It's Okay to Brag

What do you do? Mother, teacher, student, designer, professional volunteer, business owner...??? My answer has varied over my short career years as I have searched for what it is I do. Always confident in my personal life, I have struggled for years with the career aspect through a series of bad choices, lack of self promotion and listening to bad advice.

It occurred to me recently that the major source of my rocky journey has been a lack of bragging. Vain you might say, but I say sing your own praises to the world. When applying for jobs, I rarely received phone calls for interviews, but when I did reach an interview, I was always offered a job. Why the disconnect? I never was quite able to sing my own praises in writing, but when people could meet me they were able to see the capable and intelligent woman I am. As a result, I have wandered down a rocky path to find a great career, the one I create for myself.

So, I say sing your own praises. Currently, I am conducting interviews for new staff members at my company Cubes & Crayons (www.cubesandcrayons.com) I received a great cover letter that was so confident in why the applicant would be an asset that even before looking at his resume, I had already decided I would invite him for an interview.

And now when people ask me what I do, I have no problem saying entrepreneur, for I now know that I have the confidence, drive, and knowledge to create new businesses and ventures.