Kat John, a sought-after authenticity coach and host of the popular Real, Raw, Relatable podcast, has amassed a devoted following of half-a-million on social media. Her mission? Inspiring people to shed limiting beliefs and embrace their authentic selves.
She inspires people to be unapologetically themselves. Kat’s book, Authentic: Coming Home to Your True Self, will be featured at her event at Rye at Tallis on September 15.
The event promises to be enlightening as Kat will speak about the ongoing battles we face when choosing to live authentically in a world that challenges us on every level. Ahead of the launch, Kat took the time to answer a few questions about her journey to writing the book.
Kat's heart had always yearned to write a book, so when Penguin reached out, she was both thrilled and sceptical, thinking “The email was a scam”.
Unfazed, Kat “put on her detective hat” to get to the bottom of it.
“I thought ‘this is too good to be true’, but it turns out the email was real,” she said.
Kat has transformed her life, overcoming substance abuse and childhood trauma. She’s evolved from a chronic people-pleaser to an authenticity coach, helping many become their true selves. Yet, Kat is upfront about the ongoing challenge.
“Authenticity is not a destination; we have to fight for it.”
Writing this very book challenged Kat at first — she had to fight her own limiting stories to get there.
“I thought, ‘it’s Penguin, you have to sound smart’,” she said.
“I need to write the book ‘the right way’.”
So, when she submitted the first draft, Penguin praised her work but said they “really want your voice in it”.
Penguin’s only requirement was that Kat write in her voice, the one that has so many people tuning into her podcast and following her on social media.
Determined to seize this opportunity, Kat set up her microphone one evening and used Word’s dictation feature to capture her natural speaking style. As she spoke freely, just as she does on her podcast, she had an epiphany.
“I want to write from my heart and for the hearts of people,” she said.
“That unlocked my writing voice.
“It then became an awesome journey; I could actually be myself.
“Once (my writing voice) was unlocked, it was freedom, it was ease.”
Written over 18 months, Authentic: Coming Home to Your True Self serves as a guide to living a life that honours who we are. It is filled with relatable stories, case studies and practical advice from Kat’s journey and those of her clients.
What are the most common misconceptions about authenticity?
When asked about common misconceptions, Kat said many people saw authenticity as a final destination, thinking “When I see that coach, I’ll be done”.
But this couldn’t be further from the truth.
“We do have to fight for authenticity. It is a full-blown commitment.”
“Often, people, who have been doing the work, sometimes for years, find themselves in this frustrating situation and ask me, ‘Why am I here again?’” she said.
Kat explains that as we navigate different stages of life, our relationships — with others, ourselves, and our bodies — we constantly evolve. So does the way we show up for ourselves.
“I tell my clients, ‘I am not your last stop, and I shouldn’t be your last stop.’
“It’s upsetting to hear, but it’s truth.
“There will be times when we meet people or situations that challenge us but learning to be authentic means learning to know ourselves.
“As we continue doing the work, it becomes easier, and we can choose to be our real selves quicker.”
Kat emphasises that authenticity requires ongoing commitment and effort.
“In the beginning, we battle against our ego to be who we are.
“What tends to take place will still come from our ego, but the choice of being authentic is here, and we know the pain being inauthentic is going to cause.
“The more we learn how to say ‘no’, set boundaries and practice self-love, the more we learn that we can be a powerful yet soft person at the same time,” Kat said.
But sometimes, authenticity comes with a price. Choosing ourselves may mean losing friends.
“Honouring our own needs helps us see whether people like us for who we truly are or just for our people-pleasing nature.
“True friends will stick around,” Kat said.
How would the world look if we all lived authentically?
“That’s a great question! If more people were more in touch with their authentic selves, there wouldn’t be any stealing, using or deceiving, and animals wouldn’t be put through painful situations.
“The world we are currently experiencing is the result of people imbued with their personas.
“We are imprinted by our upbringing and surroundings, and if we continue to be like that, we will continue to see what we are currently seeing.
“But if we put in the work, I truly believe there would be far greater treatment for each other.”
Anyone ready to embark on their authenticity journey can Join Kat’s event at Rye at Tallis on September 15. Anyone attending can bring a journal and pen to capture personal insights during an event that promises to be full of enlightening moments.
Signed copies of her book will be available for purchase, and there will be refreshments, snacks, and opportunities to connect with others on a similar journey.
Visit https://events.humanitix.com/kat-john-x-shepparton-authentic-coming-home-to-your-true-self for tickets.