It’s tempting to put out content at the extremes because, for one, it’s more entertaining and compelling, and two, it makes you ‘look better’. For a while.

Let me explain.

If you’re promoting zero-waste in your content, then naturally you would be showing all the ways YOU are living a zero-waste life. This is risky because people will put you on this pedestal as a perfect human.

Then an inevitable slip up shows you buying emergency apples from a store and you forgot your reusable bags.

It’s a trivial example, but being honest about being imperfect is the safest way. Be open about your faults and consistently explain that you’re TRYING your best in your method.

Whether the issue is being vegan, no swearing, politics, religion, mental health or zero waste. We’re never perfect, so pretending to be will eventually get you in trouble.

Look at Trump, he’s a disaster of a human, but he never pretended to be perfect so it was never a surprise. Famous YouTuber and TV personality Joe Rogan does a fantastic job of being self-deprecating whenever he describes his behaviour, and despite his massive amounts of knowledge and opinions, won’t have any surprises for his audience because he portrays himself as flawed.

Don’t try to be perfect. Try to be human, and others will connect with you. Where your casual clothes sometimes. Leave the make up off. Show the times you weren’t perfect and explain your struggle and learning. Leave the ums and ahhs in your podcast. Take that picture with a goofy smile.

We’ll all be better off if you do.