I’ve always been the girl with a variety of different networks. In grade school, my friends were a mishmash of jocks, geeks, outcasts (no offence) and incasts. Today is no different really.  I have my young single girlfriends who I adore. My husband and I have our “couple friends” who we love. I have friends I’ve met through business, friends I met in first grade and playgroup friends. Although the things I have in common with each of these groups vary, I like to think there is one thing that stays the same. Me.   

Being a new business owner has me finding myself in a vast array of situations these days. Networking at events with many different personalities, working with clients from all sorts of backgrounds and communicating with colleagues I don’t always see eye to eye with.  I have clients who invite me to their homes and ask me to stay for dinner and others who have their assistants schedule our meetings and wear suits to work.

 To my friends and family this is not exactly a news flash but now and then – I get a little anxious. In unfamiliar situations I tend to get really nervous with butterflies, sweaty palms, racing heart…the whole nine yards. Now I know I’m not the only person in the world to get like this but it seems not many people like to talk about it.

For the longest time I couldn’t understand it but I think I’ve discovered the issue. I was scared people wouldn’t like me. What if I didn’t wear the right thing, use the right language or come across the right way?  What if they didn’t like me and in turn, didn’t hire me?

With the support of my family and friends and the guidance of the many wonderful and successful business owners I am surrounded by I have come to this realization. If you’re always you, you can never go wrong. It sounds easy enough but I consciously practice this each and every day. When I’m in a situation and don’t know the answer, I’m honest. When everyone in a group agrees with something and I don’t, I tell them (when they ask). I don’t try to be something I’m not, even if it means going against the grain or risking *gasp someone not liking me.

I feel as though a weight has been lifted in a sense. Of course I still get nervous but it feels different now. I don’t obsess like I used to “why did I say that!” or “I should have said this!”. As long as I’m being me and being honest, I have less to be nervous about and not as much convincing to do.

I think it’s important that we don’t let people typecast us. Just because I’m a marketer I should use certain terms or just because you’re an accountant you should act a certain way. Not everyone is going to hire you or even like you and that’s ok. If you’re authentic and genuine you will attract the kind of client you truly want to work with and at the end of the day you will both be happier because of it.