People chose to work with us first because they like us and second because we have the necessary skills.
The DM lit my screen.
It was a personal note responding to a very revealing piece I’d written about my childhood and posted on several platforms. It took me a moment to realize what I was looking at. It could be nothing.
I breathed, gathered my thoughts, focused, and read more carefully.
“I saw your extremely revealing story. Knowing just a bit of your history, it all made sense now. I’m in creative services with a firm of twenty-five. I could use your help.”
It was happening. I’d been writing more about my life in a personal search to understand who I am and why I am the way I am. The extravert side of me, the tireless self-promo side of me, kicked in, and I posted it.
A little defensive here: I also get great pleasure helping people, especially creative people. I’m hopelessly creative myself and addicted to my work. A lifetime of that, plus a heap of professional experience, has helped me stay connected to the creative world in a way that works for people.
With my writing becoming more revealing, my advisory practice has grown. And the recent growth is, for the most part, my community seeing me in a new way.