Many years ago I attended a 70th birthday party for an extraordinary coach and leader, Chuck Roppel. The invitation said the price of admission to his one-man show was that you had to wear a dress.

I had no idea what we were in for at this event. We dolled ourselves up and were delighted to see that even the men attending wore dresses (although some very reluctantly!).

The dresses were used as a potent metaphor for the different “dresses” or “roles” we wear throughout our lives. We have the dress of being a good student… or a rebellious one. The dress of an employee for this company or an owner of that one.

We have our dresses that stay on for decades or the ones we try on and tear off immediately. Each dress leads us to the next dress.

Chuck’s one-man show took us through all the dresses of his life up to that point. I thought I knew him well after being in a leadership program with him for a year and hanging out with him for over a decade.

I was wrong.

Chuck revealed so much about himself at his celebration that most people were moved to tears and/or hollering with joy.

He created so much intimacy in the theatre that the room buzzed with admiration and love for this amazing man.

He did it by simply being himself and inviting us into his journey. He told stories, tap danced, sang, and dressed in his own ball gown at the end. He held nothing back about who he has been and what he craves for the future. It was sooo attractive.

I believe more intimacy can be allowed into all of our lives. In fact, I’d love to see more of it in the business world. Much more. I mean real intimacy.

Too many people are hiding behind what will look professional or trying to make a good impression. Some folks don’t even know they have armor on. When you withhold who you are, you pinch off the flow of abundance. You repel instead of attract.

Now, I’m not promoting airing your dirty laundry. We don’t need to know all of the details of your past. But we are attracted to people who know how to create intimacy by fully showing us what’s underneath the dress.

We want to see You. Simply you. Be good at allowing YOU to come through everything you do in your biz, and your 5-Star Clients will come a knockin’.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE, BLOG OR WEB SITE?