Interesting tactic: when introducing yourself, offload self-promotion to a friend.

A few weeks ago, a friend called me his "storytelling doula."

It was 28% cringe, but I also kind of loved it.

I help clients birth their ideas into language that helps them grow their business. There's a lot of breathing, some moments of panic, and occasionally someone screams.

Introducing yourself -- especially verbally -- can be a mess. 

We get trapped in boring patterns, garble our words, downplay our magic. We overcomplicate trying to sound impressive, or shrink ourselves out of fear.

But when a friend describes what you do? They have no stake. No anxiety about sounding too full of themselves. Their words carry none of our baggage.

Next time someone asks what you do, borrow a friend's words. They probably see you more clearly.