I’ve spent a lot of time being underestimated. Too nice. Too quiet. Too accommodating. Too colorful. Too fat. Too sensitive. The list goes on—and none of it ever stopped me. What these labels often miss is that kindness and grit aren’t mutually exclusive. You can be soft-spoken and still have steel in your spine. Somewhere along the way, our culture twisted the idea of strength into something loud, performative, and cold. But that’s not the only way to be effective.
I’m not the loudest in the room. I don’t toss around buzzwords or try to dominate conversations just to hear myself speak. What I do is show up early, figure it out, and finish the job while others are still in a meeting about it. I get things done—and I don’t need to throw anyone under the bus to do it. This isn’t weakness; it’s a different kind of power. I believe in eye contact, follow-through, and treating people like they matter—even if the task is mundane or the day is long.
I’ve learned that competence is the ultimate mic drop. Not fake-it-‘til-you-make-it bravado. Not ego. Just real, lived-in, prove-it-daily skill. I’ve had jobs where I ran the printers, packed the boxes, fixed the machines, designed the product, answered the questions, and quietly carried the load of two or three other people. Did I complain? Not usually. Did I take names and keep receipts? You bet I did.
And when people realize you’re the one who actually knows how to keep the operation moving, they start relying on you more. That’s how you build power without asking for permission. There’s something beautiful about being the person who can juggle chaos, meet the deadline, and still say “good morning” and mean it. That’s a rare mix. And I take pride in it.
The thing about being underestimated is: it gives you room to move. Room to outpace, outproduce, and outlast. I don’t need to be flashy. I just need enough space to work. Once I’ve got that, it’s game over. Let them talk. Let them perform. Let them “circle back.” I’ll be over here—smiling, finishing the job, and quietly making sure we don’t fall apart. Because that’s what I do. And I do it damn well.
