A bit of advice for myself and anyone else looking for clarity.
Don't try to be the person you think they want you to be.
Just be yourself.
If you are out there interviewing right now or in leadership, working hard to guide your team. Pause to think about this.
You are stronger and more worthy than the person you are considering to pretend to be.
Embrace your strengths, your weaknesses, and your whole spectrum of experiences. Embrace yourself, walk forward, and do what you know you need to do. Comfortable with who you are.
Back in 2018, when I was kicking around town interviewing at Startups (after taking 18 months off following an 11-year run at Yelp), I was talking to many companies and Founders.
I was questioning myself... if a company didn't immediately drop everything they were doing to get me to join, I wondered if maybe I wasn't the right fit. Would I be able to do the job? Was something missing?
One afternoon, I was walking around my old neighborhood in Cole Valley, talking to my old boss and mentor on the phone and telling him about all these conversations... me wondering if these companies were "the right fit" for me.
He told me something I would never forget.
"Pete, as you are talking to these companies and wondering about these roles... you've got to stop and just remember... that you are Pete F***ing Hancock."
:)
As much as I thought all this uncertainty was about me, it wasn't.
I am who I am. Nothing changes that. And these companies would be lucky to have me.
Of course, I found my way. I have done great work since then. We all doubt ourselves sometimes.
Even today, when talking to a startup about a new consulting project or pushing through challenging work with a client, I have to take a step back and remind myself of who I am and the advice I got that day.
Remember to look in the mirror, appreciate who you are, everything you have done in life and in work, all your experiences, strengths, and quirks, and bring that to your work, clear-eyed.
Don't try to be the person you think they want you to be.
Just be yourself.
