You are an expert — Share your story!

Someone, somewhere, is about to face a challenging situation and will inevitably wonder if anyone has ever gone through what they’re going through. The answer is of course “absolutely!”. But, in that moment, this person might feel isolated. You’ve been there. You know exactly what I’m talking about. Women of the 415 — It doesn’t have to be this way!

Fake it til you make it works (trust me) but it’s also important to let each other in on the secret that we’re all human and have fears and insecurities. We also have courage, success and ambition. The media talks about how bad it is for women and how the cards are totally stacked against us. In reality, women are succeeding all the time. All freaking day long. But we often don’t talk about these stories. That has to stop.

While we may talk about our successes and failures with our friends, we rarely put them into writing. The Women of the 415, San Francisco’s largest Lean In chapter, is calling on you to share your story. Put your successes and failures into writing so others might benefit.

If you’re thinking this post isn’t for you, think again. You’re an expert and you have a valuable perspective that needs to be shared with the world.

Many people assume they’re not qualified to give advice on one particular subject or another because they’re not a “certified expert.” I’m here to squash that idea. What does it even mean to be an “expert”? A quick Google search shows that an expert is someone who “has a comprehensive and authoritative knowledge of (or skill in) a particular area.” It doesn’t mean they know everything. It means they know enough to provide insight. It means you’ve done something and can tell someone else what you learned in the process.

Technically, you know more than someone who knows less about a particular topic (no matter how niche). That sounds silly but it’s pretty simple. Moreover, your insight is inevitably different than someone else’s and therefore it will likely add value in some way.

You don’t need to be the world’s best expert to be qualified to help someone get to their next level in this game we call life. In fact, sometimes the best advice comes from people who recently went through a similar situation. If you’re waiting 10 years to become more of an expert, you’ll likely forget the important parts…ultimately making your insight less valuable with time.

I’ve been a leader and a follower my whole life. I’ve given advice (mostly unsolicited), I’ve listened to advice from whoever feels qualified to give it, and I’ve asked for advice whenever possible. I always look for encouragement and inspiration in the actions of others but understand that my motivation needs to come from within. I’m the CEO of my own life and I take full responsibility for my future. It’s my code. But being the CEO of anything (especially your own life) is pretty damn lonely. Listening to the stories of others helps me have at least a tiny bit more confidence in each decision I make.

As such, I’m going to share my story on this publication, and I hope it helps at least one person find the confidence they need to do whatever it is they’ve been meaning to do. More importantly, I hope you’ll write your story and submit it to our publication here. You can also post it in medium and submit it directly to the publication where one of our editors will review it.

Let’s make an impact.