Beyoncé walks onto stage in front of 50,000 people and owns it completely.
But offstage? She's described herself as naturally shy and introverted.
How does someone transform from reserved to commanding the attention of an entire stadium?
Her secret: Sasha Fierce.
Sasha Fierce is Beyoncé's alter ego – her confident, fearless performing self she steps into when performing. When she needs that energy, she mentally "becomes" Sasha. It's like flipping a switch from her everyday personality to someone who can handle anything.
And she's not alone. Bo Jackson, the only athlete to be an All-Star in both baseball and football, had his own alter ego approach.
Bo once said, "Bo Jackson never played a minute of football." What he meant was that his real off-field personality – hot-headed and penalty-prone – would've killed his career. So the version of himself that stepped onto the field was his alter ego: cold, calculated, and relentless.
Now, I admit, this might sound a bit woo-woo at first.
Channeling an alter-ego?!
But actually, when you dive into it, having an alter ego has some very concrete benefits.. especially for our careers.
And it surprisingly works.
Let me explain.
🚪 Leave yourself at the door
In the greatest-actors-of-all-time lists, a name that crops up again and again is Heath Ledger playing the Joker in The Dark Knight.
Why?
My take:
In most movies, you can see the actor “bleed through” to their character. Harry Potter, for example, is still Daniel Radcliffe, and The Transporter is still Jason Statham.
But the Joker?
Was 100% the Joker.
No Heath Ledger in sight.
(He was so completely the Joker, he made Michael Caine forget his lines, and had Maggie Gyllenhall glancing nervously at the director to stop shooting.)
In effect, Heath Ledger had left Heath Ledger at the door, just like Bo Jackson left his emotional self on the sidelines.
And that’s the advantage of an alter ego.
You can step into new traits you’d normally find uncomfortable, leaving your weaker traits behind.
🏢 The business of... you
I think it was Steven Pressfield who said that, when he writes, he doesn’t write as himself, but as his corporation.
That way, whenever he gets complaints, he doesn’t take it personally. He just thinks, “The Pressfield Writing Company had a bad one.”
Imo, that’s genius.
By adopting another entity, he can:
1) handle criticism better,
2) view his work more objectively,
3) take bigger creative risks
By creating “psychological distance” between yourself and your work, an alter ego does something similar.
So…
Creating an alter-ego is valuable — and I’d argue especially at work — to help you overcome traits you’re shy about.
But:
How do we create an alter ego?
Well, step one:
🏀 Choose traits you admire
For Kobe Bryant, he wanted to be cold-blooded and ruthless when he stepped on the court, so he created the Black Mamba. For Beyonce, she wanted to be bold and fiesty on stage, so she created Sasha Fierce.
What traits would you love to have, but struggle with?
Maybe it’s courage to set boundaries, or being less emotional with criticism. Whatever the case, limit yourself to 1-2 traits max.
Don’t overcomplicate it.
Then…
🏀 Give it a name
Bruce Wayne chose Batman, to symbolize how he overcame his fear of bats.
Do likewise - choose a name that symbolizes what you’ll become. Then, imagine what they'd do in your situation.
Would Badass Barbara second-guess her ideas in that meeting?
Would Confident Carl hesitate to ask for that raise?
🎬 Switch it on - your activation cues
Most people who use alter egos have a simple activation ritual. Beyoncé literally says "I'm Sasha Fierce" before going on stage. Kobe would shift his posture and mentally become the Black Mamba before games.
Eminem used this perfectly too. Marshall Mathers is the regular guy, but when he needed to be controversial and fearless in his music, he’d start rhyming in his quirky, goofy accent and then become “Slim Shady” – his angry, don't-give-a-damn alter ego who says what Marshall wouldn't dare.
Your trigger can be as simple as saying "I'm [alter ego name], let's go" while straightening your back and changing your posture. Or it could be putting on a specific piece of clothing, taking a deep breath, or even just visualizing stepping into that character.
The physical element matters. When you change how you carry yourself, your mindset follows.
🧠 Why this actually works (the science)
There's real psychology behind why alter egos are effective, and it's not just placebo effect.
Research shows that "psychological distance" – creating mental separation between yourself and a situation – improves performance and decision-making. When you're "playing a role," you're less likely to overthink or let emotions cloud your judgment. Like how it’s easier to give advice to a friend but not to ourselves.
It's also similar to why actors can do things on stage they'd never do in real life. The character gives them permission to access traits they normally suppress.
Your alter ego works the same way – it gives you psychological permission to act differently because "it's not really you" doing it.
📱 Start with your online presence
You might already be using alter egos without realizing it.
Your LinkedIn profile is essentially an alter ego – a curated, professional version of yourself. The photo you choose, how you describe your experience, the tone of your posts – it's all a slightly different version of who you are in real life.
The difference is intention. Most people accidentally create boring online personas that undersell them. But what if you deliberately crafted your online presence to reflect your alter ego?
For example, if you want to be seen as more of a badass, use language across your profile that portrays you as one — say things like “I cut through marketing noise and drive … “ instead of something boring like “I work in marketing” in your summary. Similarly, use a photo that backs that up.
Speaking of LinkedIn —
I kept seeing friends with amazing experience get zero messages on LinkedIn while others got flooded with opportunities. The difference wasn't their experience - it was how they optimized their profiles.
We built a free tool that shows you exactly how to optimize yours. Takes 30 seconds:
Our AI features will rewrite your parts of your profile to match the alter ego you want to portray.
🎭 This applies everywhere!
Alter egos aren't just for boardrooms. They work anywhere you want to show up differently:
- Dating: Your alter ego might be more relaxed and playful on dates instead of overthinking everything.
- Fitness: Your alter ego enjoys pushing physical limits rather than making excuses.
- Social situations: Your alter ego contributes to conversations instead of staying quiet.
- Creative pursuits: Your alter ego experiments and shares work instead of keeping everything private.
The pattern is always the same: identify where you hold yourself back, create an alter ego who doesn't have that limitation, then practice stepping into that version of yourself.
🫵 So what's your alter ego?
Think about the version of yourself that would handle your biggest challenges without hesitation. That person already exists – they just need a name.
Reply to this email with your alter ego: [adjective] + your name.
Mine? Resilient Rohan.
What's yours?
