“Let your work speak for itself” only works if someone has already seen it.
Work speaks for itself only to people who have actually seen it. Naming what you’ve done gives people information about what you bring.
Patricia’s story
Twenty-five years of helping other people be heard.
I spent my career helping others communicate their value — while quietly believing that talking about my own was bragging. This is how that changed.
25 years in communications.
Still learning to show up for myself.
Still learning to show up for myself.
The voice other people trusted
I’ve spent 25 years in communications. I’ve been a radio DJ, hosted events, moderated panels and spoken in front of audiences. Talking to a camera about myself? It was scary and daunting.
For years, I followed the rule: let your work speak for itself. It was easy to hide behind my accomplishments. And easier still to help other people and brands communicate their value instead of my own.
Then I learned: work speaks for itself only to the people who have actually seen it.
The day approval ran out
I’ve also spoken up at work about something I believed was wrong, and lost goodwill, approval and recognition I thought I’d earned. I’ve stopped measuring whether I did the right thing by how much approval I lost.
The office of eight
When I took over a Manila agency office, there were eight people left and the business was losing money. I made people decisions I hated, because I understood what they meant for careers and livelihoods. We grew the office to almost 40 and made it the most profitable office in the global network.
I know what it means to build something, to carry responsibility, and still wonder how to explain what all that experience adds up to.
Showing up anyway
What I believe now is that confidence comes from showing up — even when it’s awkward, uncomfortable or imperfect. Not from feeling confident first.
