Hands up who is brilliant at what they do! Tales from the kitchen…

I was flicking through the TV the other day and came across BBC 2 and The Great British Menu. I really admire professional chefs, their dedication to their craft is a true inspiration, amazing creativity and skill at work. This year they are competing to create dishes for the 70th anniversary of the D Day Landings, with many of those who were there 70 years ago at the dinner, so a real honour.

Last week the three chefs competing included a woman. This I have found is surprisingly rare in the world of professional chefs, as it appears to be a male dominated realm. This woman had worked with Heston Blumenthal amongst others so was obviously right up there with her skill, creativity and excellence.

However, all week when her dishes were in front of the chef judging and scoring, she put herself down. The two male chefs went in with confidence in their dishes and their decisions on presentation, taste and fitting the brief. She, on the other hand, when asked for feedback immediately brought up everything she wasn’t happy with.

For people to believe in us, first we have to believe in ourselves

Now, there’s a fine line between confidence and arrogant bragging as we all know. But for people to believe in us we first have to believe in ourselves. In fact, the judging chef took her to one side and told her she had to start believing in herself and the fact that she deserved to be there. He obviously knew her and her skills and was of the character that allowed him to have that conversation.

How many of you truly know, accept and celebrate just how brilliant you are at what you do? Be really honest with yourself, do you go confidently out into the world comfortable with communicating your brilliance, or do you hold yourself back, give excessive praise to others whilst forgetting yourself and play down your skills and talents? She was lucky, she had a man who was prepared, and happy, to give her feedback and empower her to step into her brilliance. We don’t all have that person, and when we bear in mind the person / people we are communicating with are current or prospective clients, it is crucial we have their needs at the forefront of our mind.

Confidence reassures customers

By that I mean, they need to have absolute confidence in us, in our skills, talents and brilliance. If they do, they can relax knowing that they are in safe hands. Part of our job is to create a safe space for people to fully hear and understand what we can offer them, thus fulfilling their needs and enabling them to be better / more efficient / happier / more effective at what they do.

Practice blowing your own trumpet

So, hands up, who is brilliant at what they do? If you want a safe place to share your amazing qualities and total magnificence, email me or call me and let me know! Practice blowing your own trumpet, play with being fabulous.

Are you really willing to take a risk? To take the risk of sharing with the rest of the world that, actually, you are incredible at what you do and a pretty all round awesome woman? If not, why not?

As the wonderful Marianne Williamson said in her poem, ‘Our Deepest Fear’,

“… We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous,

Actually, who are you not to be.

Your playing small doesn’t serve the world,

There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so others won’t feel insecure around you …

And as we allow our own light to shine, we instinctively give others permission to do the same …”

 

So, go on, pop into wherever you have a mirror, look yourself in the eye and tell yourself how brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous you are. Then, take a risk, step into the spotlight of your magnificence, give me a call and tell me!

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