You Are More Than Your Certifications

Michelle Daniels, PhD, Adriana Samper, PhD, and Andrea Morales, PhD

Think back to the last time you included your biography on a website—perhaps LinkedIn, your personal realty page, or another space where potential new clients might come across your information. Did you include information about your personal hobbies, or did you stick strictly to business? The latter might seem like the safer option, as it makes you seem focused and competent. However, new research suggests that sharing the right type of leisure can make you appear more competent than sharing your credentials alone. 

When Is Sharing Leisure in Professional Settings Beneficial?

Not all leisure signals the same thing. Some activities indicate discipline and a focus on growth—typically active, skill-building activities like woodworking, hiking, or cooking rather than passive ones like watching TV. How do potential clients respond to professionals who share these kinds of hobbies?

To find out, we ran a number of experiments where professionals either did or did not share meaningful leisure activities in addition to their relevant work experience. Consistently across the studies, people who shared meaningful leisure activities in their biography came across as more competent than those who shared otherwise identical information. For example, when people read about a realtor who included his love of woodworking and hiking after his relevant certifications and experience, they thought he was more competent than if he shared less meaningful activities, such as playing video games or streaming a new television show, or if he didn’t share any leisure activities at all. 

When Does Sharing Meaningful Leisure Help the Most?

Sharing meaningful leisure activities can make people seem more competent, especially when they don’t have other traditional signs of competence. For instance, people who are earlier in their careers benefit more from mentioning meaningful leisure activities.

For example, in another study, participants read about a young realtor who either did or did not share his meaningful leisure activities in his biography. For some participants, the profile also noted that he had recently received a prestigious professional award. When no award was mentioned, listing meaningful activities like hiking or woodworking led participants to view him as more competent and more employable. However, when the award was included, adding these activities did not further enhance his reputation. This suggests that highlighting meaningful leisure pursuits can signal competence in the absence of other clear indicators, while having no negative effect when strong credentials are already present.

Conclusion

Deciding how much of yourself you want to share at the early stages of client acquisition can be tricky. Our research shows that sharing meaningful leisure activities can enhance perceptions of competence, even in professional settings. This is particularly true for young agents who might lack more overt signs of competence and experience. Regardless of what stage you are in your career, we never find that sharing meaningful leisure is harmful—so feel free to give people a glimpse of who you are!

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Recommended Reading

Daniels, Michelle E., Adriana Samper, and Andrea Morales (2025), “What Do You Do Outside of Work? When and Why Disclosing Eudaimonic Leisure Activities Increases Competence Perceptions and Consumer Choice,” Journal of Consumer Research, 52(3), 439-458. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucaf004

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About the Authors

Michelle Daniels, PhD
Assistant Professor of Marketing, Arizona State University
Dr. Michelle Daniels (PhD – Arizona State University) studies how we form our opinions of others’ well-being, morality, and authenticity, and how these opinions can shape our own behaviors and decisions in the marketplace. She has published in top marketing journals, including the Journal of Consumer Research and Journal of Marketing. Prior to academia, Dr. Daniels worked in omnichannel marketing on PetSmart’s CRM team, developing targeted email and point-of-sale campaigns.

Adriana Samper, PhD
Associate Professor of Marketing, Arizona State University
Dr. Adriana Samper (PhD – Duke University) studies lay theories, stereotyping, and post-consumption outcomes in the areas of aesthetics, effort, and health. Her research has appeared in the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Psychology, Psychological Science, and the Journal of the Association of Consumer Research, among others. In 2022, Dr. Samper received the AMA Foundation Erin Anderson Award for an Emerging Female Marketing Scholar and Mentor and was selected as a 2023 Marketing Science Institute Mid-Career Scholar. She is currently on the Editorial Review Boards of the Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Consumer Psychology, and Journal of Public Policy and Marketing.

Andrea Morales, PhD
Lonnie L. Ostrom Chair in Business and Professor of Marketing, Arizona State University
Dr. Andrea Morales (PhD – University of Pennsylvania) studies social influence, emotions, consumption & contamination, perceived effort, and consumer responses to retail & service environments. She has published in the Journal of Consumer Research, Marketing Letters, Journal of Consumer Psychology, International Journal of Research in Marketing, and others. Dr. Morales has also received numerous teaching awards, including the 40 Under 40 Most Outstanding MBA Professors from Poets & Quants (2016), the W.P. Carey Outstanding Teaching Award (2011, 2015, 2024), the W.P. Carey Outstanding Doctoral Faculty Award (2013) and the W.P. Carey Outstanding Research Award (2012, 2018), among others.

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KCRR 2026 June - You Are More Than Your Certifications (Daniels)