She Doth Protest Too Much

I'm a jerk.  I admit it and beg forgiveness.  Hopefully I'm not a jerk most of the time.  In this case, driven to jerkdom - a new word - by insecurity and foolishness. 

I was slated to be a featured speaker in a teleseminar to other professional service firm marketing directors on a Tuesday and then to a group of business appraisers on a Thursday - of the same week.  "Who wants to listen to me?  Do I have anything of value to say?" I thought. 

To compensate, I puffed out my chest  and decided to bluff my way through.  If I portrayed a sense of confidence, it would all be okay.  Well, I missed the mark.  Boy, did I miss.  To top it off, during this time, I decided to post which I know now is always the wrong decision. 

In my post, The Role of the CMO, I opined why I am a CMO and serve on the board of directors of my firm, Mercer Capital:

I am a firm believer that if a CMO actually steps out and leads rather than waits for directions from the partners, then he or she can earn a seat at the strategy-setting table.   I'm a member of my firm's board of directors (the only non-fee earner on the board) and one of its senior people.  It took time, but I got there because I 1) stepped out and led the charge, continuously seeking input and involvement from all members of the firm and communicating our efforts and ROI;  2) made it a point to get involved with our analysts and really understand what they do so I could identify future trends and opportunities for us; and 3) woke up every day thinking about what we could do to make the phone ring with the right prospects.

What a piece of condescending c__p!  I apologize to everyone who waded through this post. 

Here is the truth:  I don't really know why I'm the CMO of my firm and a member of its board.  I do know that I've been helped tremendously along the way.  My current marketing partner is Matt Washburn and he's incredibly talented and contributes a tremendous amount to furthering the cause of Mercer Capital.  Before Matt joined us, Julie Reno was my partner in crime and she was (and is) wonderful.  My CEO, Chris Mercer, has a natural talent for marketing and allows me the opportunity to learn and grow.  I have numerous other colleagues at Mercer Capital that contribute greatly to my professional success.  And, there are numerous professional colleagues outside of Mercer Capital that are constant inspirations and sources of countless new ideas.  My husband, a marketing professional himself, is also a large part of why I can do what I do. 

I do love what I do and love Mercer Capital.  Yes, I've worked hard and I do wake up thinking about marketing - but only because that's how I'm wired and that's what I like to think about.  Bottom line is I'm lucky.  Lucky to have landed at a place that allowed me to grow with it.  Lucky to have been and continued to be surrounded by people who do what they do exceptionally well and who have an interest in marketing.  And, lucky to have a personal network of family and friends who are supportive and encouraging. 

I had been toying with deleting the offensive post to erase the stain but that would be dishonest and given the fact that I've already messed up, there is no use piling on.   I post again about this only for myself - to assuage my guilt and to acknowledge that I would not be where I am without the help and guidance of so many others.  I'm a jerk.  Now, I'm a repentant jerk.

Comments

[Patrick McEvoy]

Excellent post! But a little to hard on yourself.

You're lucky because you've paid your dues and you keep a lot of lines with good bait on the end in the water at all times.

I've always found that the harder I work...the "luckier" I get.

Warmly,
Patrick McEvoy
President
CPA Marketing Best Practices