When I was acting, while the goal was to embody the character and be natural, casting directors would sometimes push you to play it ‘bigger’ in an audition.
At first, I never understood why a casting would give this direction.
Playing it ‘bigger’ felt fake. It often felt like too much.
What I didn’t realize until I was on the other side, helping support with casting a film, is not only do you often want to be able to see an actor’s range and ability to take direction, so often in attempts to be “natural” actors pull back and play small.
When, in real life, us humans tend to have a wide range of emotions that don’t fit inside a neutral, small box. Playing it “bigger” helps stretch an actor into some of those very real emotions and reactions.
That direction to “play it bigger” simply gave someone the permission to take up their space, and their “bigness” would end up coming across as “just right” not over the top.
It also turns out, it’s often easier to pull an actor back some when they’re being “big” than it is to stretch an actor outside of their “smallness”.
And, when an actor was willing to be “too much” and play it bigger, that was the actor you ended up connecting with and wanted to book for the role.
Friends, the same is true for you in your business and how you take up space online, in your marketing, sales process, and in owning your work.
Taking up space with your “bigness” is essential for your business success and profitability. It’s a big part of what allows you to be visible in a way your people can see and feel, that connects them to you and your work, and helps them understand why you’re the one they need to hire.
But, there’s a tendency to shrink back and play small in attempts to come across as natural, successful, and confident or as a way to hide because stretching past this FEELS like it’s not natural.
If this is ringing true, borrow a cue from the acting world and take a direction to play it “bigger” and lean into being “too much”. This will give you permission to play outside the lines you’ve painted yourself in so you can see, your “bigness” is, in fact, quite natural and a part of you and will expand your capacity, range, and what you’re able to receive (like money, clients, and success).
Because your business needs all of you and is asking for you to trust that your “too much” is exactly right and what will allow you to be seen, and connect with your people in a way that makes them feel safe and ready to buy from you.
Here’s to playing it “bigger”, being “too much”, taking up space, and creating your version of success.
Wishing you your version of success!
Ready to invest in the kind of coaching that will gently push you to be “too much” and play bigger in your business so you can take up more space, serve more people, and make more money doing what you love?
Book a free coaching consultation here to talk about how I can help you build, grow, and scale a profitable business on your terms.
