Business Fable #2: To Attitude Or Not To Attitude…

5:44 PM, Part One…

When you meet Advisor Girl the first thing you notice, are bombarded by, is attitude. It’s not just confidence. It’s not founded in her aptitude to read your secrets. That she can do heels off with her eyes closed. It is an all-encompassing worth, both personal and professional. Question it at your own peril.

She practices what she preaches, saying we’d all be better off if we would only follow her lead. “Your attitude can work for you or against you. Which will it be? How much do you value yourself?”

The first reflection is anticipated value. Go ahead and tell her she’s too expensive. She will beam, thank you with humility and gratitude as if it’s the best compliment ever. Her business card reads what dear Coco taught us – “The best things in life are free. The second best are very expensive.”

The Modus Operandi of The Fixer: “True service deserves true reward.” By telling her she is “expensive” you have recognized her true worth. Only items of exceptional value and services of utmost significance are perceived as “expensive.” Hmmmm.

Think of it this way. The opposite of “expensive” is “affordable” or “cheap.” How happy are we when we obtain something affordable or cheap? How valuable is that thing to us? Are we going to drink champagne or soda? You know the answer, dahling.

I know four people who have worked with her. All swear she is worth every penny. They want to be pals once business is done. She flat refuses to be friends while you’re working together. Is she expensive? Yes. Life changing runs on the high side of the money scale. What they get in return is business saving, profits soaring and a new life. In three months. She knows the competition and will happily call them for you.

Her attitude about anticipated and perceived value is very clear. Charge your true worth; deliver beyond what you are paid for. “True service deserves true reward.” Period.

So how does she do it? I press for info.

She does not sleep. She sends instructions at two in the morning. She reads at 5:30 a.m. for two hours. She favors an app called PULSE—following politics, stock markets, international politics, science, health, fashion, influencers, even astrology. She does not run short of energy. She’s not moody–a bitch sometimes–but not moody. Two things never: unprepared or bad nail day.

I don’t know how she does it but I do ask why.

Her reply, word for word, is this. I record it. Who the hell could keep up otherwise?

“Simple. The confidence you call attitude is competence in high heels. But before you act confident, you must become confident. Things are changing every day. I am certain in my knowledge, therefore I am confident. You need to know that I am confident. Would you put your life in the hand of a surgeon who bites his nails and sweats profusely right before your procedure? I must ‘know it all’ so I study. You expect me to know, don’t you?” I nod my head and think I better download (upload?) PULSE.

Of course she’s not done. Attitude adjustment has just begun. Now we need to talk about why men rule business. You guessed it–something to do with attitude.