Your 2ndChance at a First Impression: They Smile In Your Face...Backstabbers

As the O'Jays would say:
They smile in your face. All the time they want to take your place The back stabbers (back stabbers)

Yesterday I had the pleasure of participating in the Women's Business Owner's Conference hosted by Department of Small Business and Supplier Diversity sponsored by some fabulous women owned business owners: Company B Communications, Superior Global Solutions, Inc., 2nd Chance Consulting (yay that's me) and Boomer3 Solutions, LLC.

Normally at these types of events I work my table and only have time to meet who comes to me. This time I felt the urge to do it differently. Instead when the participants went in to listen to the speakers I LISTENED TOO. I just kept thinking that while I'm "experienced" and was even a panel participant there is ALWAYS more to know and learn.

I was not disappointed as first up after intros, from the fabulous Tammy Farmer of DSBSD, was Anne Moss Rogers of Impression Marketing. Anne Moss spoke on how women can and should support one another.

She shared her own personal experiences and had us complete the exercise of only saying positive things about the images of high profile women that she displayed. It was clear that it was hard for some to think of something nice to say about some of the women she shared.

What struck me especially in her personal story was the understanding that the qualities that we might admire in men we judge women negatively for. And how we often sabotage our own. While men are readily willing to hire other men statistics show that we, women that is, are far less likely to do so.

I'm sure my title has you wondering where the backstabbing comes in. Sadly, it comes in every day with each and every one of us. If you are truly looking for personal or business success then we have to start by looking at the success and not detriment of others. Think first what positive attribute can I appreciate about the person who walks in to the room rather than automatically reaching for a negative comment.

Unfortunately the backstabber is often US and as Anne Moss so graciously put it while it's impossible to change the world we can indeed change ourselves and then see the changes happening in the world.

To quote Gandhi, Be the change you want to see in the world