COLUMN GI JANE
As a little girl, I was fearless. I climbed to the top of the stairs at my parent’s house, yelled out: “One, two, three “… and jumped. My mother was scared sh..less and told me time and time again to stop this behavior as I could hurt myself.
As I thought it was a very fun activity I kept on doing it, leaving my mother in agony. Hop, I went down like a rocket, with a smile on my face and always somehow landing on my feet. When I was slightly older entering a room filled with people, I spontaneously started to sing loudly. I had a full repertoire of biblical (really?) songs and songs by my hand with creative titles like “Chicken Pox Child” featuring very long storylines. As they were delivered with full enthusiasm and accompanied by my own created dance moves (slightly off-beat) my parent’s circle of friends found it very entertaining. I was a big fan of the famous Dutch dancer Penny the Jager and wanted to share this with the entire world.
However, as the years are progressing I have to admit that I kind of lost my tough GI Jane persona. I completely got into a panic during a simple cable car ride over Barcelona a few years ago (which was not even very high). My partner Paul was laughing out loud as he thought I was joking. But I swear; I broke out in a serious sweat and was unable to controle my voice. Also, lately I have this strange fear of birds. Even small ones. They freak me out somehow. Why? I have absolutely no clue.
Speaking in public is also one of these things that used to be a no-brainer for me. When I was working as Sales Manager for EL AL Israel Airlines 25 years ago it took me 5 seconds to quiet down a room filled with loud Israeli men. This was a sport for me and I found it very funny. But now? What went wrong? How and why did I lose my voice? Apparently, the biggest human fear is speaking in public, followed by death. And dying while speaking in public is number 3. I am convinced this is true.
Why all this anxiety and fear? When did we stop being spontaneous? And even more importantly: how do we overcome this and find our sparkle again? Moving forward I decided to set the example and to return to my roots. So if you see me performing karaoke on a hidden stage somewhere in the world, do encourage me. I am counting on you.
Working with Kisa implies the right mix of playfulness and tenacity. Sales-wise, she never takes no for an answer. Sales guidance by Kisa means not only having fun but foremost: reaching your financial goals.