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Catherine Altman Morgan's avatar

This SHOULD be the ultimate networking question: “Hi! What’s your imposter syndrome?” Brilliant!

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jill salzman's avatar

Let's try it at the next networking events we go to and report back, k?

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Jill Pollack's avatar

I'm totally going to steal this opening line!!!

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Michelle King's avatar

The thing that frustrates me most is when people (often who are selling something) tell entrepreneurs that there's a "way to do it". There isn't one single way - there are as many different ones as there are individuals starting businesses. So no, you don't have to be on social media if that's not right for you/your business, you don't have to self-publish a book, you don't have to be a goddess of networking. Look at your audience, look at your strategy and find what works specifically in that context. There is no guaranteed path, and you don't have to pay someone to tell you how to do something that isn't right for you in the first place. Even if they say that's what "successful people do".

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jill salzman's avatar

You are exactly right, there is no guaranteed path. But the only way certain sales folks think they'll be successful is that they guarantee a guaranteed path. My oh my how we've all been burned. You're hired, Michelle!

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Holly Osterman's avatar

It’s wild how much we have to live these lessons before we truly get them. People might tell us, but until we stumble through the trial-and-error (and sometimes flat-out failure), the lessons don’t quite stick. Maybe it’s because we want to believe the easier version of the story—the one where hard work and exposure lead straight to success. Or maybe it’s just human nature to resist what doesn’t fit our expectations… until reality forces us to pay attention. Either way, learning the truth always takes longer than we think it should. Thanks for your honesty.

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jill salzman's avatar

My pleasure, Holly. You're right – maybe we wanna believe a more hopeful version or an easier version of our own story. Can we just blame American Idol anyway?

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