MINDSET-MASTERS

Mindset Masters As the dinner progressed, the table of six training directors I was seated with started going around the table introducing themselves to each other because they always sat at different tables for each monthly meeting and there were often new people. It came to my turn to introduce myself to the table of smiling faces and boy...was my heart pounding out of my chest. Thus far, they had mingled with me and acted like I was one of them all through the buffet line. But the truth was about to come out. Would they throw me out the door head first? Would they say, “Hey, we’re a professional organization and you don’t qualify to sit here with us. Who let you in anyway?” I took a deep breath and kept smiling and realized that if I was kind and humble and checked my ego at the door, they may actually like me and bend the rules a bit. Or at least, not throw me out the window. I kept up the eye contact and smile and said, “Hi, I’m Debra. I’m a professional voice talent with my own recording studio and I voice corporate training modules. I’ve been a voice talent for about 8 years and wanted to get a chance to meet you all. So far, the meeting has been a lot of fun and I’ve met some very nice people!” They just kept smiling. One of them said, “Really? Wow, I think you’ve come to the right place.” Another said, “Oh, we’ve been looking for a voice talent for a project, do you have a card?” Well yes, yes I did. I continued to engage with them as if I was a part of this great organization. I mingled a bit in the room after dinner but didn’t want to push my luck or meet a snarly faced barracuda, so I decided to chalk that meeting up as a great success and find out when their next one was. I attended the next one…and the next, and now started mutually recognizing people. It was as if I was swimming with a school of salmon, but I was a mahi-­‐mahi. No 53