to learn more.

FOPO— not sure what it is? Oh, you do, trust me. Fear of Other People’s opinions. Not that it has a name, are you nodding with how familiar you are with this ghastly feeling? If so, read on.

In an age of Marie Kondo, essentialism, minimalism and rock-hard habits being today's gold medal cocktail, complexity doesn't jive. In fact, it's straight-up counter culture, it's harder, messier, stickier, more…complicated. Aren't we all supposed to agree we're aiming for simplicity?

I'm told I shouldn't care about what other people think. That it's a right of passage in your 40s to be liberated from other people's judgments of me. And I'm here to call bullsh**.

Authenticity—that's the question that's been plaguing me lately: what is “authenticity,” and what the hell am I supposed to think about it?

As a brand, you have to control the story your customer is telling themselves and reroute it towards your epiphany. If they arrive at the same ah-ha moment, you’ve captured their attention, made an intimate connection, and opened the door to sharing your plan, your solution, your product as the bridge between where they are, and the possibility of what could be.

Ask yourself these 11 questions to help you discover what matters in your story, what parts of your story highlight your company values, and which ones to trash. You can use these in your branding, messaging, and marketing materials to get people to connect with you, your emotion, and your experience, then get on board to be your advocate—for life.