I have two jobs. I’m
a writer and a Younique Presenter for cosmetics. Back in 2013, I changed careers from Human
Resources to writing. Not completely
uncommon for folks mid-life, right? I’m
sure you know some people that have switched to a different career or two over
the span of their working life. Selling
cosmetics was something that just happened and was completely unexpected. I used a product and fell in love with it and
felt like I had to share it with the world (I literally said this after using
it).
I enjoy doing both of these roles, but I have to be honest—I
was afraid that people wouldn’t take me seriously as a writer because I also
shared cosmetics. Believe it or not, I
struggled with that thought for months. Now,
I look back on it and think about how silly it was to feel that way—just
because I have another thing I like to do that isn’t a traditional job or is
the complete opposite of another role I have, doesn’t mean people should take
me less seriously. Sadly, I didn’t conclude
this for myself. Rather, I read this
amazing article about Lyndsey Scott.
Don’t know her? She’s a
successful model AND a software engineer.
Here’s the thing—why do we look down on people and assume
they can’t be intelligent because they model or sell cosmetics? Why do we immediately question their
abilities in whatever they do? As you
can see in Lyndsey’s case, people immediately shrugged off her success as a
women in the technology field and even made fun of her. After I read some of the comments people had
for her and then her epic clapback, I got to thinking about how people would
react if they learned that a high profile Calvin Klein model was also a
software engineer. Would they roll their
eyes and say, “Yeah, right” or would they smile and think, “cool?”
For me personally, I enjoy both things and why shouldn’t I
be able to do them without fear of being taken seriously if they have brought
me happiness and personal development?
What you don’t probably realize is that although I sell cosmetics and it
seems like a fluff job, it’s not easy.
It’s a challenge, and to be successful I have to step outside of my
comfort zone … all the time.
The other thing, which was an unexpected aspect of becoming
a Younique Presenter, is the fact that it is symbiotic with my job as a
writer. There are aspects of both that
mutually benefit each other. Being able
to write good, catchy taglines and be succinct in your messaging is an important
part of marketing yourself as a Presenter.
As a writer this has helped me immensely with this aspect of my Younique
role.
On the other hand, getting comfortable with hearing “no,”
having to stand up in front of people to read a passage from a book I wrote, or
sit and talk to fans while signing book copies were not skills I had in my
wheelhouse … that is, until I became a Presenter. I almost didn’t change careers to become a
writer; I almost didn’t do something I love to do because I was scared. When you tell yourself you can’t do something,
that message gets into your psyche and can really derail your success.
This story has a good ending; however. I’m more comfortable with actually asking and
hearing “no,” which means I am ready to query again with my next book instead
of going the route of self-publishing. I
do lives every day, many times without make-up—do you realize how big of a step
that can be for someone that is an introvert?
Accomplishing that is preparing me for being able to stand up in front
of a crowd and read from something I’ve written or sit for hours, meeting new
people and talking to them while I sign their book copies. Small talk is hard for me, but I’m growing
that skill with my Younique role.
So, my point of this post is this: people choose to do things for their own
reasons. Could be developmental, could
be educational, it may be fun, and it may also satisfy something missing in
their lives. Perhaps instead of mocking
someone or being skeptical of their choices or not taking them serious in
whatever they do, we could all be a bit more supportive?
