We’ve all heard it before:
“Dress better.”
“Watch your language.”
“Act more professional.”
It’s the universal feedback loop for anyone daring to stand out.
Gary Vaynerchuk got the same treatment years ago. Every speakers bureau told him the same thing:
“You’re talented.”
“You’ve got something to say.”
“But… could you please stop wearing sneakers?”
One time, they even refused to let him on stage because he wasn’t wearing dress shoes.
Fast forward 15 years…
That same guy now speaks on stages across the world.
Still in sneakers.
Still in a t-shirt.
Still cursing.
What changed?
The world did.
Not him.
That’s the power of consistency over conformity.
I get it, though.
I used to wear suits too.
And to be honest, it made sense at the time: it gave me confidence, structure and control.
Until one day it didn’t.
Because when you wear something every day just to fit in, you start to fade out.
So I ditched the uniform.
And ironically, ten years later, I’ve started to enjoy wearing suits again.
Not because I have to but because I want to.
That’s the difference between performance and presence.
Here’s the real message:
Authenticity isn’t about what you wear it’s about why you wear it. When you stay true to yourself long enough, the world eventually adjusts its dress code to match yours.
And that’s exactly what I help my clients do:
Not to sound more like everyone else, but to sound so unapologetically like themselves that everyone else has no choice but to listen.
Takeaways:
Authenticity isn’t a strategy: it’s self-awareness in motion. Style is temporary and energy is timeless.
The world changes faster than dress codes.
Confidence doesn’t come from fabric, it comes from alignment.
Consistency always beats conformity. Always brothers and sisters!
(Who knew I’d end up enjoying wearing a suit again… especially while presenting at a networking event)
