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We all love a Cinderella story, %FIRSTNAME%.

I mean, she swaps forced servitude for a ride to the ball in a pumpkin carriage and sparkly dress. She wows the prince so much that he launches a kingdom-wide womanhunt for her with nothin' but a shoe to guide his search.

That's the dream, y'all.

We love a Cinderella story so much that it's tempting to bibbidi-bobbidi-boo our visitors into a vision of effortless success in our own marketing.

But here's the truth about Cinderella: She had a literal fairy godmother that waved her wand and made a gorgeous dress. She had a fat mouse named Gus that turned into a footman to get her to a ball. 🐁

Her rags-to-riches transformation had some steps in the middle.

There's nothing wrong with not doing everything on your own — successful business owners often have a bit of help from their friends (or a leg up in the first place).

But cramming your foot into that glass slipper without context as to how you got there — and expecting that to be enough for you to win your customers' hearts and minds?

Not the most ethical move.

A recent episode of the "Duped" podcast gets into this in discussing how to vet coaches and programs, but there are plenty of nugs in there that apply to every business.

Give it a listen.

Now, take a peek at your about page. And ask yourself these questions:

❓ How well does this page balance your empathy with the customer's plight with actual (engaging) information about you and your business?

❓ How do you establish authority on this page?

❓ Do your testimonials talk about how your business's product or solution changed the game for that raving customer? Or just what a stand-up human you are?

❓ When's the last time you refreshed your testimonials and case studies based on recent client work or customer experience?

❓ If you're featuring certifications or association memberships, do you still hold them? Do they actually apply to what your business does?

❓ Is the page injected with YOU? (Why are so many businesses allergic to personality?)

Your about page is most likely the second most visited page on your website. (An old-ass study from 2015 found that 52% of B2B site visitors go to the about page the first time they're on a website.)

So what kind of, uh, second impression are you making?

Paige

P.S. The StoryBrand framework does this empathy/authority dance well. I add my own fancy footwork with a bit of consent and some engaging personality. Want to check in on how well your message balances out? Let's tango: Grab a consulting hour.