I’m going to admit upfront to taking the time off working this afternoon to catch about 30 minutes of the Oprah show. Now, I don’t know a re-run from a freshly taped show - but the main feature immediately grabbed my attention. Five (maybe six) women - all ages, several sizes, shapes and different careers, had been given a complete makeover to “get their sexy back”. As I watched, I learned that more shapely, close fitting dresses are in back in style. I saw boots combined with over-sized sweaters, colorful ruffled blouses, the “old secretary” dress with a short coat - and a dozen other looks put together to help these real women with real lives “get their sexy back”. As the segment developed, each of them was asked how they felt after the experience and the answer was a unanimous HAPPY! Just as I thought I’d totally wasted those precious 30 minutes, the lead designer of the makeover crew made an incredibly important statement. He pointed out that the effect of recovering a piece of who each of the women truly were before they’d assume the role of mother, wife or park ranger - was reclaiming their authentic self. By stepping out of the vanilla flavored role and showcasing their uniqueness, they were able to shine. The best, most productive and satisfying business partnerships enhance the authentic character and contribution of each of the partners. They encourage each other to develop their quirky, strange and oh so unique way of seeing the world and doing things. They resist the temptation to pressure each other to be and think and act “just like me”. So - hey, improve your results and get back to serving your market in a bigger and better way - by getting your sexy back.