I have always wrestled with this. It’s not that I’m not aware of what I’m good at– I’m pretty self-reflective– it’s just that unless explicitly asked, I’m not going to tell you about it. This aversion to tooting my own horn has held me back throughout my life. Seriously, who’s going to tell you how amazing I am if I don’t? (I kid! A little.)

Though I am not trying to take myself to Donna Meagle and Tom Haverford levels (seriously, I can’t believe this is the last season of Parks and Recreation. ), I am taking the time to promote myself and my business and treat my doggone self to success!

Daily Worth is self-described as “the leading financial media company for women.” After stumbling on to the website right before the close of the year, I’m willing to believe them. If you’re not reading Daily Worth every day, then you’re missing out on some truly insightful content.

When I found this amazing article, 6 Steps to Embracing Self-Promotion, I knew it would be wrong to keep it to myself. Here’s the rundown:

1. Change Your Thinking: Gotta get that mind right.
2. Be Yourself: You know what they say about everyone else already being taken.
3. Find the Right Audience: You can say all you want, but it matters not a bit if you’re talking to the wrong folks.
4. Focus on Your Why: When it’s real to you, it will be real to others.
5. Know Your Value: You is smart, you is kind, you is important. KNOW it. OWN it. Don’t let yourself or anyone else steal your shine.
6. Give, Then Ask: Show your heart. Provide value. Then when it’s time to make the sale, you’ll have no problems going for it.

Read the full article now, read the rest of the entire website later.

Hat tip to the Daily Worth for the list.

What are your self-promotion struggles?

The post Embrace Self-Promotion: 6 Easy Steps to Getting Out There appeared first on The Right Style.

I became aware of the crookedness of my teeth since age nine and soon after, stopped smiling with my mouth open until I got the ultimate suburban accessory– braces. Years later, my teeth came back to haunt me in the form of a Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Fall 1996 brochure. I remember my classmates coming screaming into the cafeteria, waving orange and purple letter-sized pamphlets. “Kerri!! Kerrrrrriiiiiiii! Is this youuuuuuuuu?!!!” And it was. On the cover, I’m talking the entire cover, was 8 year old me, teeth-besnaggled and on full display. At the sensitive age of 11, this was the ultimate humiliation.

I grew into my face and my teeth, assisted by nearly 5 years of braces, straightened themselves out. I battled acne all through my teenage years and ran a constant battle with the blemishes and hyper-pigmentation that that acne left behind. I, fortunately, had great skincare and boy, did I have makeup. Makeup helped me to FINALLY feel pretty. I was never one to glop it on but it did have a certain placebo effect for me. I had a good face underneath it all but with my magical makeup, I could banish the dark circles that had always plagued me, I could give myself some eyebrows (any shape I wanted!) and I could make people believe that I was beautiful.

But recently, I spent some time with a friend who has known and seen me in nearly every state imaginable, from pukey ill to black-tie ready. I hadn’t put my makeup on yet and he said unprompted, “You know, you’re not really one of those girls who needs makeup. I don’t mind it, but you look pretty good already.”

That struck me. So last week, I went to work without makeup. Intentionally. I was fully dressed and about to do my face and then, I stopped. I looked at myself in the mirror. Really looked. My skin was soft and smooth. I’d started using BeautiControl’s new Instant Radiance Beauty Balm (full review forthcoming) so my skin was actually kind of glowing. I was there and that was me and I was happy and healthy. I looked at myself in the mirror and I finally felt alright.

The post Facing Freedom appeared first on The Right Style.