Believing in Yourself

My confidence sometimes tends to go on the overly optimistic side.

In the past, people have told me that it could be perceived as being cocky. The first time someone pointed out this issue, I was in the Army Reserves and Drill Sergeant Instructor Deborah Hancock was the one who told me. I had just completed a task before the rest of the other Sergeants; they had not met her expectations. and it might have been the first time I had completed and passed something where it stood out to her.

She found the best way to tell me that in life I had to find a way to demonstrate confidence but trying to hard was making me be perceived as cocky.

Taking the Advice to Heart

Since then I have struggled with staying on the healthy side of that thin line where being too confident can get me in trouble.

I like taking any knowledge I acquire to make the world around me a better place. With this knowledge, I try to help people see that achieving goals can be possible by taking different routes.  Since that day where Drill Sergeant Hancock (now retired) gave me that valuable piece of advice, I have been on a journey to identify other people’s talents with the purpose of sharing my strengths and having them help me in the areas I have weaknesses.

This also helps me understand that there are always people better than me in many ways and many areas.

Different Talents

I went to college and got a Public Accounting Degree. I have always been a fan of numbers and statistics. When I was 12 years old, I kept records and books of sports cards I sold to my classmates. I had another notebook with the telephone numbers of my clients for my Dog Grooming Business that I ran from the ages of 14-17. If only I had a CRM at that moment things would have probably been different.

I kept an inventory of my sports cards, sales records, market price changes, how much I sold them for, and many other business metrics. It was in my nature to do those things and my dad and Uncle Tito also helped along.

Since nobody told me I could not do it, I created and ran multiple small businesses that brought me income to have fun as a teenager.

Finding my passion

Years later I moved on to other things. While in college I was lucky enough that Radio Shack gave me a loan to buy my first computer.

This is when I consider to have truly found my passion with technology. I would spend a lot more time in front of the computer building websites learning HTML and a series of other things. Those skills helped me greatly especially when I left the accounting field to pursue other opportunities.

End Product

This past week I launched a website for a client named Farmacia San Rafael. When I look at that website, I can see how my work while collaborating with others, has evolved over time.

With the help of talented individuals who believe and are good at what they do like my friend Rick Lipsett (head creative on the project), Patricia Jimenez (photography), Lucilla Feliciano (Project Manager), and the staff of Farmacia San Rafael, we where able to make this Specialized Pharmacy website look very different from all the others.

As time goes by, I see how believing in me has resulted in the creation of many things that make me proud, certain things I think need improvement,, and the opportunities that will arise finding solutions to new issues.

Support from others

I have had some great opportunities arise for believing that I can do many things. But I’ve had even more people believe in me to take me to those opportunities from close family members to distant friends who I have only met online.

Building that support system (network) is critical and very healthy in the long term.

Where do you need help in believing in yourself?

How can I become part of your support system?

PS: I have been working on new packages to help small business owners with improving their websites and their overall online presence. If you are interested in talking a bit more on how I can help you reach your business and personal goals online feel free to contact me.