Book Review: ‘Being Unapologetic: Empowering You to Become an Influential Speaker and Visionary Leader’ by Davide Di Giorgio

Davide Di Giorgio’s new book Being Unapologetic: Empowering You to Become an Influential Speaker and Visionary Leader is a celebration of all things “un.” First and foremost, it celebrates being unapologetic. That means living your life without apologizing for who you are, but being your full, bold, true, unique self. Di Giorgio states early on:

“Somewhere along the way, you were encouraged less to be who you are and more to mold to societal norms and expectations. You were asked to be quiet, to act appropriately, and, ultimately, to diminish your light so as not to stick out or be different.

“What a shame. The truth is you are different, and the more you can accept and celebrate that in your difference exists your truth, your purpose, your message, and your miracle, the more you’ll be able to live out your truth and miracle, abundantly.”

Every page that follows is about how to live out one’s truth unapologetically. Di Giorgio fills the pages with stories of how he learned to do so, including accepting that he is gay, not being afraid to pursue his dreams, and teaching others how to do the same. Through successes and failures—from being a yoga instructor to losing a business, and from inspiring young musicians to sharing what he learned when his house burned down—Di Giorgio shares his inspirational stories of how he learned to live unapologetically and how we can too.

But being unapologetic isn’t the only “un” in this book. Di Giorgio has divided the book into a series of chapters including Uncovering the Truth, Accepting Yourself, Going All In, Speaking Your Truth, and Becoming Unforgettable. And you guessed it—unforgettable is another of his “un” words. In fact, each chapter ends with a “spotlight” essay by an “unapologetic influencer,” namely someone who has become successful in business and in life at being fully him or herself without apology. Each of these sections also focuses on what it means to be another type of “un.”

For example, Christine Rosa talks about what it means to be “unbroken”: “When you accept that you are unbroken, you realize there is nothing to fix. You then let go of the sense of urgency to be someone else. If you want to be unbroken, do not waste your energy on being someone other than who you are right now. Instead, gain the courage to sit with the version of you right now. Honor this version of you by witnessing it.” Other unapologetic influencers discuss what it means to be unorthodox, unstoppable, unwavering, unleashed, unbreakable, etc. These additional insights are like the cherry on top of the sundae to Di Giorgio’s own stories for giving insight and inspiration.

One of my favorite aspects of Being Unapologetic is that Di Giorgio wants us to celebrate who we are and to find things every day to celebrate. In fact, he encourages us to set a timer to go off five to ten times per day to pause and celebrate something. I love this idea because it just shows how unapologetic Di Giorgio is about who he is and the life he loves to celebrate. He’s someone who always goes “all in,” and he even dedicates a whole chapter to the topic. Here are a few snippets from that chapter:

“Going all in has some beautiful side-effects. Not only will you move forward toward your dreams, goals, and vision, but you’ll also enroll other people into who you are. They will see you as a leader, a trailblazer…a visionary, even. People want to be led by visionaries who are inspiring and who show others what it looks like to be a leader….

“Even Jesus went all in, which I believe is the major contributing factor to the longevity and impact of his story. As I like to joke, 2000 years later, he’s still a bestseller!…

“It would be a lie for me to say that going all in solved the issue of fear. In fact, I will go so far as to say you should never try to eliminate all fear. Instead, fear is something to be embraced, negotiated, and danced with.”

How do you learn to go all in? It starts by being unapologetic. It starts by taking a leap of faith and going out there and showing the world who you are. People who do that become leaders, and Di Giorgio is full of advice on leadership. He devotes chapters to advice on how to become a leader, including how to become an effective public speaker, how to build your brand, and most surprising of all, why you should not focus on “delivering value” as so many business gurus are proclaiming today and what you should focus on instead.

He also gives us permission to be “unboring.” So many people think that being an expert, being intelligent, or being successful means you teach people what you know, but they forget that we need to entertain as much as educate, and so Di Giorgio takes a stand for us to be “unboring” and teaches us how to be so.

Ultimately, Di Giorgio shows us that we can all live fulfilling lives by being unapologetic about who we are. When we become comfortable with who we are and showing our true selves to the world, then we become true leaders—leaders with vision. Di Giorgio explains:

“Leading with vision isn’t about declaring what you believe and waiting for followers. Leading with vision is about believing so strongly in something that you are willing to present it in such a way that your audience members ultimately choose to believe it, not because you’ve told them to, but because you’ve given them the choice to do so.

“Leading with vision is a powerful tool. Understanding that leading with vision actually means you are leading with who you are being, as opposed to a personal agenda, is even more powerful.”

I encourage you to read Being Unapologetic so you can take the lead in your own life. It’s time to celebrate who you are and share your gifts with a world badly in need of them. Join the world of those who have learned to live unapologetically and never look back. You know you want to.

For more information about Being Unapologetic and Davide Di Giorgio, visit the author’s website.