015 Own Your Narrative!

Week 15 of 2024 Until the lion learns to write, every story will glorify the hunter. An Africa proverb reminded me that there is something so satisfying about owning your own story. I’ve had several moments in my life where people spoke on my behalf and it has always bothered me. I accept that our reputations precede us, so can only pray that the life I live reflects in the messages that are given. I worked my way through my career so that I could have a seat at the table. When I knew I wanted to be a leader, I started to work around leaders (mentors & executive level men and women) who helped me start my own company. I managed projects and contractors until I was able to prove that I could manage whole teams in corporate America. I worked with teams in other states and overseas to demonstrate virtual and vendor team management abilities. I finished an MBA in Information Systems Management to gain the skills required to implement and govern systems. There are 1,000’s of stories wrapped up in those years of service. I feel that I am the best human to unpack and share those stories with any given audience. I know that we all have the ability to narrate our own stories and hope that we get those opportunities weekly. If you are ever feeling like the wrong version of you is being told, find ways to own your story. Start a public blog, buy your name as a domain and build a biographical website, host a podcast, be a guest on a podcast, request skip level 1:1 meetings at your job, and simply be more vocal. I’ve been shy my entire life, but in the world of business, I quickly learned that your story is one of the most powerful things you own.