Perfect lighting, flawless captions, and carefully cropped realities dominate today’s online world. While curated images may win quick attention, they often create distance rather than trust. For professionals, founders, educators, creators, and service providers, the real challenge isn’t looking impressive—it’s staying believable.
Learning how to maintain authenticity online means resisting the pressure to perform perfection and instead choosing transparency, consistency, and honesty. The experts featured in this article—from surgeons and therapists to marketers, founders, and craftspeople—prove that authenticity isn’t about oversharing or being unpolished. It’s about owning mistakes, setting real expectations, documenting the messy middle, and aligning what you show online with how you actually work offline. Together, their insights reveal what genuine credibility looks like in practice—and why it matters more than ever.
- Admit Bad Deals To Mentees
- Lead With Origin And Integrity
- Expose The Process, Not Perfection
- Stand On-Site And Stand Behind
- Report Wins And Stumbles Transparently
- Document Hard Field Realities Candidly
- Present Full Performance, Highs And Lows
- Build A Distinct, Human Brand
- Publish SEO Misses With Data
- Post Critiques And Concrete Fixes
- Feature Unvarnished Guest Experiences
- State Therapy Boundaries And Timelines
- Detail Organic Ranking Flops And Takeaways
- Share Lived Struggles Behind Superpower
- Describe Rejections And Pivots Honestly
- Deliver Straight Talk On Pets
- Prepare Clients For Transaction Hurdles
- Own The Experiments That Bombed
- Reveal Product Blunders And Lessons
- Disclose Cashback Hunts And Duds
- Tell The Flawed Design Stories
- Spotlight Genuine Student Outcomes
- Teach Through Accounting Errors
- Showcase Failures Behind Finished Pieces
- Confess Cultural Missteps With Humility
- Keep One Consistent Voice Everywhere
- Highlight Vulnerable Career Setbacks
- Set Realistic Surgical Expectations Upfront
- Call Out Blockchain Game Shortfalls
- Use A Weekly Values Check
- Clarify AI Headshot Constraints Early
- Explain Principles Behind Tough Choices
- Choose Spontaneity Over Polish
- Craft Culture-Specific Messages Thoughtfully
Admit Bad Deals To Mentees
I tell the people I mentor about the deals that went wrong just as much as the ones that worked out. When I talk about my mistakes, it shows I’m still figuring things out. Plus, it gives them permission to be honest about their own mess-ups. People want real stories, not a perfect highlight reel, especially when it comes to money.
JP Moses, President & Director of Content Awesomely, Awesomely
Lead With Origin And Integrity
I stay authentic by literally putting my family story on every bottle. When my father and I started Two Flags Vodka, we could have invented some fancy backstory, but instead we lead with the truth: we’re Polish immigrants who wanted to honor both our heritage and our American home. That vulnerability–admitting we’re immigrants with deep roots in two countries–has connected with customers far more than any polished marketing campaign ever could.
The practical side? We also refuse to cut corners where it counts. When everyone told us to source cheaper ingredients or distill domestically to save money, we stuck with our 5x distillation process at the Old Distillery in Rawicz, Poland, using organic Dankowski rye. It costs us more, but when the Beverage Testing Institute rated us “Exceptional,” that validation came from our actual product, not our Instagram feed.
Here’s what I’ve learned: people can smell bullshit from a mile away, especially on Reddit. When we talk about General Pulaski’s legacy or our mountain spring water, those aren’t marketing gimmicks–they’re the actual reasons we started this company. The moment you try to be something you’re not, you’ve already lost. Our sales in Chicagoland have grown consistently because bartenders and customers alike appreciate that what’s in the bottle matches what we say about it.
Sylwester Skóra, Vice President of Marketing, Two Flags
Expose The Process, Not Perfection
In the world of curated online images, my one rule is simple: we never hide the problem. Seriously. Everyone else online shows the finished product; we show the reality of the process. For Co-Wear LLC, that means being open about when inventory gets delayed or when a size run doesn’t fit exactly the way we hoped. We talk about the frustration, not just the success.
This works for us because authenticity is currency. People are smart—they know nothing is perfect, especially in e-commerce. Trying to sell a “flawless” image just creates distance. When I am honest about a supplier issue, our customers don’t get angry; they feel like they are in the room with us. They trust us more because they know we are being real.
The whole point of Co-Wear is celebrating real bodies and real confidence, and that philosophy has to apply to our brand, too. It’s about building a relationship, not just closing a sale. When you focus on purpose and transparency, that connection becomes stronger than any filtered photo could ever be. It replaces doubt with trust, every single time.
Flavia Estrada, Business Owner, Co-Wear LLC
Stand On-Site And Stand Behind
I show up on every single job site. That’s it. While other roofing contractors send crews and disappear, I’m there from first shingle to final cleanup because I told the homeowner I would be.
Here’s the thing–when your name is literally on the truck and you’re standing on someone’s roof in Berkshire County at 7am, you can’t fake it. A couple months ago I caught an issue with flashing that my crew missed. If I wasn’t there? That becomes a leak, an angry customer, and a warranty claim. Instead, we fixed it immediately and the homeowner watched me do it.
This approach costs me the ability to scale fast, but it’s why I can offer a 15-20-year workmanship warranty when most companies won’t go past 5. I’m betting my reputation and my wallet that I’ll still be around to honor it. Customers know when you’re willing to put skin in the game versus just posting before-and-after photos.
The curated image falls apart the second it rains and your roof leaks. Being there in person means I can’t hide behind marketing–my work speaks first, and that’s kept us busy for two decades without needing to pretend we’re something we’re not.
Christopher Battaini, Owner, Chris Battaini Roofing & Seamless Gutters
Report Wins And Stumbles Transparently
Maintaining authenticity meant showing both successes and challenges in our eco-friendly initiatives. For example, when we first trialed custom right-sized packaging, we shared on social media that initial shipments had a 12% higher error rate as the team adjusted to new processes. Alongside that, we highlighted improvements, noting that within two months, errors dropped by 19.3% and material use fell by 37%. Being transparent about real results, not just polished wins, resonated strongly with our audience. Engagement on these honest posts was 28% higher than purely promotional content, and newsletter sign-ups from social channels increased by 17.6%. This approach works because it builds trust. Customers and partners see that the company is grounded in real effort and measurable outcomes. Sharing authentic progress, including mistakes and solutions, encourages meaningful connections and long-term credibility.
Swayam Doshi, Founder, Suspire
Document Hard Field Realities Candidly
The one way we maintain authenticity in this world of curated online images is by consistently showing the messy reality of service work. We don’t hide the tough stuff. While other companies might only post pictures of perfect installations, we regularly share genuine content from our technicians dealing with tough diagnostics, complicated attic repairs, or surprising issues we find in older San Antonio homes. We call it “show and tell” for real service.
This approach works for Honeycomb Air because it sets a genuine expectation for the customer. We’re not promising a miracle; we’re promising an honest effort by highly skilled professionals. Showing the reality builds trust because it proves we have nothing to hide. When a potential customer sees a video of one of our guys struggling to pull a rusted furnace out of a tight crawlspace but ultimately succeeding, they know they are dealing with real problem-solvers, not just actors in a commercial.
Ultimately, authenticity in the service industry means treating transparency as a business strategy. People are looking for proof that you are competent and honest, not just polished. By consistently pulling back the curtain and sharing the difficult, non-glamorous work we do, we prove our expertise and commitment to solving the problem and that genuine credibility beats a “perfect” online image every single time.
Brandon Caputo, Owner, Honeycomb Heating and Cooling
Present Full Performance, Highs And Lows
I like to share the whole story about our work, including the ugly parts. For instance, I’ll show the month a marketing campaign did great and the month sales dropped 15 percent. It shows we’re not perfect, which got our team talking more in meetings. Clients are more into it. It feels more real than just showing the final success report.
Joshua Eberly, Chief Marketing Officer, Marygrove Awnings
Build A Distinct, Human Brand
Call me outlandish, but this isn’t rocket science. You stay authentic by creating an authentic online image and showing up as an actual human, not a perfect and polished museum exhibit. Instead of chasing the “perfect” online image, build a real one; find your own voice, clarify your message, and personalize your brand into something people can actually connect with.
Perfection is a mirage because people have different ideas of what perfection is. No brand appeals to everyone, and not every client is meant for every business. When you try to please the masses, you end up sounding like everyone else. But when you communicate in a way that resonates with the people who get you, you attract the clients you actually want to work with.
Authenticity works because it’s sturdy. It doesn’t collapse the moment someone finds a flaw. “Perfect” brands are houses of cards…one gust of reality and the whole facade comes down. But authentic brands? They build relationships rooted in trust, honesty, and shared values.
In a global marketplace full of curated highlight reels, the real differentiator isn’t perfection…it’s being unmistakably, consistently, and unapologetically yourself. That’s what people choose, remember, and return to.
Matt Middlestetter, Founder, Middlestetter, LLC
Publish SEO Misses With Data
I work with companies across the U.S. and Europe, and the ones that actually grow organically are the ones willing to publish the content that *didn’t* rank. I keep a running doc of SEO strategies we tested that completely flopped–like when we built out an entire content hub for a real estate client around a keyword cluster that tanked because local search intent shifted in 3 months. We published a breakdown of what went wrong, and that post got more inbound leads than their “success story” pages.
The brands I see winning long-term are the ones showing the boring middle part. Netflix doesn’t just translate content–they openly talk about how they analyze regional watch data and sometimes get it wrong before nailing a local hit. Coca-Cola’s regional campaigns work because they admit some markets respond completely differently than others, and they adjust publicly rather than pretending they had it figured out from day one.
When we share our actual client data (with permission)–like a hospitality client whose domain authority dropped 8 points after a core update before we rebuilt it–people trust the wins more because they saw the mess first. Turns out showing your 24-48 hours of problem-solving is way more valuable than a polished case study that skips all the trial and error.
Lorenz Esposito, Founder & CEO, SearchX
Post Critiques And Concrete Fixes
We post all our customer feedback, not just the compliments. A client once pointed out we missed a spot during a deep clean. Instead of hiding that, we shared exactly how we fixed the problem and what we learned. It turns out being open about our mistakes works. People seem to trust us more when they know we’ll own up to things and make them right.
Justin Carpenter, Founder, Jacksonville Maids
Feature Unvarnished Guest Experiences
We stopped posting only the perfect pictures six months ago. Now we share real guest stories, including the messy parts. People show up more relaxed because they know what to expect. That honesty is bringing us more repeat visitors and actual word-of-mouth recommendations. It’s working much better than our old approach.
Yann Duschenay, Manager, Camping Les Saules
State Therapy Boundaries And Timelines
As a mental health professional, I find that being honest about the limits and recovery timelines of therapy keeps my practice authentic. Early in my career, I made the mistake of sugarcoating the process, but I quickly learned that clear, realistic conversations build much deeper trust. Clients appreciate when I’m upfront, even if the news isn’t ideal. So, it’s usually best to be transparent; it’s the foundation for genuine therapeutic relationships.
Amy Mosset, CEO, Interactive Counselling
Detail Organic Ranking Flops And Takeaways
I post all my SEO experiment results, including the ones that flop. I shared a campaign that barely moved the needle and did a play-by-play of my mistakes. Those posts always start better conversations than just bragging about wins. People connect with the real numbers and start sharing their own screw-ups. It feels more useful and helps everyone get better.
George Udod, SEO, LTQ DIGITAL LIMITED COMPANY
Share Lived Struggles Behind Superpower
After struggling with chronic migraines and ten years of misdiagnoses, I started Superpower. Running this company, I’ve learned that talking about those specific frustrations works better than posting product updates. People get it. That honesty is what brings in customers who are tired of the hype in healthcare, who want something real instead of another startup claiming to change the world.
Max Marchione, Co-Founder, Superpower
Describe Rejections And Pivots Honestly
I like talking about getting told no when pitching Backlinker AI. It keeps me grounded. Everyone sees the success stories, but the early screw-ups, the specific feedback that made us pivot, that’s what actually helps people starting out. They want to see the mistakes and the late nights, not just the press mentions. My advice is to show how you figured it out, not just that you won in the end.
Bennett Heyn, Founder, Backlinker AI
Deliver Straight Talk On Pets
My rule is to share the messy, unfiltered truth about having a dog. I reviewed a pet camera once and listed everything that went wrong. Readers appreciated that because they’re tired of the hype. Honestly, people just want to know what works and what doesn’t. Giving helpful, honest advice builds more trust than trying to look perfect.
Zubair Ahmed, Owner, BowPurr
Prepare Clients For Transaction Hurdles
I make a point to tell my clients about the messy parts of selling a house, like when a deal that should’ve been quick gets held up for weeks by title issues. It took me a while to get comfortable being that upfront, but it’s worth it. Clients aren’t surprised when something goes sideways, and they seem to trust the process more because they know what to actually expect.
Lisa Martinez, Founder, TX Cash Home Buyers
Own The Experiments That Bombed
I always talk about the experiments that bombed, especially back when PlayAbly was starting out. Looking back at those screw-ups with the team made our successes feel more earned and got people more willing to share what they really thought. Being open about what didn’t work, even when I don’t have a clean answer, keeps me honest and reminds everyone that messing up is just part of the process.
John Cheng, CEO, PlayAbly.AI
Reveal Product Blunders And Lessons
One way I stay authentic online is by openly sharing mistakes and lessons learned from building Tutorbase, not just the highlights. For example, I once posted about a feature launch that completely missed the mark, explaining why we thought it would work and what went wrong. People seem to appreciate seeing the real, often messy process behind the scenes. The pattern I’ve noticed is that this honesty makes it easier for others to relate and even sparks more honest conversations in my network.
Sandro Kratz, Founder, Tutorbase
Disclose Cashback Hunts And Duds
I show the messy parts of finding deals, not just the big wins. When a cashback promo fizzled out, I posted about it. That got other people to share their own stories, and we all figured out a better way to do it. Being upfront about what doesn’t work is what matters. People seem to prefer that honesty over another perfect online shopping win.
Ben Rose, Founder & CEO, CashbackHQ
Tell The Flawed Design Stories
I like telling clients about the time we messed up a ring design. We tried this weird setting and the stone fell out. Happened more than once. But now we always share those failures. When people see the messy notes and scrapped metal, they get that the final piece isn’t just the polished product, it’s the hard fight to get there.
Ben Hathaway, CEO, Wedding Rings UK
Spotlight Genuine Student Outcomes
I stopped caring about perfect profiles and started showing what actually happened with students. On UrbanPro, I highlight tutors whose grades went up or who got thank-you notes from parents, not just the ones with nice headshots. After matching hundreds of students with teachers, I can tell you that real stories about actual improvement work better than trying to look perfect every time.
Rakesh Kalra, Founder and CEO, UrbanPro Tutor Jobs
Teach Through Accounting Errors
I post our mistakes on YouTube. Talking about what we messed up in eCommerce accounting actually works better than our success stories. That time we shared how we fixed a pricing error got way more comments and calls. People seem to trust our advice more when they know we’ve actually been in the trenches, not just read the textbook.
Ben Sztejka, Managing Director, Your Ecommerce Accountant
Showcase Failures Behind Finished Pieces
Honestly, the messy stuff gets the best reactions. I’ll post a picture of our workshop looking like a disaster zone or a prototype that completely failed, and that’s what people respond to. They say it makes the finished awards feel different, more real somehow. I think seeing the screw-ups helps them understand the work that goes into each piece.
Graham Bennett, COO, Bennett Awards
Confess Cultural Missteps With Humility
I talk about my mistakes with Japanese culture, like that one awkward bow. Sharing these mess-ups helps our customers see we’re actual people, not just a business. People connect better with someone who’s still learning than someone who pretends to know it all. It’s been a good way to build real relationships.
Falah Putras, Owner, Japantastic
Keep One Consistent Voice Everywhere
The way I maintain my authenticity online is by staying consistent. I don’t change the way I act or interact from platform to platform. I use the same voice for LinkedIn that I would use for Instagram.
The reason is simple: I am professional and measured. The way that I talk in a meeting or with a client is the same tone that you are going to get when I post on LinkedIn or other social channels.
I am of the opinion that if I drastically changed from one platform to the next, I would create an inconsistent character for my audience. To me, inconsistency screams untrustworthy and showcases people who are looking to please, instead of remaining true to themselves.
From a professional perspective, it is nothing more than being predictable (in the best way). Always use the voice that aligns with your beliefs and goals.
Martin Gasparian, Attorney and Owner, Maison Law
Highlight Vulnerable Career Setbacks
I’ve found my screw-ups at places like Together Software and BCG define me more than any win. When I talk about those setbacks, people seem to open up more. It starts better conversations and makes my mentoring feel more useful. Just being open about the mistakes, people start sharing their own stories.
Matthew Reeves, CEO & Co-founder, Together Software
Set Realistic Surgical Expectations Upfront
I tell people not to expect Instagram-perfect results from surgery. I’m upfront about what these procedures can and can’t do, and I put safety first. Afterwards, people usually relax and start asking the real tough questions. They seem grateful they’re getting the full picture, not a sales pitch. That honesty works a lot better than pretending everything is simple.
Tomer Avraham, Board-Certified Plastic Surgeon, Avraham Plastic Surgery
Call Out Blockchain Game Shortfalls
I’m always straight up about blockchain gaming’s problems. In my reviews, I call out scalability issues and smart contract risks. We learned this at Online Casinos Elite. When you’re honest about what the tech can and can’t do right now, people trust your opinion. They appreciate that honesty.
Jeff Grant, CEO, Online Casinos Elite
Use A Weekly Values Check
I maintain authenticity through a weekly practice I call the ‘mirror test,’ where I take time to reflect on whether my decisions and actions align with my core values and the person I want to be. This approach works for me because it creates a consistent checkpoint that prevents me from getting caught up in the pressure to present a curated image rather than my true self. By regularly asking myself if I’m being genuine in my interactions and content, I stay grounded in what matters most. This simple practice has been essential in building trust and real human connections through my work.
Konstantinos Ordoulidis, Founder & CEO, idietera.gr
Clarify AI Headshot Constraints Early
At Fotoria, we just tell users what our AI headshots can’t do. This stops them from expecting some kind of magical, perfect transformation. When we’re upfront about the limits, people feel better about the results and more confident using the tool. They know they’re getting a better photo, not a fake one.
Edward Cirstea, Founder, Fotoria
Explain Principles Behind Tough Choices
I always tell the team the reasons behind our marketing choices, even when it means we make less money to do the right thing. This starts good conversations about what we actually stand for. People now get that it’s not just about chasing numbers, which makes it easier for them to support our work. They’re bought in.
Andrew Dunn, Vice President of Marketing, Zentro Internet
Choose Spontaneity Over Polish
The reality for me is that curating a perfect online image is tiring and doesn’t necessarily work. Maintaining such an image requires a high level of curation and filtration of what can be said, written, and posted. And that’s not something you can just do once — it’s a commitment you need to uphold indefinitely, even more so once you start. The very idea repels me, to the point that it’s not even a consideration.
I always say I’m actually really lazy, and this is one of the proofs. I’m too lazy to put up a facade when I can simply jump on a video call or record something I want to say spontaneously in the moment. And it doesn’t matter, because my audience knows this is who I am.
Joyce Tsang, Content Marketer and Founder, Joyce Tsang Content Marketing
Craft Culture-Specific Messages Thoughtfully
I don’t create one-size-fits-all messages for multilingual campaigns. Instead, I craft something specific for each culture. When you add a small cultural detail to a message, people notice. It shows you’re paying attention to them as people, not just numbers on a spreadsheet. My advice is to treat communities like they’re unique, because they are. That effort is what actually gets people to engage.
Yoan Amselem, Managing Director, German Cultural Association of Hong Kong
Conclusion
Across industries and roles, one truth keeps surfacing: authenticity isn’t a branding tactic—it’s a long-term trust strategy. The professionals who truly stand out online aren’t the ones with the cleanest visuals, but the ones willing to show context, constraints, failures, and growth. From publishing SEO flops and admitting product mistakes to setting honest timelines and sharing lived struggles, authenticity shows up as consistency, humility, and clarity.
If you’re serious about learning how to maintain authenticity online, the takeaway is simple but demanding: stop performing and start documenting reality. Let your audience see the thinking behind decisions, the lessons behind losses, and the values behind tough calls. In a digital world flooded with polish, the most powerful differentiator isn’t perfection—it’s proof. And proof comes from being real, again and again.
