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If you are a fan of TV show Million Dollar Listing, you will be familiar with Fredrik Eklund and his signature high kick. But when Mr Eklund first started his career in New York, he was worried his eccentricities would render him unemployable.
“When I first moved to New York to become a real estate agent, I was certainly not myself. I was very nervous and I thought that this kid coming off a shrimp boat from Sweden, if I high-kicked, if I was the eccentric, colourful Fredrik that I am today, they wouldn't hire me, and I learned that the truth is so far from that,” Mr Eklund told AREC 2016.
He said those starting in a new industry – or even a new agency – may feel as if they should hide their personalities in order to fit in.
However, Mr Eklund said other people could perceive this as disingenuous. You might be seen as not being authentic, which could put people off doing business with you.
“The high kick is very important for me ... people think it’s a trick or a gimmick, but it’s very authentic actually to who I am, and now if you watch the show, I do it all the time,” Mr Eklund said.
“I think everybody needs a trademark, but it needs to be a trademark that is authentic to you.”
While a high kick might not be authentic to your brand, letting your personality shine through will help vendors connect with you.
“... What’s nice in business about being good and being vulnerable and being truly yourself is going back to trust. People look at you and say, ‘OK he's real’,” Mr Eklund said.
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