A Personal About Page

Image by Vahagn Karapetyan

I sent her the About page last week, and by now I've learned to say - take your time. Read through it, then give it a day or two, or three. Chew on it for a while.Because when I write About pages that are deeply personal (as some have to be to connect with an audience to get deeply personal help), it can come as a shock to see one's self laid bare in text. And that shock takes a little adjusting to. A little time to clarify, like new-made wine.I think seeing your About page for the first time must be a bit like having your portrait painted. At first glance, your gut reaction is "That doesn't look anything like me!" Because you're so used to seeing yourself in the mirror, or in photographs. The painting, though, if it's good, captures an essential essence that even photographs often can't quite get at.It's you, through the lens of an artist, and that isn't quite how we see ourselves in our own minds. It's one of the reasons we want the artist, to let us see ourselves through someone else's eyes.The About pages I write tend to be for businesses that ask their clients to dig deep into themselves and do the hard work of self-examination to heal or to grow. It's an intimate process that can be a little unnerving.How often do we bare our souls to a stranger?The answer: We don't.Not to a stranger. And that is why the About page is so important for these businesses, because it's there that a coach becomes not-a-stranger, but a fellow human who has struggled too, and has learned valuable wisdom from it. An About page can be like a hand, reaching out to someone in pain to offer comfort and support. But only if it gets personal. Only if the coach reveals as much about herself (or himself) as they ask of their clients.I don't know if you've ever let slip a personal detail to a stranger at a party, but I know I have. You know what happens? It opens a door between two people. You share your story, they share their story. It's always an exchange, because we, as humans, don't want anyone to feel alone (least of all ourselves).