Hannah Garrison 11/28/13 Hannah Garrison 11/28/13

THANKYOUTHANKYOUTHANKYOU

Yes, yes, I know. Contrived. Predictable.

But, FUCKING GENUINE.

Seriously, thank you for showing up here and reading. I know you are. I have site statistics and know there are between 100-800 of you. I don't know who you are (well, except you, mom), but, thank you.

It's a little odd to be this public. This honest. This open. It's embarrassing.

I alternate between feeling badass and like and asshole.

I worry, what will my grandmother think? Should I curse this much? What will my clients think? Will my daughter read this? Could I be arrested? Will I get a stalker? Do you know where I live? Do they want to know anyone this well? Am I a waste of internet space? Yarp, I think all of these things JUST LIKE YOU. But I let them float by. I try not to get hung up. I try to push forward and keep TRUSTING and BELIEVING that if I am really, truly, honestly as much me as I can be–that I will speak to a place inside you where judgement is forbidden.

So, THANK YOU for creating and holding space for me, virtually. It's my true hope that my attempt to reconcile my whole self here in front of you will inspire you to do some of the same. Be You. Be the best you that you can.

Be honest and hope and fucking pray that they/he/she/I will love you anyway.

Happy Thanksgiving, folks.

Hannah Garrison 4/27/13 Hannah Garrison 4/27/13

Personal Honesty in Business, Part I

Honesty in business, for me, is being first and foremost honest about who I am. When I started getting into business and leaving the nine-to-five word, I was very guarded about sharing any parts of myself. I thought that to be a professional meant very certain things and I lived and worked under these assumptions.

As I grew, both as a businesswoman and an individual, I realized that keep this harsh "professional" separateness was NOT serving me. It made me feel inauthentic and secretive, which are not qualities I wanted to bring to my work. As I started sharing more of myself, my work became more EFFECTIVE.

At the end of the day, that's what I want, to be effective at what I do. I've learned that letting a little bit of myself through that professional wall allows me to maximize my efficiency and improve my business relationships.

Three ways you can begin to share more:

Tell the truth when someone asks you how you are. Let them in, not for an hour, but just for a couple of minutes. Even if you are on a conference call, this honest check-in lets them know where you are really coming from.
Be willing to listen to what someone else is feeling. Being a good listener is a big part of honesty. We have to be confident and open enough to sit in silence and listen, thoughtfully.
If a client or co-worker is having a difficult time, share with them a personal anecdote. You don't have to go into great detail, but it is always comforting for them to know they aren't experiencing something in a vacuum.