Be the Purple Cow – #AlphaFemaleFriday

I stumbled upon Seth Godin’s Purple Cow on accident. The whole premise behind the Purple Cow is to make your brand remarkable by all means, do not hold back, and embrace being different. One particular passage stuck out to me.

                “The cow is so rare because people are afraid.

                “If you’re remarkable, it’s likely that some people won’t like you. That’s part of the definition of remarkable. Nobody gets unanimous praise—ever. The best the timid can hope for is to be unnoticed. Criticism comes to those who stand out.”

I realized that for as long as I could remember, I have been susceptible to bullying. It happened when I was a young girl in elementary and even continued on into college. You would think that sort of behavior would have sorted itself out after high school, no? Even during my summer internships I saw that my career driven and well-established boss who was the biggest sweetheart of a leader I have encountered thus far was bullied by a coworker who wanted him out of the system. My former boss was taunted on a daily basis behind his back, driven to the point where he would tell me on a daily basis that he didn’t want to work for that establishment anymore because of the way he was getting treated at work.

Eventually he left. I am no longer being bullied. These situations alone have not stopped criticism. I will continue to be criticized, as I’m sure my wonderful boss will be as will no matter how intelligent and caring he is. After reading that one particular passage from Seth Godin, I realized that both my boss and I were Purple Cows. We will never receive unanimous praise.

Growing up, I just wanted to fit in. I wanted to be in with the “cool kids”. I wanted to be that popular girl. Suffice to say I never got in with the cool kids and I never became the popular girl. I was not sure what “it” factor I was missing, but I let it go. I stopped trying to be one of these holier-than-thou figures and just started to be myself.

It was a gradual process. I started out being the best version of myself around my family and friends. I figured that it was okay to be honest, outlandish, and quirky with people who I was sure were fond of me. After being given their constant and overwhelming support, I learned that the best thing I could do was to lead by example. I learned how to be the best version of myself 24/7. I let go of the stigma of shame that came with being the kooky Purple Cow I was.

This entry is dedicated to anyone who has ever felt like they had to hide who they were in the past, who they are in the present, and who they wish to be in the future. You will change and grow as you go on in life. My only hope for you is that you stay true to yourself, always. Never lose sight of yourself. Love yourself first and foremost before anyone else. I’m here for you if you ever want to talk. Feel free to reach out.

Cheers,

Kelly

@bobellerz