So this cute guy showed up on my porch the other day. Look how assuredly he sat while I took his picture—I think he’s actually smiling at me! I was looking for a way to show him off and then, eureka, he became the perfect spokesperson for a conversation I was having with my client.
But let me back up a bit.
Here in Wisconsin spring came a little late. On top of that we’re having some heavy rains, so that means it’s frog heaven. Lots of frogs. Lots of nice chorusing going on. Although I love listening to them, unless I’m with my more amphibian-educated son who helps me identify their call, to me they’re just one unified voice. None of them stands out from the others.
Except this cute guy above. He is cute, isn’t he?
The thing about this guy (by the way, he’s either a Cope’s Gray Treefrog or Eastern Gray Treefrog, according to another frogophile) is that as handsome as he is, I wouldn’t have noticed him if #1) he didn’t separate himself from his army, thus making himself stand out; and 2) he didn’t speak up.
Which takes me back to my client…
Recently she mentioned she has trouble promoting herself. She knows she should—she offers a wonderfully beneficial service—but she feels uncomfortable doing so. I think we all can relate to that, don’t you? Self-promotion feels like bragging. Unless we’re millennials and we’ve grown up talking about ourselves, most of us go by the old adage that self-nods are, well, self-centered.
Nowadays, we can’t think that way. There’s an army of competition out there and if we don’t make ourselves known, we’ll be lost in the pond. I can’t take credit for these words of wisdom, but here’s what I passed along to my client: Self-promotion isn’t talking about your self, it’s talking about what you do. It’s talking about how you can help others.
I haven’t seen this little guy again, but I know he’s still around. I hear him. No, he’s not bragging, he’s brightening my day.
Love to hear from you!