Is Authenticity Dead? Bringing Fresh Life to Overused Buzzwords Artwork

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Small Business Casual

Is Authenticity Dead? Bringing Fresh Life to Overused Buzzwords

May 19, 2026 • Emily Aborn

0:00 | 24:05

Text Emily!

"Authenticity" used to be one of my favorite words of all time! It meant something real, genuine, original, of the utmost quality. It offered permission to show up as yourself, not perform or pretend!

Then... #internet.

Suddenly, everyone was "stepping into their authentic self." From every coach, in every caption, selling every course, the word was everywhere. And when a word is everywhere, it becomes a bit generic and loses its intended depth.

In this episode, I'm questioning this buzzword (and a few others) to figure out what we're actually trying to say, and by doing so, showing how to bring the real meaning back.

We cover:

What "authenticity" means to me
When and how it lost its meaning
Other words/phrases that have suffered the same fate (hustle, community, vulnerable, curated, human-centered)
What people are actually looking for when they say they want authenticity
What it looks like to show up authentically without needing the word
Whether we should retire "authentic" entirely (or just stop using it as a placeholder)

We don't need more people talking about authenticity. We need more people actually showing up authentically.

Resources & Links Mentioned:

Karen Salmansohn on Instagram @NotSalmon: https://www.instagram.com/p/DW_4gttDibS/

Quote by Sue Fitzmaurice:

“What it means to be authentic:

To be more concerned with truth than opinions. To be sincere and not pretend. To be free from hypocrisy: "walk your talk". To know who you are and to be that person. To not fear others seeing your vulnerabilities. To being confident to walk away from situations where you can't be yourself. To being awake to your own feelings. To being free from others' opinions of you. To being accepting and loving yourself”.

About Me & Let's Connect

Emily Aborn | Small Business Copywriter & host of Small Business Casual. 12+ years of copywriting experience in 122+ industries. I help you step into becoming (and sharing) the real YOU. For fun/downtime, I love reading, writing, hiking with friends, and moments of uninterrupted silence.

Got a Question for the Show? Email Me! emily@emilyaborn.com

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