She said, “I am an amateur.”
Today I met a woman who was humble, humane and simple in her appearance. We greeted with a Hello and began talking about each other.
Being a Strategic Marketer, I explained about the various projects we worked on, the companies I have grown, and the kind of returns I have gotten for my clients.
Amazed by the kind of diverse portfolio, she exclaimed about the intricacies of the business sphere and how she hasn’t been able to scale hers.
Interested in the ‘stale business growth’ challenge ahead, I asked her more about what she does and what she has done so far.
Here’s what she said:
“I have been a career consultant since 2010. Earlier, I worked with my academy as a trainer immediately after graduation. In the starting, I used to guide students, parents, and even institutes on a pro-bono mode to generate some goodwill in the industry. After that, things changed, so I came out of my shell. I started my own consultancy. It became difficult to set my name up there. It was not so easy, but I did manage to get some sessions for educational institutes and universities, collaborate with their placement cell, conduct standalone exhibitions, conduct more sessions for juvenile prison inmates, sessions for elite universities, for a lot of NGOs, etc. And in this period of time, I have coached over 10,000+ students as a one-on-one mentor and over 500 colleges across the globe through offline and online consultation.”
I was awe-struck! My literal reaction was this:😶🤯
In a minute, my emotions changed, and I felt super uncomfortable for feeling soo good about my very little accomplishments in front of the numbers she had been stating. Though she has worked a decade more than me, her simplicity made me not see her in the eye for a few minutes.
And then she continued, “And over the period of time, Saranya, I got old, and now I realize I haven’t done anything. I haven’t learned much. I am not so sure of what I can bring to the table. Though my students have great jobs and a better future, I am unsure if that’s because of me. I am thinking of doing more pro-bono sessions to charge more.”
At this point, I was beyond confused.
“Wait a Minute! You have 13+years of experience and still you think this???”
And she continued,
“You are not understanding Saranya!
When I charge Rs.3000 for an one hour consultation, people say its too much. They say they can get the same information from Google and YouTube.
So if that is what they feel, then I am completely wrong. In the last 13 years everything I have done is void. I haven’t created a clear distinction for myself. At the moment, I am not an amateur.”
Highly curious about her portfolios and accreditations, I asked her for more information on her credentials and her session briefs.
Eager to speak about her work, the lady showed me more cases, spoke about her students, showed pictures of her sessions, showed the current career ladder of her students who are still in constant touch with her, and many more career points.
And I am sure when I say; She is better than 70% of Career Guides who are wandering around with loads of self-promotion.
Not yet reaching the answer to What made her think this, I asked more questions to her and continued the conversation. And that is when I realized this:
There are two types of people:
- The one who does some work knows the seriousness and the impact it creates.
- And the others who do a lot but never realize the outcome their work generates.
For example, A Mechanic fixes the bolt of the car and says, ‘It's just a bolt that I fixed. Its Simple
Whereas an Industry Strategist says, “Your car could’ve crashed without this; I made this car safer for you to travel.”
It's not about Glorifying but rather about stating the significance:
And in your professional life, I am 100% sure it's much needed.
In the previous scenario, despite having over a decade of experience, the lady still earns below 1Lakh monthly income. In fact, she is happy with Rs.50,000 as a monthly net income. Imagine what she can make when she knows the worth of what she brings.
I assure you, for the kind of portfolio she has, it can definitely be multiplied by 5.
That’s when the realization hit:
Sometimes people aren’t down to earth. They are unaware of the Value they provide
And being Humble with your accomplishments in Business would only drive you to the ground unless you are Elon Musk [who does it self promotion through his own PR agency]
So if you are someone who doesn’t talk about his achievements or does not showcase their professional milestones just because it's ‘too small’ or ‘negligible’ in the industry, remember:
‘You are not showcasing it to someone who is 100 steps ahead of you. You are showcasing it because it would attract and inspire someone 10 steps lower to you.’
So never shy away from speaking your heart out and showcasing your armor of Pride. Nobody can be you, and that’s your Signature.
They can do what you do but never do it like you do.
If you like this article, do follow me for more such posts. If you enjoyed this, hit me with a DM and give me a clap. Being a starter in this consistent journey of articles, every reaction lights a stream of lights in my soul, guiding me toward the end of the Tunnel with less darkness along the path.
Until we meet next time, I am glad to have you until the end of this article. Wish you all the Best and Happy Smiles!
Love,
$aranya Narayana Moorthy.
