Friday, June 01, 2007

I'm Back ... Mea Culpa & Update

I've been remiss in writing, and I apologize. I hope you'll indulge me and let me share an update of what I've been working on -- in the hopes that you'll forgive my absence! :)

May was a whirlwind full of exciting consulting projects (Public Speaking Course for at-risk youth & Business Writing Course for rating analysts) and two speaking engagements.

Flowing out of the Create a Buzz! component of Competent Advantage TM, I delivered two presentations on the Art of Self Promotion. The first was for the Manhattan Chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women as part of their annual Re-Tooling spring seminar. And, I've just returned from Richmond, VA after speaking at the 33rd Annual National Conference sponsored by the Urban Financial Services Coalition.

The great part about being offline for a bit was the opportunity to meet some of you and hear first-hand some of the challenges you're facing related to self-marketing and creating a buzz. I'd like to bring a few of them back online to this community and invite your thoughts and comments, particularly in response to the following:

When we market ourselves and our ideas is their a difference in perception (especially along the Passive --> Aggressive continuum) depending on our:
  • Gender
  • Ethnicity/Culture
  • Geography

These items may seem obvious; however, I'm interested in your opinions and experiences. I was reminded of the last issue (geography) near the beginning of my presentation in Richmond, as participants shared experiences of how not "standing out" can be an asset in a more southern environment. As a New Yorker, I wasn't expecting that response; but the discussion was interesting and informative.

So, what do you think? What challenges have you had with promoting your ideas in the workplace? Any successes to report?

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