I was speaking with a client. She was excited to be co-presenting with a colleague. She said her colleague was very well connected because, she used to be a producer for a major network television show.
My client went on to share wonderful things about her co-presenter, yet had little to share about herself and why anyone would want to hear her speak.
I stopped her. You see, I know a little bit about her background. She’s an author. She’s written 17 books that have sold over 250,000 copies. She’s also an exceptional salesperson and speaker. She has sold over $1,000,000 of $20 jackets by speaking from the stage. I could easily go on about what she’s accomplished, but that’s not the point.
My client is a non-assuming woman. She’s very smart and a diligent worker. She’s worked for everything she’s gotten.
When she first told me about the various things she’d done, I listened in stunned silence.
Then I asked her how she did it.
She said that she kept track of what worked and what didn’t and just created a system. She went on to say that it’s really easy, anyone can do it.
And here she was thrilled that a colleague of hers would be on stage with her because that woman would have a draw, which she believed she didn’t.
She shrugged her own accomplishments aside because she felt anyone could do those things. My favorite quote from her is that she’s old so “she knows stuff.”
Well, you know what? Sure, anyone could do those things, but they didn’t and she did. It was time that she knew how special she was.
As part of the preparation for the presentation she was giving I asked to see the bio that she would use. It was just a sentence or two long and didn’t focus on who she really was.
She was keeping herself hidden; hidden from partners, potential clients and most importantly, hidden from herself.
She was Superman in disguise as Clark Kent. It was time for Clark Kent to disappear. There was no reason to hide her true identity.
I gave her an assignment. To write a bio for a person with exactly the same background as she had. I told her to pretend she was talking about someone else and share the truth about that person.
She did it. And you know what happened? She owned it. The two short sentences became a two page long resume of sorts. It detailed business and personal accomplishments, both big and small, because all of your experiences make up who you are.
Do you want to know what this has to do with you?
Whether or not you have written 17 books, you are more than you think you are.
I speak with person after person who says things like “Oh, yeah, I did that but it has nothing to do with what I’m doing now” or “Yeah, I did that but it was no big deal. In fact, it was pretty easy to do.”
It’s time for you to own who you are to stand up and acknowledge yourself for everything you’ve experienced, everything you’ve done and everything you’ve learned.
Here’s my challenge to you. Take 30 minutes and write the bio of the Superman version of a person exactly like you.
Stop pretending you’re Clark Kent. Step into yourself, and be Superman (or Superwoman). The world deserves to know who you are and what you can do.
I’d love to know your thoughts on this and welcome your comments below. In fact, if you would like, I invite you to share your Superman bio and take ownership of who you are.
Carrie, I love your perspective on this. My Audience Avenger Alliance started out from a similar concept: Many of us have an “awkward dork” inside – our Clark Kent, Peter Parker, etc. But we also have a superhero waiting to emerge. It’s okay to have both, and we need to embrace all the aspects of ourselves, especially as speakers on stage!