First Impressions…

I love creating new habits that will make my life easier. When we create professional habits, it makes situations in the workplace easier to handle. Habits make it so we don’t have to think of our reaction, it's almost automatic. That could seem scary, right? What if our habit was to automatically do something completely unprofessional or totally embarrassing? An article I read gave some awesome habits to help make us become more professional in all aspects of our lives. These habits make it natural to leave a great first impression.

https://www.inc.com/bill-murphy-jr/17-simple-habits-that-make-you-look-more-professional.html

None of these suggested habits are rocket science. They are simple things we should already be doing, but sometimes we might need a reminder. The habit I think is most important is confidence. People enjoy being around others who are proud of who they are. If you do not feel like you are as confident as you would like, reflect. Take time to look back on all you have accomplished, and be proud of yourself. There is nothing wrong with telling yourself “good job” or “you are awesome.” I think we all need to tell ourselves this. We need to boost ourselves up. We become so focused on all the things we HAVEN’T accomplished, but if we pause and reflect, we will be able to see all the amazing things we HAVE accomplished. Also, surround yourself with people who emulate the traits you want. If you are lucky, they might start to rub off on you!

As I have started to prep for my big excursion to the Big Apple, I’ve learned a lot about myself. The things I’ve learned:

1. Wow! I have done some pretty great things in my lifetime, and I’m pretty proud of myself.

This thought came to my mind while I was putting together my resume. Time flies by without realizing it, and it is so wild to write out what I have done since I graduated high school. I don’t know about you guys, but high school seemed like yesterday to me. I can’t believe I’m almost done with college! In the past four years, I have worked at a retail store, moved departments 4 times within doTERRA, married the man of my dreams, completed 3 and a half years of college, got elected as VP of Professional Development for UVU’s PRSSA chapter, traveled to ASU to participate in a sales competition, and learned amazing skills while doing these things. These are some pretty amazing experiences I’ve had, and I am so grateful for them.

2. I finally figured out “my brand.” Surprise: it’s Professional Pink. Don’t worry, keep scrolling & you’ll get to see!

While formatting a business card I did not want to make it boring, I needed to stick out and what better way to do that than to add my favorite color! It’s important to still keep things professional while adding your own flare of personality. I did this by adding a dash of pink to brighten up my business card and to grab people’s attention.

While I was considering what I need to do to present myself in a more professional manor, I came to realize that I have some great quality traits that not only make me who I am, but they help me stand out while still being professional.

I am:

I am driven. I have a hard time writing that, because some days I feel really lazy. But I wouldn't be where I am today without being driven. I wouldn't be married to the man of my dreams, I wouldn't be pursuing a degree I absolutely love, I wouldn't be working an “adult” job, I wouldn't be the VP of Professional Development on UVU’s PRSSA executive board, and I definitely would not have gone through the application process to get me on this killer trip to New York! So, after realizing all of these accomplishments, I am proud to say I am driven, and I do whatever it takes to reach my goals.

I am “crazy.” I have known this my whole life. It's the only word everyone has been able to use to describe me. This is something I have come to love about myself because I know I can bring new, exciting energy into whatever I do. I love life and I’m glad it shows.

I am outgoing. I love networking and meeting new people. Talking to people is my favorite thing to do. In the 8th grade, I had a substitute teacher pull me outside and tell me that I had “diarrhea of the mouth”. 1. That is the grossest phrase I have ever heard, so rude of her. 2. Nothing has changed since then. I love that something that lady tried to insult me with, has turned into one of my greatest strengths and something I am very proud of. So, HA!

After actually writing all of this down, I came to realize that I am who I am. I will always put my professional face on and use my “customer service voice” in important situations, but I do not want any of that to get in the way of my personality. I am excited to show NYC who Jenna Bigler really is!!

If you remember your first impression of me, write it below. I would love to hear what you guys remember!

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