Recently I attended a funeral of an aquaintance in our community. He was a very well-respected person and there were many people in attendance. Because I am often caught up in my daily life, I saw many women that I usually don’t have an opportunity to see. I had what I thought was a nice conversation with a fellow mom – a professional whom I admire very much. She works very hard and is very well-known in our community. Having had spent many years working in the corporate world, I certainly don’t feel intimidated or lesser-than when I am talking to a professional – I think I can hold my own! When I see her, she tells me that she has a master’s degree every. single. time., but that’s okay too. Perhaps that is her way of justifying the fact that she works a lot….hey, I work a lot too. But she made a comment to me, something to the effect of ‘that little jewelry sale you had‘, which made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It was that moment of, I can’t be sure, but I think you are being condescending!. And then, as I cheerfully answered her, I saw that glazed, I-am-not-really-listening-because-I-am-totally-not-interested-and-could-care-less look on her face. Wow! Did that ever tick me off! I know that I was feeling the energy of the environment, and of course a little sad, which is probably why I took it that way. But what I realized was that she didn’t view me as a peer – but rather as someone who just did a little ‘hobby-job’, which is what many people think of social selling and direct sales. When I thought about it more, I thought of all of those comeback things that I could have said but never would have (Did you know that I work with a lot of women who make 6-figures, and do it from home, being their own boss and making their own schedules?!). That is not my style. And I am usually pretty confident. So I shrugged it off. I wanted to scream from my car on the way home You know I was quoted in the Globe & Mail! I was in BC Business Magazine! I am home with my kids every night!
But I didn’t.
And then I read this quote online that perfectly summed it up:
Don’t let how you are perceived to be, hinder who you dream to be!
Remember that!
But I am still going to post my photo from BC Business Magazine here because it is my blog and I can if I want to! Ha!
Scarlett 2006
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