Why ABOUT pages are SO hard for Multipassionates
I’ve been teaching a group of incredible business owners how to write their About pages, and I always start with “THIS IS THE HARDEST PAGE!” Because when you’re writing your own About page — About YourSELF! — it is so freakin’ hard. It’s the page I’ve rewritten the most on my own website and I’m never happy with it. I mean, it does the job (what’s the job, you ask? Building Know + Like + Trust!).
But my challenge, as a multipassionate (some might say ADHD spectrum) entrepreneur is: Which SELF do I write about?
Because I contain MULTITUDES. Seriously. Remember that song “I’m a bitch, I’m a lover, I’m a child, I’m a mother, I’m a sinner, I’m a saint…” (if you’re not already humming it, here’s a reminder) — I can belt that song out in the shower because I’ve memorized every word. It speaks to me.
Some people do not have this problem. My husband, for example. He has one solid identity. Maaaybe he has a “work self” and a “home self” at most, but that’s where the variety ends. He’d have a very easy time writing his About page. I can’t imagine being that cohesive.
I have to take the extra step of deciding which facets of myself to show, because all of them would be overwhelming and confusing.
Let me be clear: It’s not that I think “I’m too much”. I love all of my selves. I have a blast exploring every potential. My shoe closet has cowboy boots, combat boots, hiking boots, flip-flops, Oxfords, Saddle shoes, dancing shoes and one pair of snakeskin and red patent leather high heels.
Yes, I have too many shoes. But I do not have too many selves. That said, there’s no way I’m cramming all of that into one li’l old about page.
So what’s the solution?
In the beginning, I tried to create a “brand personality” that would appeal to the coaches I wanted to work with. That was a mistake. I was trying to look, dress, and act like what I saw in coach-world. It didn’t work at all, because it wasn’t me.
This is from my first professional photo shoot when I was switching from SaaS copywriting to ethical copy for coaches. I had RIPPED JEANS ON (love'm, but my *core self* is chronically overdressed). I also got a completely different haircut mere hours before this photo was taken -- rookie error.
I only started to really attract the kinds of clients I love when I created a brand that felt like an extension of my Truest Self. My core personality, my deepest passions, my love for plants, animals, vintage style, tea.
Our businesses only work if we are authentic — but not confusing.
My answer was to curate a brand that is 100% true to me, but isn’t 100% all of me.
Here’s how I curated:
I asked myself: What version of me best supports my clients?
My answer: The tea-drinking, ultra empathetic, gardening, animal nurturing, quirky/nerdy version. Because I want to create a safe place for my clients to get vulnerable and feel supported.
Versions of me that don’t make it to my website:
The 80-Proof Connoisseur. I enjoy Scotch, Whiskey, gin, wine - I’m not a lush, and my only problem is storage, but I am an enthusiastic student. I love learning about booze and composing cocktails, and have quite a collection of vintage cocktail books. My 39th birthday was spent on a Speyside Scotch tour. Tomatin, Balvenie and Talisker are my favorites, in descending order. This doesn't make it into my brand because too many people do struggle with alcohol, and I want to support their journeys.
Warrior Princess. I’m an Enneagram 8w9, which means I can be aggressive and feisty (but it's tempered a lot thanks to that 9w!). My id is Xena (I know, I seem more like Gabrielle), on Firefly - Captain Mal, on the Star Trek Enterprise, Cpt. Picard. My nickname in high school was The Dominatrix (waaaay before I actually knew what that meant). This doesn't make it into my brand because my clients tend to be really kind. I love their kindness and want to make sure they feel safe here.
The Beginner. I embrace beginner’s mind. I constantly seek out experiences where I don’t know what to do or how to do it. I pick up a lot of hobbies this way. But in my business, I am The Expert (hey, I earned it!) that my clients need.
The Scatterbrain. I joke that I’m a writer because I have to write everything down anyway… or I’ll forget it. It’s… not a joke. I’ve set myself up with calendars and adulting apps because I struggle with focus, motivation, energy, and just being able to start and finish something without trying to do fiftybazillion things in between. Sometimes, my brain hides out in a fog for days. It makes life exponentially harder if I fight it. My clients need me to keep it together, so I make sure I'm supported with rest, nutrition and exercise so I can reliably support them.
The part of me that is weirdly aware of everybody else’s HAIR and chronically insecure about MY hair unless it’s fresh out of the salon. Nobody needs that part. I don’t need that part. That part is nuts!
I’m sharing these personal things because they’re not secrets, they’re just not what I need — or more accurately, what my clients need — on my website. Everything on your website serves one ultimate purpose: To give your potential clients everything they need to know (and nothing they don’t) to feel confident about working with you (if they’re the right fit).
As ethical marketers, we need to be authentic and transparent. But, as multipassionates, we also need to be careful not to overwhelm readers with extraneous details.
This is why your About page isn’t your autobiography, or your journal, or your resume. It’s really what your readers need to know about you to feel like they know and like you personally, and trust you professionally.
So if you have many many sides, many interests, many personalities, if you’re “a little bit of everything, all rolled into one!” (yes, it’s that song again) — First, let’s be friends (come to my Craft n’ Copy hours!), and Second, CURATE!
And for all of you fellow multi-passionate hobby-gobblers out there, I’ve got a little treat for ya. Here are a few things I’m excited about that you can sign up for classes in too!
Gong fu cha
An elegant, mindful, spiritual way of enjoying tea. I think of it as a tea meditation or mindfulness exercise that involves all of the senses. It's relaxing, invigorating, and requires ultra niche fancy tea-ware that I nerd out on. Yixing teapot in the shape of a persimmon? Yes please.
West China Tea in Austin, Texas has a fantastic online class if you want to see what this is about. Learn more about Gong fu cha here
Tarot
I love my Everyday Witch deck, it's just so cozy. What I don't love: Having to look up every card, every time. So late last year I decided to take an actual course -- Susannah Conway's 78 Mirrors -- and it has helped a TON with getting me 'off book'. Highly recommend it, and you can find it here.
Camels
Okay, so this eventually DID make it to my About page (for a long time, I thought it was just too weird, but my favorite people also tend to be into unusual hobbies!). I love learning to work with camels, understanding camel behavior, picking up training techniques. My mother was a horse trainer, I grew up around animals, and there's something about how peaceful and easygoing camels are that allows my nervous system to rest. Want to join me at the next Camel Camp in May? You CAAAAAN.... right here.
Millinery (hat making)
Yes, I made that cloche! I fell in love with hats because I thought they were the only ‘true vintage’ I could fit into as a larger human (I was so wrong). Collecting vintage hats was the gateway, and when I found Pinkham Millinery in Portland, Oregon, I fell into the deep end of this incredible craft. If you like sewing, costuming or vintage, try a workshop.