Before my very first job as a new business coordinator at Ketchum Communications, my mother took me shopping for what she called a “serious suit.”
It was blue and white seersucker with a fitted blazer, a matching skirt, and a selection of small rosette ties to switch things up.
I remember that outfit vividly—not just because it felt so grown-up, but because I truly believed it would give me the magic powers to be a professional.
Over time, the wardrobe changed. Pants became acceptable. But I came to understand that what we wear to work is often symbolic: our version of a uniform, a way to fit in. I believed fitting in and going along with consensus was very important…for many of those early years.
What I’ve learned since, especially through interviews with women rainmakers for my new book, is that the people who truly succeed in building business are the ones who show up as themselves. They’re authentic.
And that’s not just anecdotal. In research into the personal banking industry, trust boiled down to three factors:
- Expertise
- Empathy
- Authenticity
That last one—authenticity—is surprisingly hard to master. It means showing emotion, having real conversations, sharing creative ideas, and letting people know you have a life beyond the office.
And yet, it’s what draws others in and builds the deepest kind of professional trust.
So maybe it’s not the symbolic suit that makes the professional after all.
