Though it may not seem like it from reading my posts, I’m actually kind of shy. I go out of my way to dodge socializing with people I don’t know, and I avoid conflict like the plague. Personally, I chalk this up to a mixture of my being both an Aspie and a Libra. But when you’re in (or trying to break into) an industry that values being a self-starter, being anti-social can be a bit of a problem. That goes double for me because, after escaping from the restaurant industry, I recently got a job that requires me to interact with strangers in order to meet my sales goal. When I started, I was a wuss, and everything I did came off as more of a feeble request than a bold statement that my product was worthwhile. However, when working the other night, I had a breakthrough: I would get into character and be the most loud and obnoxious showman (showwoman) possible. I would make people hear and notice me as they rush past. And I’ll be damned if it didn’t work spectacularly. Not only did I meet my goal, but I had a lot of fun and the time zoomed by. It just goes to show that in order to get ahead, sometimes you have to adopt a persona that is outside your comfort zone.

–Lizzy