Authenticity is all the rage. It's not a persona you can adopt or something you learn. Rather, it's about being who you are and running your business in a way that conveys your true self.In the world of weddings, trends come and go. Sometimes, what’s hot one day is not so hot tomorrow. Buzzwords flit around like bees flying from one flower to the next. In the past few years, there has been much buzz about the evolvement of a new trend—being authentic in business. We hear about authenticity everywhere. Unlike wedding and business trends that come and go, authenticity may be here to stay. Studies have proven that authentic businesses inspire, influence, and prosper. These successful business owners have learned to incorporate their core values, mission, and purpose throughout their businesses.More than ever, authenticity and transparency are important to success. Consumers love working with people and businesses that are transparent. Millennials—the 18- to 34-year-old age group—are especially this way. This is important because millennials are projected to be the leading consumer group in the next few years. They value authenticity, transparency, and honesty in the people and businesses they support. They are highly values-driven and buy from companies who integrate the beliefs, values, and causes they support. They connect with people before buying from their business. Operating from authenticity is paramount to doing business with millennials. What is authenticity?Staying true to who you are, what you do, what you believe, and what you value is what authenticity is really about. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines authentic as “real or genuine; not copied or false.” Simply stated, the authentic you is your real self, complete with unique qualities and characteristics. It is who you are at the core of your being. The key to authenticity is to just be youHave you ever tried to imitate the qualities of another person—perhaps a successful person you admired? It’s then that we quickly learn that being ourselves works far better than trying to be a copy of another person. I learned this lesson myself when I first started teaching in a college. I tried to emulate my own college professor. However, the traits that I admired in her were way too stuffy for me. It was when I began expressing my true self that my course became one of the most popular in the college. In the past, having a business persona that was different from your personal one may have worked. In most cases, your personal life was private. However, today, being authentic in your business means blending your personal and business life together to create genuine transparency. It can be a little scary to put yourself out there in a personal way, but it is rewarding in the freedom you gain from living and working authentically. A word of caution, however: Be careful about over sharing about your personal life. There are some details in your personal life that should remain private. Structure your business accordinglyBeing authentic makes it easier for consumers to know the person with whom they are doing business. So, instead of creating a persona and a business to fit the needs, desires, and expectations of the client you want to attract, why not structure your business around your passion, core values, and what is most important to you? By doing so, you align yourself with the clients and vendor partners who understand your vision and appreciate the values you have woven throughout your business. Working with vendor partners with similar values, makes it easier to refer potential clients to one another. People love working with people who have similar values, beliefs, and causes. Let your uniqueness shineIn the world of weddings, you can easily get lost in a sea of sameness. Many wedding companies use the same colors, the same fonts, the same copy, and offer the same types of services. When you allow your unique and authentic self to shine through, there is no one else like you. Why not stand out from the crowd? The more you leverage your unique qualities, the more valuable you become to your clients. They identify with you, your values, and your mission and are willing to do business with you and generously pay you for those services. Being authentic allows you to be 100 percent you and share your goals, values, and mission while operating a business that inspires, influences, and is prosperous. wpmShelby Tuck-Horton, MBC™, Exquisite Expressions and Events, Mitchellville, Md.