The Wallflower Finds The Sun

I've been a wallflower for as long as I can remember.

In school, I was the goody-two-shoes who had no idea how to win friends and influence people. At work, I shunned the limelight and made self-deprecating comments every time someone praised me.

After joining BNI, I am learning the importance of marketing myself. I am learning that everyone is in sales, whether that is their job description or not. If I do not do a good job of impressing on you that I am professional, competent and that my goods or services are priced competitively, how will I persuade you to buy from me?

To my surprise and that of my members, I am bringing in visitors to my chapter meetings almost weekly. While none has signed up (one did, but then a huge project came along, and, well, business called), it thrills me no end that people actually come because I asked.

In my quest to bring new faces into the meetings, I have gone so far as to give out our chapter business cards to strangers, and to recommend the services of my associates when the subject of a business need comes up (the latest being at Career Fair, where I purposefully met a land banker, an entrepreneur-to-be from abroad, and a publisher).

It's an incredible feeling when you do something you never thought you could. I like the sense that I'm giving my inner self a good stretch each time an opportunity comes up to do something different and bold and even foolish.

Yup - the wallflower is finding the sun, and loving the feel of its warmth on her face. :)

The Tide Turns

Finally, after close to 3 months in business, the $ is starting to come in. It's not a lot, but that's not the point. It's the fact that people are actually paying me to write (something I love to do) that's worth celebrating.

I received $400 for 2 brochures which were outsourced to me by a phenomenally busy fellow writer; $30 for copyediting a company's mission/vision statement; $165 for a 1,000+ word article for a magazine.

Also in the pipeline: $250 for writing a CEO profile and corporate profile for a company.

More exciting news: I wrote my first book!! I don't know many things more worthy of being shouted from the rooftops. Do you? :)

Based on the agreement with the publishers, I should get 20% of sales plus spin-offs in the form of speaking engagements; the audiences will be secured by the publishers. All I need to do is literally stand and deliver.