Permission to Be Yourself:
- Jada West
- Apr 11
- 5 min read
What I Learned About Authentic Content Creation from My YWCA Mentees
I've been mentoring women entrepreneurs through the YWCA program recently, and even though each session was only 45 minutes long, every conversation left me energized and thoughtful. These women walked in with content creation anxiety and walked out excited about the possibilities—not because I gave them some magic formula, but because together we discovered something much more powerful.
The Content Creation Struggle Is Real
When we first sat down together, I could feel the tension these women were carrying around content creation. Some straight up told me they hated social media. Others were frustrated by putting out content that got crickets in response. Many felt unsure about their messaging and who exactly they were trying to reach.
But as we dug deeper, I realized the core issue wasn't about algorithms or hashtags or posting schedules. The real struggle? Not knowing how to genuinely connect with the people they so deeply longed to serve.
It wasn't that they didn't know who they wanted to help—they did. These women had clear visions of the clients and communities they wanted to build. What they struggled with was how to communicate with those people in a way that made their expertise visible and valuable.
The Pressure to Conform
"I feel like I'm doing something wrong," one woman told me, scrolling through her Instagram feed to show me the polished, perfectly curated content her competitors were posting. "I don't create content like this, so maybe that's why I'm not seeing results."
Another mentee confessed she'd been sitting on content ideas for months because she wasn't sure if they were "professional enough" for her audience. A third had been trying to copy the tone and style of a successful person in her field—and hating every minute of the process.
I could see they were all feeling the pressure to conform, to follow some imaginary rulebook of what "good content" looks like. They were second-guessing their natural instincts and trying to force themselves into boxes that weren't built for them.
The Permission Breakthrough
In each session, there was a moment (a beautiful, visible moment) when something shifted. It usually happened when I asked them to talk about their work, their clients, or their journey, and they forgot about "creating content" and just started sharing from their heart.
Suddenly, their energy changed. Their eyes lit up. Their hands started moving as they spoke passionately about what they do and why it matters.
"That," I'd say, pointing to the transformation I was witnessing. "THAT is your content."
The breakthrough wasn't me giving them a new strategy. It was giving them permission to bring themselves—their whole, authentic, passionate selves—into their content.
Style as a Content Strategy
One mentee's session particularly stands out to me. As we talked, I couldn't help but notice her style—this beautiful blend of androgynous elements mixed with earthy, natural, free-flowing pieces. Her clothing choices weren't random fashion decisions; they were an expression of her identity and values.
As she described the clients she wanted to work with in her coaching business, I started seeing the connection. The very qualities expressed in her personal style—the balance of masculine and feminine energy, the respect for natural authenticity, the creative freedom—were exactly what her ideal clients were seeking in their own lives.
"Your style isn't separate from your content strategy," I told her. "It's central to it. The people who are drawn to your visual aesthetic are likely the same ones who need your coaching approach."
Watching her face as she made this connection was pure magic. She'd been thinking she needed to create a "professional image" separate from her authentic self, when in reality, her authentic self was exactly what would attract her perfect clients.
Content Creation vs. Self-Expression
What I realized through these sessions is that we've overcomplicated content creation. We've turned it into this separate, specialized skill that feels disconnected from who we are. We think we need to become different people online—more polished, more perfect, more whatever-we-think-our-audience-wants.
But the most powerful content doesn't come from becoming someone else. It comes from becoming more intentionally yourself.
These women didn't need new content strategies nearly as much as they needed:
Permission to show up as themselves
Clarity about which aspects of their stories would resonate most with their people
Structure to communicate their ideas consistently
Confidence that their authentic voice was exactly what their audience needed
Finding Your Content Sweet Spot
There's a sweet spot where who you naturally are intersects with what your audience needs. Finding that intersection doesn't require you to change who you are—it just requires you to get clear on which parts of yourself to bring forward.
For one mentee, it was her journey through corporate burnout that would connect most powerfully with her audience of overwhelmed professionals. For another, it was her unique perspective as both an artist and a business strategist that made her insights so valuable.
These weren't new aspects of themselves they needed to create—they were already there, already authentic, already powerful. They just needed to recognize these elements as content gold rather than trying to mine someone else's territory.
Your Permission Slip
If you've been struggling with content creation—if it feels forced or inauthentic or just plain hard—maybe what you need isn't a new strategy or formula. Maybe what you need is permission to bring more of yourself forward.
Your unique combination of experiences, perspectives, and ways of expressing yourself isn't something to minimize or overcome. It's your greatest content asset.
This is exactly what I help entrepreneurs with in my content strategy sessions. Instead of starting with what everyone else is doing, we start with what's already true about you. We identify the stories, perspectives, and ways of communicating that feel natural to you AND will naturally attract your ideal people.
Because when content creation feels like an authentic extension of who you already are, it stops feeling like a chore and starts feeling like a joy.
What About You?
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