Self-promotion has always been difficult for me. A product of British parents and an era when “showing off” in any form was considered extremely bad taste.
I was a very shy child, far more comfortable with horses and dogs than people. My parents encouraged participation in dinner table discussions on a wide variety of topics. But when it came to interactions with less well-known adults my younger brother and I were often reminded of the “children should be seen and not heard” maxim that was still widely followed by my parent’s generation.
image generated by DALL E2 using the prompt “children should be seen and not heard”
Corporal punishment was still a popular method of school discipline. This had the effect of making standing out from the crowd a risk. It was not a good idea to draw attention to oneself – either by being exceptionally good or noticeably bad. Settling for a level of mediocrity in both academic and sporting activities was a good, safe strategy. Remain invisible for as long as possible, stay under the radar.
National service in the military – the army for me – encouraged the habit of blending into the background. The longer each of us could delay the instructors learning our names, the easier lives we had. The first man who admitted to having a driver’s license when questioned was told to collect a wheelbarrow and move whatever the sergeant demanded. A lesson to never volunteer for anything.
Growing Up
Years passed as they inexorably do. Marriage, becoming a parent, a new country, and new jobs all helped me grow out of the shyness and aversion to being the focus of attention that had dampened my earlier years
Serving on boards in industry associations and service organizations attracted unsought-after attention – including the media.
Public speaking thickened my skin and helped me accept that unless we choose to be hermits or recluses, we will attract attention. Some kind, some complimentary, some derogatory some even hateful. That’s life.
10 years of farming in Zimbabwe encouraged me to revert to being a publicity shunner. No need for any form of self-promotion. Political tensions dictated the wisdom of keeping a low profile.
All that was before moving to Canada and before the internet and social media.
Self-promotion in The Digital Age
A few years after moving to Canada, at the age of 60, a heart attack stopped my farming activities. For the second time in my life in a new country, I had an urgent need to generate an income. Much older, and somewhat wiser, thankfully this time around with no young children to worry about.
The Internet seemed to offer opportunities. Fortunes were being made – and lost. I saw a way to use my writing and speaking skills and my experiences in Africa to start a business.
However, for that to work, I had to once again get comfortable with the idea of self-promotion. That meant becoming active on social media, going to networking events, regular public speaking, and joining associations and service clubs.
This brings me to today, November 2022. My main activity now is as a co-host on The Yakking Show with 200 episodes published. I am also a frequent guest on Podcasts and video shows myself. Check out my latest appearances here.
It’s been a long journey from my days as a shy schoolboy in Rhodesia to being comfortable with self-promotion in any form. Although I am comfortable with it and see the necessity for it in the modern age, I could happily do without it. I could easily revert to invisibility.
Here’s a bonus image generated by DALL E2 using the same prompt as the one above.
Isn’t AI amazing and frightening at the same time?
How comfortable are you with self-promotion?
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