I Don’t Come With An Off Switch

By Terry Weaver

I was talking with another leader yesterday and we were talking about creativity and the creation process and how people say to us, you’re always on, aren’t you?

Yes, I’m always on on. You can’t turn me off. I don’t have a switch. You might be able to turn me up louder but you can’t turn me off. Being me has ideas show up when they want to.

That conversation continued after my Mastermind call with one of my clients who’s been around me for over 10 years. They have been around me on many stages, eaten with my family at holidays, and seen me on stages in several states. I asked them an honest question, Is who I am different on my couch than I am on a stage, podcast or in a group at an event?

His response was, nope in fact can you bring the couch with you, because it’s the same you. Now sure I do have a public filter but I don’t have an off switch. Don’t worry I’m not gonna start traveling with my couch.

There’s some thinking in the personal brand space that you should have a persona and who you really are, and I call BS! Unless you are building a character, trust me you aren’t Hulk Hogan, and you aren’t going to be in the ring.

Authenticity leads to having an audience that aligns with who you are. I believe the biggest roadblock between most people and the life and business they want is who they are doesn’t align with who they say they are. I believe that is at the very core of the cancel culture movement we are in the middle of. If who you are as a leader is having to show up in spaces is different than who you are behind closed doors. Something is drastically out of alignment.

Masks and personas work in the arts but they create hypocrites in the real world. When you can realize that humans don’t live in cages and do tricks on demand. It is why we’ve all found ourselves in an organization or a job working with a leader that wasn’t as advertised. Leaders who cannot live up to the unrealistic expectations they’ve set for themselves, much less the ones we have set for them.

It’s why I’ve decided I don’t have an off switch. I hope anywhere that you’ve ever encountered me, whether online or off on stage or off on the mic or off it, you have experienced me being me. Trying to be someone besides yourself is exhausting. In fact, being me is exhausting enough already that I don’t have the energy to try and be anyone else.

The thing with me being me is, I know that I’m gonna be too much for some people. I also know that I refuse to be in a box that someone else has created for me to fit in.

So expect more of me, I may even get louder. Just don’t expect me to turn it off.

Past Articles

I Don’t Come With An Off Switch

Terry Weaver May 15, 2024

I was talking with another leader yesterday and we were talking about creativity and the creation process and how people say to us, you’re always on, aren’t you? Yes, I’m always on on. You can’t turn me off. I don’t have a switch. You might be able to turn me up louder but you can’t turn me off. Being me has ideas show up when

Do You Suffer from Promiseland Syndrome???

Terry Weaver February 18, 2024

It’s Sunday and I’ve got a word, so I’m gonna preach for a minute. I have a question for you, Do you suffer from Promiseland Syndrome? So I know you’re asking, Terry what is Promiseland Syndrome. Well I’m glad you asked. PLS as will it is when you have been wandering around the desert of your calling and yet you never seem to break through.

Pure Imagination….and Some Thoughts on Wonka

Terry Weaver December 29, 2023

“…Simply look around and view itAnything you want to, do itWant to change the world?There’s nothing to it There is no life I knowTo compare with pure imaginationLiving there, you’ll be freeIf you truly wish to be.” I finally managed to sneak away and catch the new prequel, Wonka. It totally felt like the precursor to Gene Wilder’s 1971 film and the Roald Dahl story.

Stop Elf-ing Around & Get Crystal Clear About What You Want

Terry Weaver December 23, 2023

Every year thousands of children climb on Santa’s lap and clearly articulate what they want from Santa. Every year at my friend Logan’s Christmas party for last almost 10 years I’ve invited Santa to sit on my lap. Partly as a joke but partly as a reminder that even Santa knows what he wants. Santa really outdid himself this year and pitched a little fit

No One Is A Solo Artist

Terry Weaver December 9, 2023

97. That’s how many people are on the road with Lauren Daigle on the Kaladiascope Tour. My friend Leigh Holt and Lauren’s manager told me this after the show last night as the production was being torn down above our heads in Knoxville, TN, and heading to Greenville, SC. That’s how many people it takes to support a solo artist on tour. That doesn’t include

Audacious Ambition

Terry Weaver August 29, 2023

The more I help leaders, the more I realize that success isn’t just about potential; it’s about the audacious ambition and the willingness to take action. Throughout my journey as an entrepreneur, author, and thought leader, I’ve had the privilege of working with some incredible individuals who have turned their dreams into reality. And the one thing I’ve noticed is that those who succeed possess