The Importance of Being Yourself

My oldest is in 8th grade, stuck right in the midst of the awkward middle school years.  We all remember those times when we were convinced every single eye was on us every time we walked across a room, scrutinizing our gait, our hair, our clothes?  (The irony here, of course, is that in actuality all attention is much more focused on themselves than on anyone else.) 

But a core truth is still exposed in middle school; that the heart’s desire of every person is to find community, to fit in, and this is none more apparent than in those teenage years.

By the time I was midway through college, I was certain I had outgrown that awkwardness of feeling like not fitting in; I had decided to become comfortable in my own skin, which boosted my confidence, which made people think I was cool, which made me feel like I fit in.  (Funny how that works, isn’t it?) 

This worked for me for many years; I was even nicknamed “unflappable Nate” by my friends because of my apparent confidence to not feel pressured to conform to anyone’s expectations, whether positive or negative.  If it didn’t fit my convictions, I didn’t do it.  Simple as that.

I kind of felt like I had this whole identity thing figured out, that is, until I started a business.

It’s easy to feel confident that people like and accept you if you carefully surround yourself with those who do. 

But the second you start bringing a product to market, the true barometer of whether people like and accept you is measured by one thing and one thing only:  Sales.

Now, I started this based on a confident conviction that businesses could be different.  That the budding world of social enterprise, in my opinion, was not a fad, but a genuine movement of American consumerism toward one of responsible purchasing practices.

So I started a coffee company that aimed to not only provide fair wages to coffee farmers abroad, but to also donate ten pounds of food to local food banks right here in our own communities.

I knew that the identity of the business was deeply rooted in its mission, and so I talked it up at every opportunity. 

But something interesting happened over time.

It wasn’t ringing the register as much as I had anticipated, and so I found myself slowly drifting from our original identity and into something else.  We still were donating the food, but because people weren’t shouting that message from the rooftops like I had hoped, I found myself grasping for a way to fit in.

It was something that was so subtle, but yet wasn’t true to our original identity:  I tried to make the business become “Coffee Cool”. 

We started an Instagram account, we tried getting followers, we started competing in coffee competitions.  And we were marginally successful at it.

But inside, I was still wandering as it related to the overall direction of the business.  Deep down, I wasn’t being true to who we were as a company.  I had lost a sense of identity, and the company was suffering because of it.  This wandering lasted several years…

At some point down the road, I had a screw it moment, where I made the decision to quit playing games, and return to our roots.  We were going to lead with our mission, and we were going to do it unapologetically.

I changed the language on the website, even adding a statement right at the top of the page saying that we were the specialty roaster for socially-minded coffee drinkers.

We made a video proclaiming our identity.  It’s literally called “This is Wild Goose Coffee Roasters”, complete with a “drop the mic” moment at the end.

I came to the point where I was tired of putting on masks in an effort to fit in with the rest.  It was a return to our core identity, and it felt SO good, so freeing, and so right.  (Oh, and sales have been up—the register is ringing more than ever, by the way…)

I share this because I’m pretty sure we’ve all struggled with this feeling of not fitting in, of not being accepted, of trying to be something we’re not in an effort to avoid the pain of rejection, or not fitting in, or being perceived as uncool.

Life isn’t that much different than those teenage years, is it? 

But here’s the deal:  Remember those kids who didn’t seem to care what others thought?  Who stood out as true originals, and everyone absolutely loved them for it?  They were the real ones, and were crazy popular because of it.

I had to make the decision to stop trying to fit our business into what others determined as “cool”, and it has made all the difference.

It’s given me more personal confidence to be myself too, by the way, because I’ve been reminded of what’s actually cool:  those who are comfortable in their own skin, and are unapologetic about it.

As Wild Goose Coffee Roasters is, in large part, created by personal passion, it is at its best when it is true to itself.  And when it is true to itself, great coffee is produced, bringing joy to people’s mornings, and thanks to its mission, people are fed the world over.  (Nearly 2 million pounds of food provided to date, by the way.) 

As you and I are created by a loving God who saw a masterpiece in each and every one of us, the world thrives when we are nothing short of simply being ourselves. 

So give yourself permission to take a self-assessment.  Have you, like my business and I did, wandered from your core identity?  What would it look like to return to your roots, disregarding the perceived looks from others as you walk through life?

Maybe your gait isn’t as graceful as you hoped.  Maybe your hair is a little tussled, and your clothes aren’t the most popular.  Maybe it’s time to say screw it.

Perhaps it’s time to shed everything that’s holding you back, and simply return to the you God had in mind when he spoke the world into existence.

Trust me; the world will be a better place because of it.

To watch This is Wild Goose Coffee Roasters, click here.