Is Authenticity Dead? Bringing Fresh Life to Overused Buzzwords

About this episode

Emily Aborn explores the concept of authenticity and its dilution in modern marketing language.

Text Emily! "Authenticity" used to be one of my favorite words of all time! It meant something real, genuine, original, of the utmost quality. It offered permission to show up as yourself, not perform or pretend! Then... #internet. Suddenly, everyone was "stepping into their authentic self." From every coach, in every caption, selling every course, the word was everywhere. And when a word is everywhere, it becomes a bit generic and loses its intended depth. In this episode, I'm questio...

People in this episode

Host: Emily Aborn

Topics covered

• authenticity
• buzzwords
• marketing
• self-presentation
• genuineness

Keywords

• authenticity
• buzzwords
• marketing
• genuine
• self-presentation

More episodes of Small Business Casual

• 5 Ways to Connect & Be Seen: How Who You Know Increases Your Visibility · June 9, 2026 · 36 min
• The Next Person You Meet Could Change Your Life · June 2, 2026 · 29 min
• Offering "Value" Isn't What it Seems: 5 Unexpected Ways to Deliver Value · May 26, 2026 · 16 min
• Going 100% in on YOU: How "all-in" changes everything · May 12, 2026 · 29 min
• What if You Just Tried It? The Power of Experimentation · May 5, 2026 · 32 min
• When to Throw in the Towel (and When to Push Through) · April 28, 2026 · 25 min