Uniquely Yours, 006: I Am Teachable

Uniquely Yours, 

006: “I Am Teachable” by Angela DiMarco

“Fake it till you make it” is an expression that I often heard early in my marketing career.

Interestingly, that’s the essence of manifestation (just act as if you already have/live/are that which you desire), which is a positive and uplifting concept, yet for me it was essentially lying, and it created unnecessary anxiety for fear of being discovered a fraud. For an insecure, newbie art director, I found that fear to be crippling. 

Fortunately, I am curious by nature and too proud to be considered a fraud (at least where my career was concerned), so I learned to ask questions, to request clarity where there was uncertainty, and to admit that I didn’t know what I didn’t know. There was still a bit of ‘faking it’, like when I heard strange acronyms in crowded boardroom meetings—I’d just nod my head and figure it out afterward (this is before the days of Google—oh you young ones will never know the struggle!) 

My determination to learn what I could in order to fill the shoes that I eagerly stepped into in the marketing world was admirable and paved the path for quite a successful career, but it took quite a bit of time for this way of being to apply itself to my personal relationships and new career endeavors. From my earliest childhood memories, I carried a need to prove my worth. However, it wasn’t until recent years that I first dropped that anchor, and even more recently, removed its chain from my ankle. 

Oh friends, when I learned that I could openly say things like…

“I was wrong, I made a mistake, but I learned so much from that experience.”

“I’m not sure what that means, can you please explain it to me?” 

“I don’t know how to do (xyz). I need help,”

…without fear of repercussions, it was a total game-changer! I realized that A. no one was judging me, and that B. I was the ONLY one doing the judging of myself. 

Today I feel total liberation from those chains that held me down. This has created a fundamental shift in my psyche, allowing me to be the best founder and leader I can be for Uniquely U. 

I am just about to finish month two of a six-month accelerator program. Don’t know what that is? I didn’t either before September! Oxford defines an accelerator as; a venture or program that promotes and aids the rapid growth of selected new small businesses. Newchip accepted us for the October cohort, and I’ve had my head down in the books since Day One. 

I was extremely intimidated at first because I’m a first-time founder with a creative, non-business background. I had to admit that there is A LOT I don’t know about things like VCs (Venture Capitalists), KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), TAM (Total Addressable Market), etc., while it feels like my fellow founders are way ahead of me. 

Once I accepted that I needed to respect my pace of learning so I could gain the most I can from this experience, that particular anxiety anchor fell away. I even asked my partner in cri…I mean collaboration Dana for study and time-management tips because back in my school days, I was the worst academic student! The difference between now me and high school me is that now me understands the end game, and I am so in love with Uniquely U. that I’ll do anything to nurture it to its full potential. 

I’ve also begun giving myself credit for the things that I DO know. As my friend Wendy Bee said, I’ve taken us as far as I can go, and now I just need assistance to get us to the next level. The strange, new terminology makes it all seem so mystical, but as I learn the definitions and meanings, I’ve realized that I am instinctively playing the game correctly, the semantics are just different, and with each new revelation like that, I feel more and more confident and less behind the eight ball. 

Because the term accelerator is not of our vernacular, Dana often refers to my Newchip work as my “propel” program (as Oxford defines; drive, push, or cause to move in a particular direction, typically forward.) Again, same game, different name, but I’m on the field and playing my ass off!

Being aided in our rapid growth is an exciting opportunity, but the real benefit here is my propulsion to a new level, an alternate perspective, where the view is vast and grand and simply breathtaking! 

So, stay curious my friend…and teachable!