The Art of Showing Up: Why Authenticity Beats Algorithms Every Time

Hello there, my friend. Pour yourself something warm and settle in, because this week I've been wrestling with something that's got me more puzzled than a crossword written in another language.

If you caught this week's video, you know I've been trying to wrap my head around YouTube Shorts (not the clothing kind) and these mysterious "faceless channels" that are apparently making people rich. But as usual, there's more to the story that didn't fit into those six minutes on camera.

So let me share the deeper thoughts that have been keeping me up at night, wondering if I'm too old-fashioned for this brave new digital world, or if maybe - just maybe - being old-fashioned is exactly what this world needs more of.

After I made that video, I actually walked down to the barber shop - well, it used to be Murphy's. It's now a trendy coffee place with more gadgets than NASA, but I sat there anyway, watching people interact with their phones instead of each other.

That's when it hit me… We've created a world where you can build an audience of thousands without ever making eye contact with a single person. The barber would roll over in his grave. That man could tell your life story just by how you sat in his chair and what you did with your hands while he worked.

He didn't need analytics or engagement metrics. He had something better - the ability to read people, earned through decades of face-to-face conversations while wielding sharp objects near their necks. Talk about building trust.

Here's what I didn't mention in the video:

I actually made a few of these "Shorts" myself. Turns out, distilling seventy years of experience into a few seconds is like trying to fit an encyclopedia into a fortune cookie.

But here's the surprising part - I kind of liked the challenge. It forced me to cut out all the meandering (which, let's be honest, I do plenty of) and get straight to the point. Maybe that's why these short videos work so well.

In a world drowning in information, people are desperate for actual insight.

The difference is, when you've lived long enough, you know the difference between insights and opinions. You know which stories are worth telling and which ones are just there to fill the gap.

That's not something you can fake with fancy editing.

What really got me thinking was this:

All these faceless creators are essentially asking people to trust them without offering the basic human courtesy of showing who they are.

Now, I understand the appeal. Showing your face means people can judge you. They can see your age, your flaws, your nervous habits. But here's what these young folks don't realize - those "flaws" are features.

When people see the gray hair, they know you've been around long enough to have learned something. When they see the lines around your eyes, they know you've laughed enough to have some joy worth sharing. When they see you pause to remember a word or reach for your reading glasses, they know you are human just like them.

Authenticity isn't about being perfect. It's about being real. And you can't be real if you're hiding behind stock footage and artificial voices.

This week I've been thinking about the difference between grabbing attention and earning it.

These sixty-second videos are perfect for the attention economy - quick hits of dopamine, easily digestible content that keeps people scrolling.

But what about the wisdom economy?

What about the ideas that need more than sixty seconds to properly marinate?

Some thoughts require time to develop.

Some stories need space to breathe.

Some conversations can't be compressed into bite-sized chunks without losing their essence.

Maybe that's where those of us with a few more miles on us come in. We can use these new tools and platforms, but we don't have to let them dictate how we communicate. We can make Shorts that lead to longer conversations. We can show our faces and invite people into deeper thinking.

While everyone else is trying to figure out how to game algorithms and maximize engagement, we have something that can't be manufactured: lived experience.

We remember when conversations happened without notifications interrupting them. We know what it feels like to wait for something instead of expecting instant gratification.

We've experienced both success and failure enough times to have some perspective on both.

That's not something you can replicate with stock footage and trending audio clips.

Here's something I've noticed about getting older: you stop caring as much about what people think, and you start caring more about what's really true.

These faceless creators might be hiding because they're afraid of judgment. Fair enough - judgment can be harsh, especially online. But when you've been judged for so many years and survived it all, you realize that authenticity is more liberating than perfection ever could be.

I'm not trying to impress anyone with my young looks or hip references. I'm just trying to share what I've learned in hopes it might be useful to someone else figuring things out.

Every wrinkle has a story. Every gray hair represents a lesson learned. Every pause to remember something is proof that you've accumulated enough experiences to sometimes get them mixed up.

Instead of hiding these signs of aging, maybe we should wear them as credentials. They prove we've been in the game long enough to know how it's played.

Take some time this week to think about these questions. Maybe write your thoughts in a journal - there's something powerful about putting pen to paper that typing just can't replicate.

You don't have to choose between embracing new technology and maintaining old values. Use the platforms, but use them your way.

Make short videos, but make them substantive. Show your face, but don't worry about perfect lighting. Share your stories, but focus on the ones that might really help someone.

In a world full of artificial voices and stock footage, genuine human connection becomes more valuable, not less. Your real face, real voice, and real experiences are actually competitive advantages in the authenticity economy.

Instead of chasing numbers and engagement metrics, focus on building genuine connections. One person who truly resonates with your message is worth more than a thousand who just scroll past.

Remember, the goal isn't to go viral - it's to make a difference.

As I've been thinking about all this, I keep coming back to something fundamental… .

Trends come and go, but human connection endures.

YouTube Shorts might be the hot thing now, but they'll eventually be replaced by something else. Faceless channels might be profitable today, but authenticity never goes out of style.

The real opportunity for those of us with some mileage isn't to become fake young people - it's to become the best versions of our authentic selves. To show that aging isn't about decline, it's about refinement.

We don't need to hide our faces or pretend to be something we're not. We just need to show up, be genuine, and trust that there are people out there who need exactly what we have to offer.

Question of the Week:

"How do I know if I have anything worth sharing? I don't feel like an expert at anything."

Here's what I've learned: you don't have to be an expert to be helpful. Sometimes the most valuable insights come from people who are still figuring things out, because they remember what it's like to not know.

You don't need credentials to share your story. You just need the courage to be honest about your experience and the wisdom to know that your perspective matters.

This Week's Challenge: Try creating your own "sixty-second wisdom" - either write it down or say it out loud.

What's one thing you've learned that you could share in a minute or less? You might be surprised by how much insight you can pack into a short space.

As I finish this newsletter, I'm looking at myself in the reflection of my computer screen. Gray beard, reading glasses perched on my nose, coffee stain on my shirt from this morning's breakfast adventure.

A few years ago, I might have been self-conscious about that reflection. Now? It makes me smile. Every one of those "imperfections" represents a life fully lived, experiences gained, and stories worth telling.

That's not something you can get from stock footage, no matter how professionally edited it is.

So here's to showing up as ourselves - face forward, stories ready, and authentic enough to make a real difference in someone's day.

Keep telling your stories, keep showing your face, and remember - the world needs your authentic voice, not a perfect performance.

-Grandpa Stick

P.S. You know, listening to my rambling got me thinking - you probably have journal entries of your own worth writing. That's why I created Still 25... In My Head - a companion journal for capturing your own memories, lessons, and the occasional brilliant insight that comes with living long enough to have some. Your stories matter just as much as mine do.