The more I talk to people and the more my network expands, the more weird people seem to get. And that’s a good thing! There’s this neat authenticity movement happening right now, and while that’s really cool, all I keep reading about is why I’m supposed to be my quirky authentic self. But, what’s missing from those posts and articles is what actually makes the writer weird and authentic. Like if you’re going to write about letting your true self shine through, don’t you need to give some personal examples? I think so!
I suppose that means I should share why I’m a little odd first. Well, for starters, I really hate vegetables. Seriously. I hate all of them. The smell, the texture, the gross green color. Everything about them just offends me. And if you don’t believe that that makes me weird, then you should just see the reaction on someone’s face when I share that fact. It’s a great conversation starter… On a more meaningful note, I’m also a weird because I’m an old soul and always have been. I had to grow up fast and had a hard time connecting to people around me that were my age, which really sucked at the time. But now, looking back, I see that it’s turned me into a powerful, independent boss babe that doesn’t need anyone to validate my actions or decisions! Additionally, I think to tell really cheesy jokes – even if I’m the only one that laughs at them!
I’ve got 20+ other brilliant and badass entrepreneurs here who are sharing their bizarre traits, why their weirdness makes them awesome, and how it’s helped them in their careers!
“I am weird. I cry at commercials and every time I sing Adele I can see myself performing at the Grammys. I think Beyoncé should be president. I think world peace is possible. Reality tv is my guilty pleasure but I don’t feel guilty about it. I could eat a bag of party size Doritos every single day. I am living with a mental disorder and while sometimes it weighs me down and may be considered a flaw– that disorder has led me to accomplish things that I used to only dream about. There are about 100 more things I could name but the weirdest thing about me is that I truly think I can change the world and am working on proving that every single day. People who are weird change things. <3” – Jordan Corcoran, Founder of Listen, Lucy
“I will make you laugh A LOT. I am not afraid to be my goofy, weird self because it makes people laugh and it makes them be their goofy, weird selves too! I love being around fellow weird and quirky people. That means I may start serenading you or say something funny.” – Amanda Walker Fleming, Owner of Amanda Fleming Photography
“I still have to separate my food – I can’t stand it to touch. I’ve been given separator plates for Thanksgiving. But at least then I’ll clean my plate! But my pickiness has helped set me up for being choosy in my relationships and has lead to success on projects like my new magazine.” – Sarah Hartley, Editor-in-Cheif of Holl & Land Magazine
“I love having epic nerdy themed parties, which of course always includes dressing up!” Jordan Dené Ellis, Owner of Jordandené
“I was SUCH a weird kid growing up. ? I read encyclopedias cover to cover and always had my nose in a book. I just loved knowing things that other people didn’t know. (I still might enjoy that! Haha.) As an adult, I love to find out as much as I can about topics that spark my interest (Thank you, Google!) and still read as many books as I can get my hands on. My constant ‘urge to know more’ has really empowered me because it’s helped me teach myself new programs & skills I can use in my business. I also love sharing my knowledge and teaching others– that’s what really makes my heart sing. After taking the Strengths Finder 2.0 test, I wasn’t surprised at all to learn that my top strength is ‘Input.’ My weirdness totally makes sense to me these days & I’m glad I can put it to good use.” – Cara Hindman McGrady, Owner/Design One Swell Studio
“I am weird. I am super sensitive, an over-feeler, some say an empath. Whatever you call it, I can sympathize with almost anyone and can see both sides of most situations. I cry at ASPCA commercials and Adele songs. My daughters love the movie, Tinker Bell and the Neverbeast. I cry every time I watch it because the Neverbeast has to go to sleep for 1000 years and the faeries will never see him again. Great, now I am crying thinking about it. I think this is why I can put 110% in to my jewelry. I can feel what they are feeling when the receiver of my jewelry opens the box and see’s their jewelry for the first time. I can envision how they feel each time they wear a piece of jewelry I have made. I put all that emotion in every piece I make. Love, that’s it, love. I am weird because I love too much. =)” – Shannon Chomanczuk, Jewelry Designer at Emily & Eden
“I love incorporating goofy quotes into my art. I don’t care if it’s not a mainstream or popular quote. If it makes me happy, that’s all I need.” – Chelsey Cordero, Owner of Cricket Lane Studio
“I give all my pieces of jewelry interesting names. I approached a local store about carrying my work last week, and the owner looked through my inventory and amusedly asked if I was drinking when I named some of them. (She placed a huge wholesale order!)” – Kythryne Aisling, Owner of Wyrding Studios
“I love spending hours poring over tiny grammatical details!” – Rosie Morley, Editor at Hedera Editing & Publishing
“I feel like I am weird for a lot of reasons haha, but I think one of my things that my friends and family have coined the name for me, are “Aliisms” Ali-isms – to pronounce. When I say phrases backwards or the wrong way, and people know what I am saying or trying to say but I am saying it wrong and believe whole heartily I am right ;). Lets plan it by year…. I truly thought was the right saying haha I just laughed out loud. I think though this is fun about me because it makes me unique. I also know my clients think its hysterical, and definitely don’t ever forget me, or forget working with me. Who doesn’t want to be forgotten? :)” – Ali Levine, Celebrity Wardrobe Stylist
“I’m a pack rat, and proud of it! I collect bottles, cans, corks, magazines, all kinds of plastic, and many other things that most people would throw away or recycle. I always keep them with the thought that I will make something out of them someday. Well, someday is here! I make flowers from water bottles, sculptures from paper, and I’m working on new creations right now!” – Mary Cornolo Flomenhoft of Mary Jean’s Things
“I’m SO weird because I am a 92-year-old trapped in a 25-year-old body. I have been knitting since I was 7, and a day isn’t complete without morning AND afternoon tea. But, my mature mindset has always helped me make simple, well, mature, decisions (which is always nice for work AND life)!” – Erin Zimmerman of Elephant Social
“I embraced my weird with my whole business. I love hexagons, and use it as a way to create awesome galleries of photography and art! It might not fit in a standard frame, but my whole life doesn’t fit into standard, so I embrace the weird!” – Rochelle Van Sickel of Honeycomb Galleria
“I am the DEFINITION of weird. I skip in public, hug thousands of strangers on the street, and even got people to dance on the streets and sing for a campaign I did for Ellen DeGeneres that she never even got to see. lol But I am definitely a woman who dances to my own beat, and the drums are inside my head.” Lisa Mae, founder of Wonder Women Tech
“I’m weird because of my love for all things geekery. I’m a huge Tolkien fanatic, Harry Potter, Doctor Who, Avengers, Star Trek… Even just typing it out is getting me excited. Sprinkled through my blog posts are snippets of fandom references for the discerning geek. I adore my weirdness. I just wouldn’t be me without it. Embracing my love of nerdom has made me more comfortable in my skin. It’s made me relatable to clients and has attracted “my people” to me. These are the clients I want to work with, those who “get” me, who I can sit and chat with about books or make random Star Wars references with during sessions and they get it! It brings such a closeness and connection with them.” – Victoria Anne Hershman of The Storytog
“I love to do things I’m horrible at, like hockey and ballet. The embarrassment and challenge makes the things Im good at so much more wonderful!” – Erica Sandberg, Personal Finance Expert
“My tag line on my personal Instagram is actually embrace the weird! It stems from the majority of my life feeling self conscious and never truly being able to be myself. The moment I let go, I found the friends I truly needed, began to be a much happier person, and found the love of my life, who thinks my weird is the best.” – Elisabeth Stone, Owner of Stone Werks LLC
“I have an uncommon definition of success. It doesn’t involve a big house or a fancy car. To many of the people I know, that’s weird. To me success is being able to spend time with an aging senior dog even if it means not eating out. It’s being able to go to the beach in the middle of the week or not having to deal with rush hour traffic. So I don’t have a ton of money in the bank but I feel incredibly successful. Embracing my weirdness and defining things on my own terms has made such a difference in all aspects of my life.” – Ana V. Ramirez of Ana Ramirez Photography
“Lemme see… I can remember being a year old with vivid memory… freaks my mom out. I am mildly clairvoyant on a scale of one to ten I am a seven {really} and I sleep less than three to six hours a day. It makes me more interesting than the average Joe… I mean Jane!” – Naomi Vivian Wilson, Owner of At First Blush & Co. Events
“I’m weird, because I get so into my zone when I am doing a session that I fall all over the place. I’ve sprained my ankle, nearly broken my arm and foot on a few occasions. I have walked back into a tree, fell down a hill, stepped in numerous holes (my foot finds the only hole in the ground, every time). lol. I REALLY get into my zone.” – Celestina Elvira, Owner of Cellardoor Photography
“I’m the queen of single serving friends, I’m so commitment-averted that I find it hard to take the plastic coatings off my electronics, and I can only write in a notebook once I’ve decided what type of energy I want it to carry (and then I can ONLY write things that carry the same type of energy in it).” – Nafeesa Saboor, Fashion Copywriter and Content Creator
“Attended my first Comic Con in Seattle last year and thought I was going to be overwhelmed with the thousands of people around, but strangely felt comforted instead with all the cosplaying and people that shared my enthusiasm for nerdiness! My friends and I made our own costumes and dressed up as characters from Legend of Korra and Avatar: The Last Airbender. I was proud of just going out and feeling comfortable with these fellow ‘weird nerds.'” – Haley Elder, Graphic and Web Designer
“I’ve always been weird, the odd ball out. I didn’t know it meant that I show up as being real all the time i.e. authenticity. I also have people tell me I am too energetic and crazy, yet inspire them. My weird factor is that I identify with Sheldon from Big Bang Theory (though I understand sarcasm and can dish it), I have a counseling and an accounting degree – and I am a huge CSI & Forensic Buff and love British crime shows. I named my 2nd kid after a television character and my youngest after Lennon. I love The Beatles and Iron Maiden. I love being an intuitive empath who knows when someone is bsing me but I don’t have to call them out on it ;). I make a living being weird with 3 businesses and a magazine.” – Petra Monaco, Entrepreneur
“I really hate anything but natural light which means half of the time you’ll find me sitting in the dark. I love to sing what I’m saying instead of talk. For that matter, I’m just always usually singing. Today, a random door-to-door solicitor heard me before I opened the door, didn’t try to sell me anything and told me to call him because he’s a recording artist. I’m a hugger. I’m the one who still dives in for the hug even though the other person is super awkward and caught off guard when they try to shake my hand. Those are my favourite and it’s actually helped me a ton in my business. Screw icebreakers, I just hug the crap out of them and bam, nervousness gone. Let’s carry on folks. =)” – Tracey Thomas, Photographer
“I am weird because I dance and flail around the kitchen singing nonsense words. My husband calls it the ‘Tardy Dance’. I do it deliberately to make him roll his eyes, but I’m so weird that I do it when no one’s around, too. I hate putting away the dishes and folding the laundry. With a passion. I break into song at random moments–even in the middle of a running a webinar for our business. There’s a weird thought process in my brain that simply MUST find the exception to any statement you make. For example, if you say, “Everyone should exercise every day,” I’m thinking of every exception to the rule: people with in traction with broken bones, etc. “Exceptioning” is automatic and I can’t turn it off! As for how it’s helped my business, people seem to like it when I’m goofy, talk about my pets or commit random acts of singing. Being an Exceptionist helps me live in the gray area and understand other people better. Being weird is fun. And people like it when you get your weird on like you just don’t care, because everyone’s got a little weird in ’em.” – Stephanie Benedetto Padovani, Owner of Book More Brides
Ready to embrace your weirdness? Tell us what makes you weird and why it’s awesome in the comments! Or, share on social media with the hashtag #WeirdGems. The funny/crazier the better because this is all about empowering people to be their authentic self!
