If you grew into adulthood in the 90s, you probably wanted to be like her. Maybe you asked your hairstylist for her cut, or swooned over her marriage to Brad Pitt. Little did our 90s-selves know that Jennifer Aniston would inspire us on a deeper level 25 years later.

In mid-October, Jen joined Instagram and broke the social site, rendering her account unavailable for a brief period as an influx of fans flocked to see her photo. She shared a shot of the entire core Friends cast, which showed them together for the first time since the show ended. While we\’re in awe of her social strategy, we’re more inspired by Aniston’s thoughts behind what it means to have power: “True power comes from using one’s voice to hold people up and bring them together.”

We’re accustomed to hearing about the squabbles in the comment section in today’s world. It can take a lot of restraint to scroll past something that runs against our beliefs and move on. Jen makes us think about approaching our social spaces a little differently; to consistently use your voice to share, educate, create community and inspire.

For example, if you are an entrepreneur running a successful business, why not share how you organize your day, or how you deal with problem clients? If you’re great with self-care, reach out to your network to encourage them and provide hints and tips.

So many of us need a supportive network. In fact, without those friends, likes, or followers, where would we be? Sure, your online brand should represent your company and its values. But, aren’t humans at the heart of what we do? We can’t sell our product or service or bring a message to the masses without an audience. Giving those that follow you’re a peek behind the curtain can go a long way.

Here at 100th Monkey, we stand behind where Jen is going with this idea. Above all, connect to your followers and friends by telling your own story and putting a face behind what you do. This does a few things for you:

– It humanizes your company, putting emotion where there might be little.
– You lend yourself to being more realistic and accessible.

Let’s think about this from a branding perspective. When you have a choice to order the same product from two different companies, and the product, price, and condition are very similar, but you know the owner of one of the companies, you\’re more likely to purchase from the owner you know.

That said, why not lend your followers a little vulnerability? We doubt you’ll break Instagram, but we bet you’ll pivot yourself into a more attractive space.