I used to hear “You’re too young to handle this” more times than I can count, servers handing me the kids’ menu, HR doubting my impact. Yet, those same executives soon found themselves unpacking their childhoods with me in long sessions. That experience taught me a vital lesson: authenticity isn’t about never changing. It’s about knowing when to adapt without losing sight of who you truly are. Because sometimes, “that’s just how I am” can be a convenient excuse to avoid growth. And growth, messy as it is, is where real strength lives.