The Working Woman's Playbook to Stealthy Self-Promotion
Learn The Subtle Art of The Elegant Humble Brag to Get Ahead in Life & Business
In Celebration of International Women’s Day
If you've ever felt like you're playing hide-and-seek with your own accomplishments at work, you're definitely not alone. Many women struggle with the tightrope walk of tooting their own horns without turning it into a full-blown trumpet solo.
While you'd love to toss confetti at your own victories, you're also juggling that internal siren warning: “Don't be a show-off!” Spoiler alert: Brigham Young University discovered the obvious—our love-hate relationship with modesty is keeping us down.
In a rather zany experiment, female students were asked to paint their achievements like a Picasso—only they were told there was an invisible anxiety ray in the room (don't worry, it was imaginary). With someone else to blame for the nerves, they penned essays so dazzling they practically printed money. You can achieve the same success without a phantom box by embracing these tips.
Tune your air trumpets, ladies!
How to Toot Your Own Horn Without Being Unbearable
Prep Your Peacocking: Get pumped to brag! Seriously, tired of getting paid in peanuts while your male colleague buys a yacht? A little self-promotion could help you go from “nobody” to “hello, billionaire club!”
Take a Page from the Bros: Study your male colleagues. Notice how they can turn “I fetched the coffee” into “I revolutionized caffeine culture”? Mimic those skills, but with your own flair—think more humble brag, less peacock show.
Confidence Boosters: Dive into new ventures—learn Swahili or take up salsa dancing. Heck, maybe try coding or become the next TikTok sensation. These activities won't just boost your confidence; they'll turn you into the friend we all roll our eyes at but secretly envy.
Know Thy Strengths: Document your magical abilities. Perhaps you can make Excel do the cha-cha or your brownies could win a Michelin star (when my boss tasted them, they couldn't stop smiling or chewing).
Consult the Peanut Gallery: Ask folks what they think of your skills. You might find that you're an ace at organizing conferences or that your karaoke performances are legend… wait for it… dary.
Brag Log: Start a “Look at Me!” journal. Write down when you've saved your company money or charmed a client without even offering them coffee.
Avoid the ‘I'm Just a Potato' Syndrome: When someone praises you, don't start with “Oh, it was nothing.” Instead, try “Thanks, I worked as hard as a squirrel stocking up for winter!” Less self-deprecation, more humble domination.
Stress Busting: Talking about yourself can feel weirder than a cat in a raincoat. When it happens, breathe deep and visualize something chill, like a spa day where Wi-Fi doesn't exist.
Brag Like a Boss
Start With the Friendly Folks: Your grandparents will adore anything you say. Test your stories on them before trying them on your boss. Plus, their praise is like rocket fuel for the ego.
Network Like it's a Game Show: Develop “You scratch my back, I'll brag about yours” alliances. Women especially excel here because who doesn't love talking up their BFF's new Etsy store?
Results Matter: When bragging, don't just say “I'm creative.” Try “I single-handedly won two prestigious imaginary awards and saved a cat from a tree!”
Serve Up Some Helpfulness: Keep your bragging useful. Tell your boss how your savvy scheduling shaved two weeks off a project. Subtle, right? They'll think “efficient” instead of “she sure loves herself.”
The Right Stage for Bragging: Timing is everything. Don't commandeer Bob's retirement party to showcase your Excel wizardry—save that for your performance review. Trust me, Bob prefers cake over your presentations.
Own Your Epicness and Your Oopsies: Hold yourself accountable for all your “yay me” moments and occasional “oh no” flops. It keeps you credible, like a weatherman who admits the umbrella wasn't necessary after all.
Pass the Spotlight: Encouraging others to toot their horns could eventually spotlight you too. They might just return the favor, crowning you queen of the office.
Bragging Cadence: Be comfortable singing your own praises—but remember, nobody wants a 24/7 one-person show. Balance is key. Fill your conversational playlists with other tracks besides “I Did It Again.”
Follow these playful pointers, and you'll be well on your way to bragging brilliance without becoming the office thundercloud. 🌟
A little grandstanding is good for your career. Tooting your own horn pays off, even if it feels uncomfortable at first.
Find a Bigger Arena for Your Talents
Now that you are an expert at bragging, it may be time to step up your game...not just your volume.
If you have ever thought about stepping into a greater leadership role as a mentor, consultant, or fractional advisor to businesses that need your ideas and expertise, we would love to talk to you. We can show you the exact steps to make it on your own without being alone.
Whether you want to join our team as an Iconic Business Advisor or step into our complete Done-For-Your Turnkey Consulting Practice and get your first high-paying client in weeks, not months...then we should talk. It's simple.
Send us a private message, call our office at 858.533-2333, or book a quick 10-minute call on our website.
When we talk...remember all the bragging skills you just learned here!
