How to not make your profession your entire personality

Funny topic coming from me because in my 20's my profession was my entire personality + I loved it that way - hell, I didn't even have a personal Instagram account for the first 4 years of my business. I always shared personal things on my business account (they have always been intertwined) but truth be told, for a long time, my work WAS my identity.

Over time, I realized that I didn't want that to be so much the case - besides an entrepreneur + a wedding planner, I have so many other passions that, as somebody who is good at marketing, can always tie back into my career + business, but are ultimately things that make me unique, and over time I have learned that I like to celebrate those things separate from my identity of my profession.

NOTHING IS CRINGE

God, it is so annoying when people accuse people of being cringe for being themselves or trying new things or being passionate about things outside of what that person knows them for. I started doing content creation in 2018, and I've heard through the grapevine people have called me "that girl who's trying to be an influencer" when little do they know what I've been paid the same to plan a wedding than I have to create pieces of content for brands. So silly! It's important to not get too hung up on your "role" or "title" - we are so much more than our Linkedin profile - if it's more of a hobby, that is - but if you're getting paid for something, like I do for content creation, you definitely want that there!

DON'T BE AFRAID TO SHARE MORE OF YOUR LIFE ONLINE

Share it all - it makes you, you. We really have to get out of our heads about this.

BRING UP OTHER THINGS IN CONVERSATION

We are programmed socially (especially in America) to ask people what they do for a living, it's typically one of the first things we ask people. I think this question is vital to learning about a person's values, beliefs, and who they are as a person (especially if they have a career vs a job + even moreso if they work for themselves). But dive deeper. Other questions that you can ask (or share about yourself if you aren't blatantly asked):

What did you do last weekend?

What do you like to do when you're off the clock?

What are you passionate about?

What are you most excited about right now?

What do you want your legacy to be?

MAKE TIME FOR YOUR HOBBIES

For a long time, when anybody asked me what I did for fun, I would say "work", ha. I really meant it! But as I grew up, I realized that this answer shouldn't be glorified, necessarily. Of course, if you are building something, or if you own something, that should be your passion, your heart, and your number one true love. You should be putting blood, sweat + tears into it on a weekly basis. However, there should be other things you do do fuel that passion. Do you love researching historical facts on tiktok? Do you like to try new recipes in the kitchen? Are you a member of a run club? These special hobbies make you. you. And make you even more dynamic in your professional life, believe it or not.

PC ALINA MARIE CREATIVE