We hear that we must be authentic to do well in business but also to attract positive, authentic, inspiring and empowering women into our lives. So, on a personal note, we must come to grips with who we are “being” versus who we want to be. Then, we become the woman we’ve dreamed of being. The one we would fall in love with ourselves. And then, we begin to attract the same type of positive woman to us for friendship and business.

Like me, you may have chased after the “in crowd” in school or business. And like me, you may have realized a couple things:

They were not that great when we caught up to them. Some were quite phony and certainly not their authentic selves at all. They were just playing the part of the person they wish they were.

You didn’t really fit in with them and weren’t happy there after all the chasing. This is because you went after them instead of attracting them. Like me, you were probably attracting a different type person to your life and wanted an “upgrade.”

I learned in the ninth grade that I had to change to get new friends. Now we hear this same idea termed authentic. When I became who I really wanted to be all by myself, I attracted really good friends who were like me and I felt comfortable around them. Some of them made me stretch and expand my comfort zone and that made me grow a lot more.

Later, in my various careers, I’ve had to realize, remember and readjust ME again to attract the people I wanted in my life.

Recently, I’ve had the pleasure of becoming the most incredible, helpful, strong, confident woman I’ve ever been. And I have developed friendships and business associations with the most incredible women I’ve ever known in my life!

I wanted to share this with you as soon as I realized what had happened so that if you want to get there, are half way there or haven’t realized the key to having the excellent friends you want, you could see that I’ve been where you are and can offer direction from achieving my dream of having positive, supportive, empowering and inspiring women in my life today.

Submitted by Kelly Rudolph, Creator of PositiveWomenRock