When I logged into my facebook at 4am this morning I wasn't overly surprised by what I saw. Like most people I know I am not a fan of Trump or what he stands for but I do understand why he triumphed. The reason Trump, who is sexist, racist, xenophobic, homophobic and blatantly a bit (a lot) of a perve won in my eyes is because he was genuine. I actively dislike (I don't use the word hate) the person that he is but I can understand that people are more drawn to someone who is authentic than they are to the disingenuous.
The problem with Hilary is that people didn't warm to her, for all her intelligence, steeliness and capabilities she didn't create a rapport with members of the public. This was further compounded by the fact that she doesn't tell the truth. Politicians don't tell the truth, it's what they are famous for, but the tide has changed and people want to be able to trust those that lead. Hilary's downfall was her lack of integrity and authenticity and this was where Trump picked up the votes.
I always talk about how people buy from people. Trump is the personification of the American Dream (although he did have a helping hand from his parents). His voice is authentic and he is who he is and however vile that character might be people trust it more than Hilary.
As we all spend the next few days and weeks reflecting on the result and the potential impact it can have on our lives we can also think about what positive things we can learn from this (hey, I am a glass half full kind of person and with two little girls who are mixed race the thought of a more sexist and racist society isn't something I want to dwell on too much).
So what can we learn? We can learn to always be authentic in our business, in social media and in our lives. Don't ever try and be something that you aren't or be someone else. In business this is really true, it is impossible to build a facade for ever and it will also leave you exhausted. Whoever you are and whatever you are doing be true to that. Live your life with integrity and run your business that way.
Authenticity has always been something important to me and in my business even more so. If you look at my social media accounts you get a real, honest idea of who I am. I am a mum who does sometimes struggle with balancing 2 kids, a business, a social life and a home (and if you follow my blogs you will realise it is the home and the social life that can suffer). I don't sugar coat how hard things can be and how if you have a teething baby or a sick toddler everything can go out of the window.
The one positive lesson Trump has taught us is be authentic and be yourself. I doubt even I can find any other positives but you never know – he could surprise us (DISCLAIMER – I haven't had much sleep and I realise this is highly unlikely)
