Comparison and judgment were at the wheel because of social media. This is how I was engaging with others and with everything that was happening in the world. The more I scrolled, the more anxious, judge-y, and comparison-y I felt.
Sure there's snappy ad copy to schedule a discovery call or to visit their website to "learn more", but I don't just want to learn more. Before I take my earbuds out of my ears, I want to spend time with the host and discover new perspectives, have space to self-reflect, and feel all the feels.
Every time I went to work on it further, a small voice inside of me whispered, "When there's so much horribleness going on in the world, why would anyone want to hear a season of a podcast about you, the book you wrote when you were 10, and how our stories play a huge role in our identity?" In other words, why would anyone care about my story?
Introduce yourself
Illuminate an idea
Win an argument
Strengthen a call to action
Be a stellar podcast guest
Perhaps you're feeling increased self-doubt when it comes to how you look on camera, or how your tone of voice and body language are translating virtually. Maybe its obsessing over “appropriate” work from home fashion choices (Can I get away with "business" on top and sweatpants on the bottom?) Then are the introspective questions around personal vs. professional identity.
But the more you dwell on the “what if’s?” when it comes to video conferencing and communication, the less chance you’ll show up in a way that feels good, easy, and true to who you are.
I left college in NYC with a degree in Vocal Performance and crippling stage fright. For the first few years out of school I could hide from the fear because I wasn’t putting myself out there to be seen, judged, evaluated, or even praised. After one Summer of auditions, I took an office job and spent most of my free time at brunch, watching reality TV, and going to DJ nights.
Last week I moderated a panel discussion on developing your personal brand. There was a lot of debate amongst the panelists and audience members regarding how much we share from our personal lives when in a professional setting. Should you have two Instagram account? (My intern recently told me about FINSTA vs. RINSTA, and my mind was blown.) Do we stay buttoned up - both on the inside and outside - and keep our hobbies, passions, and feelings at bay?
Here’s my philosophy. Meld the professional with the personal. Be yourself and use storytelling as your guide. Here are six ways that crafting your personal narrative will help you professionally.
One of my favorite things to do, when I’m at a conference or event, is to observe the people who are presenting. Sometimes they are referred to as “thought leaders” or “keynote speakers” or “esteemed guests”. Sometimes they are famous… or infamous. When this person is introduced - they are hyped up by the person who is hosting. There is a long list of credits, accolades, and other intimidating factors. All of this build up raises my expectations to extreme heights and I assume their presentation will knock me to the floor. This is an expert, they will inspire. Ultimately I’ll leave not only learning something new from them, but learning something new about myself. (#fitspiration, am I right?)
