Member-only story
DROPPING ROCKS
Meeting the Team Behind Medium
What was it like? A little bee, big hive moment
Here I Go, Feet First
As I entered the old and iconic hotel located in Downtown Portland, my heart was racing, and my mind was begging my feet not to trip over themselves. The adrenaline wasn’t helping my nerves either. I couldn’t help but notice the awkward, nervous half-smile on my face. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t straighten it out. My nerves were locked and loaded, ready to betray any semblance of professionalism I had.
My invitation had been simple: to attend a panel discussion and enjoy a coffee and donut mixer afterward. Perfect, right up my alley-ish. The whole “in-person” thing made my nerves tingle. I’m great in a crowd and with strangers. But this crowd? This crowd’s accomplished and important.
My Goal
My dad’s advice is to always walk into the room like you own the place or like you are the one everyone wants to talk to. Maybe that isn’t exactly how I wanted to make my entrance. My goal was to be myself, break the ice, and take the plunge into whatever this was going to be.
After all, I chickened out of the online pub crawl. Damn, Imposter Syndrome. I had to show up for this.
