I’m an editor. This means I delete, modify and replace words and thoughts for a living, in efforts to create a polished product intended to drive specific results.

Depending on the platform, these objectives will differ. From a journalistic perspective, the ultimate goal is to share the truth.

But as a storyteller and content marketer, the intentions are slightly skewed…

Website traffic.
Comments.
Shares.
Retweets.
Likes.
SALES.

And yet, when it comes to determining what to share in the online world, I am often preaching a life unedited; a life unfiltered.

It’s a difficult balance. I, too, edit the posts I share on my online profiles. In fact, sometimes I have to force myself to stop editing. It’s the perfectionist within me.

Every time I post something real, something vulnerable, I have a moment (or two) of panic, fearing the consequences of hitting the all-too-familiar “publish” button. I dread the judgments—from followers, colleagues and complete strangers— that play over and over again in my head. What’s interesting is, those anxiety-ridden posts are also the ones that inspire the most meaningful responses. There’s nothing more rewarding than when a subscriber sends me an email saying my blog post was exactly what he needed to read that day, or a colleague mentions a Facebook post over coffee, saying it helped her navigate a difficult decision. Read more