Stepping Out of My Shell

You may have heard that I attended The Southern C Summit.  I found myself sitting in a gorgeous ballroom at the Cloister in Sea Island, GA.  (Seriously, if you get an opportunity to go there, DO IT.  The grounds are spectacular.  The staff is warm and inviting and so accommodating.  Low country is so, just cool.  I had forgotten how stunning it is.  This is not an ad for The Cloister, although if someone knows someone I am glad to make it so.)  I was surrounded by fabulous women.  Truly some, pardon my language, badass females.  I spent a few minutes completely intimidated, wondering why in the world had I signed up to come.  I mean who am I?  All I am selling is myself.  And that is weird.  I have told so many people about Nothin’ But Fine.  I have passed out cards to waitresses, David Yurman sales associates, bartenders and random folks in restaurants and bars to the embarrassment of my husband and children.  And I have felt silly doing it.  But we have to do what we have to do to get ourselves out there.  Right?

Self-promotion is not something I am naturally comfortable with.  I can promote someone else all day long, but when I have to sing my own praises, I just feel awkward and unworthy.  This must be how talent agents got their start because I would guess that a lot of artists are goofy or shy introverts just like me.  I would rather pay someone else to talk good about me.  Especially when you have been met with blank stares or uninterested nods with a “oh, isn’t that nice” or a “I am going to check this out as soon as I get in the car!”. 

Which brings me back to why I was so anxious about  pulling up to the table at The Southern C.  That first morning when I hit the lobby in flare jeans and black top with abstract faces on it and everyone else was wearing a long floral dress, I almost went back to the room.  So much for blending in.  I had had a plan to enter quietly and sit in the back and I had blown that before I even got to the meeting room.  But, what could I do?  I squared my shoulders and walked like I knew what I was doing right into the thick of things.  And you know what?  I had a great time.  I met so many truly wonderful people from all sorts of businesses.  All of us doing our thing and all of us cheering for each other.  Yes, they even cheered for me.  It really beat all I’ve ever seen.  When you are explaining to someone what you do and they immediately get their phone out to look you up and click follow as you are looking at them…yall its kind of emotional to be honest.  It is the action and not just the promise to do it.  It is validating.  So, I’ve drunk the kool-aid for this organization.  I am here for it.  I am going to show up for the ladies I met and support them and tell everyone about them.  I foresee that I will be annoying.  These ladies might unfollow me, but that’s okay because they have already given me what I needed most.  The confidence to keep going, to keep working.