We’ve been told our entire lives to trust our guts so why is it that when we get into business, that advice all too eas - ily flies out the window? Perhaps it’s because we doubt ourselves as we learn to navigate the unfamiliar paths of entrepreneurship or launching a new product. Or maybe we’re seasoned business vets who’ve crossed many a chasm, but we still let other people’s advice weigh too heavily on our decisions when we’ve known the right di - rection all along. When it comes to marketing and social media, I consid - er myself somewhat of an expert. I’ve worked in Market - ing for nearly twenty years and began using Facebook when you could still only access it with a university email address (yes, an original pioneer, how vintage right?). I have about 20,000 followers across my personal social media platforms, and I understand my audience and my personal brand extremely well. I’ve won awards for mar - keting and business and regularly teach others the ropes. But despite all of this, two years ago, I wavered on all of this experience and absolutely did not listen to my gut. It all came about when I took a fun picture of myself in a Barbie box at a Barbie Expo in Montreal and posted it to my personal Instagram and Facebook accounts with the caption “I’m a Barbie Girl in a Barbie World”. My long blonde hair was front-and-center in the picture as fun memories rushed back to me, of dressing up as Barbie one Halloween back in university. You see, I’ve always loved Barbie, and this was before all the current hype going on these days, again how avant-garde of me. IT’S YOUR BRAND!
b y Shannon Ferguson Always Trust Your Gut!
“I’m a Barbie Girl in a Barbie World”
SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE • VOL 23 ISSUE 3
VOL 23 ISSUE 3 • SPOTLIGHT ON BUSINESS MAGAZINE
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