You spend weeks perfecting a project before sharing it anywhere. You rewrite emails multiple times before sending them. You don’t apply for opportunities because your portfolio isn’t “ready” yet. You don’t post that behind-the-scenes content because it’s not polished enough. You hold off on launching something because it’s not completely perfect.
Sound familiar?
While you’re perfecting, your ideal clients are working with someone else. Someone who showed up, shared their work, and made the connection.
I learnt this the hard way in my own business. I’d spend ages creating the “perfect” proposal, making everything look absolutely flawless, presenting myself as having all the answers. Often, I’d lose the project to someone whose work was good enough and who felt more genuine, more human, more relatable.
What Perfectionism Actually Costs You
People don’t just hire your skills. They hire you. And perfectionism often hides the very personality and authenticity that makes you memorable and trustworthy.
Your clients want to see that you’re real. They want to understand your process. They want to know what it’s like to work with you, what your thinking looks like, how you approach problems. Perfect, polished content doesn’t tell them any of that.
I see this constantly with creative entrepreneurs who are so worried about looking professional that they end up looking generic. Their Instagram feeds are beautifully curated but completely sterile. Their websites are polished but reveal nothing about their personality. Their communications are technically perfect but utterly forgettable.
Meanwhile, the creatives who are booking consistently, who have waiting lists, who have clients who absolutely adore working with them – they’re the ones sharing their process, their thinking, their genuine personalities. They’re human, and that humanity is actually what people connect with.
A Real Example from Greece
While in Greece, I was introduced to an incredible ceramicist. Her work is seriously beautiful, inspired by the Greek landscape and very practical. It has huge potential, but when we were discussing her business, she was frustrated by the lack of growth and feeling scared and confused about what to do next.
The more we talked, I realised that her need for everything to be perfect – specifically her concern about sharing images of her studio space unless it was spotless and looking perfect – was stopping her from sharing so much more about her brand and really strong work.
Sitting there with drinks in our hands, I suggested a few things she could focus on, and I’d love to share them with you too.
The Truth About What People Actually Want
Perfect isn’t what people want. Genuine is what people want.
Your clients want to work with someone they trust, someone they feel comfortable with, someone who feels real and approachable. Perfectionism actually works against all of those things.
When you share work-in-progress shots, you’re showing your process, which builds trust. When you admit you don’t know something, you’re being honest, which is refreshing. When you share a quick, helpful video that’s not perfectly edited, you’re being useful, which people appreciate.
I started noticing this in my own business when I began sharing more behind-the-scenes content. The posts that got the most engagement, the most genuine responses, the most enquiries – they weren’t the images that showed my most polished work. They were the ones where I showed my thinking, my process, my genuine excitement about a project.
People want to see the human behind the work. They want to understand how you think, how you solve problems, how you come up with ideas, what gets you excited. That’s what makes them want to work with you specifically, rather than just any creative who does what you do.
A Practical Example
A brilliant florist in one of my online programmes had photography and floral designs that were seriously beautiful. Her goal was to work with larger budget projects, and she had a strong portfolio that could help her step into that next level. But she was missing working shots – photographs that showed she was the person who actually put all the designs together.
As much as people want to see amazing end results, they also want to know you’re willing to roll up your sleeves and get the work done, particularly for bigger budget projects. So as much as you think you need a flawless portfolio, you actually need to share the grainy, behind-the-scenes photos that showcase you as someone to trust and someone willing to bring your clients’ visions to life.
Your Action Step This Week
Try an experiment. Share something that’s “good enough” instead of perfect. Maybe it’s a work-in-progress shot with a caption about what you’re thinking through. Maybe it’s a quick video explaining your approach to a project – not scripted, not perfectly lit, just genuine. Maybe it’s an email to your list that’s helpful rather than perfectly worded.
Notice what happens. I’m willing to bet these imperfect shares get more engagement, more genuine responses, and create better connections than your most polished content.
Next time you catch yourself saying “I can’t share this yet, it’s not ready,” ask yourself “What would ‘good enough’ look like?” Often, good enough is actually exactly what people need to see.
The Bottom Line
Good enough, shared, always beats perfect, hidden.
Your clients aren’t looking for perfection. They’re looking for connection, trust, and someone who feels real and approachable. The vulnerability and authenticity you’re trying to polish away might be exactly what draws people to work with you.
Perfect doesn’t build relationships. Genuine does.
Start showing the human behind the work. Your ideal clients are waiting to meet you, not your perfectly polished persona.
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