Guest Blogger: Stephanie Morales
Just “Fake” It
“To be a great champion you must believe you are the best. If you’re not, pretend you are.” – Muhammad Ali
A few months ago I interviewed one of my childhood friends for a website I launched featuring notable young professionals in Cleveland. He had become a local celebrity – one of the hottest DJ’s with a cool gig working for an NBA team, celebrity friends, and his own radio program at 28. It was a long way from the way I remembered him – awkward, always trying too hard, thought he had game middle-schooler.
The conversation however got me thinking about how perception really is reality and how quickly our reputations can change. He shared with me that after he set foot at The Ohio State University his freshmen year, he knew he had an opportunity to change his reputation. When he was booked for his first DJ gig on-campus, he faked he was already a hot DJ back home yet he didn’t even know how to properly set up his equipment.
Even though his words were “fake” his talent and self-confidence were not – he created an opportunity and, more importantly, he capitalized on it. So if you think you are the next [insert dream job here] – fake it till you make it.
A word of a caution however don’t “fake it”, if you are not ready to deliver the goods.
