During this particularly nostalgic time of year, I came across a photo of me at age 16, posing for the camera at my first job. Unlike most people, my first job wasn’t lifeguarding or flipping burgers at McDonald’s. Instead, I spent my weekends waving my jazz hands and high-fiving kids in a furry mouse costume. From ages 16-18, I basked in the glory of being Chuck E. Cheese for the generous hourly wage of $4.25 an hour. (Yes, you read that right. Four. Dollars. And. Twenty-Five. Cents.)
More than 30 years after I hung up my (surprisingly heavy) mouse head, I continue to carry the lessons learned into my role as Creative Director at PPR Strategies. Here’s how:
Understanding That a Little Humor (and Humility) Can Make Someone’s Day
As a professional on the wrong side of 45, I am “seasoned” enough in the work of marketing and communications to be able to laugh at myself and think on my feet—lessons honed while wearing the enormous shoes of none other than Charles Entertainment Cheese. (Yes, that’s his full legal name. Look it up.)
Whether you’re wearing a giant mouse costume and trip and fall during Chuck E.’s Birthday Dance (it happened more than once, to my horror and the tween children’s collective delight) or encounter an unexpected challenge during a client project, taking a breath, recalibrating, and using humor to break any tension works wonders! Unless you really are a mouse, we are all human, and we all stumble from time to time. Sometimes literally, in oversized foam feet.
Acknowledging a roadblock in an authentic, funny way can break the ice and put everyone at ease. Plus, if you’ve already face-planted in front of 30 screaming kids while wearing a mascot head that weighs more than a bowling ball, client presentations feel comparatively low-stakes.
Realizing That People Are Just…People
When you find yourself trying to please a frazzled (and rather direct) mom who has spent hundreds of dollars on pizza and rodent-themed entertainment, you know that when she demands extra photo opps with her unruly kids and asks you to cut a cake with 24-inch furry hands that have the dexterity of oven mitts, she doesn’t mean to be difficult—she’s just overwhelmed. And possibly questioning every life choice that led her to this animatronic nightmare.
In the same vein, I try to remember that when a client seems overwhelmed by logo options or stressed about the cadence of a deliverable, they’re not being difficult, either. People are people, and everyone deserves the benefit of the doubt and more than a little grace. Even when they’re demanding you slice through buttercream frosting with what are essentially fuzzy boxing gloves.
Believing No Task Should Be Beneath Me
My first job made me an expert multitasker. When I wasn’t rocking a giant rodent costume, I cleared tables, made cotton candy, tended to the salad bar, and even slung pizzas. As employees, we were expected to be well-versed in everyone else’s job and pitch in if the kitchen got particularly busy, or if a tearful child got separated from a parent. (Pro tip: The ball pit is always the first place to look. Always.)
Being a team player with a problem-solving attitude continues to serve me well and help me build new muscles as a professional. While deliverables lean more toward marketing campaigns instead of choreographed dances to “Happy Birthday,” my “job” is making sure that my colleagues and clients feel supported. Whether you need someone to move a step-and-repeat at a conference (recent example), work registration, write a script, or workshop a content strategy, being flexible and willing to pitch in anywhere makes me a better colleague and more well-rounded professional. Takeaway: If I can wrangle sticky toddlers and serve Caesar salad simultaneously, I can handle pretty much anything.
Leveraging My Powers of Negotiation
Back in the mid-1990s, I first learned about the power of negotiation when I advocated for a raise—two years after developing my alter ego as a five-foot mouse. Confidence didn’t come naturally to me (and still doesn’t), but when I felt like I was due for a pay raise, I scheduled a meeting with my manager, practiced my argument by creating bullet points on index cards, and rehearsed my rationale for days.
Lo and behold, gumption paid off, as I came into the meeting organized and confident in my voice and in my position. I walked out with an extra 50 cents an hour, which felt like winning the lottery. (Spoiler alert: It was not the lottery.)
As someone who is not naturally confident when she speaks, I often overprepare, anticipate, and rehearse scenarios in advance of client meetings. While some people always seem to have the right words on the fly (Sandy!), I need extra preparation to feel informed and come across as a confident speaker. While I’d love to be more spontaneous, preparation empowers me to believe in myself and often leads to outcomes that lower my blood pressure and make me proud.
The Bottom Line: If a teenage me could negotiate a raise while smelling permanently of pizza grease and recycled arcade tokens, adult me can handle a branding presentation. And if you’ve ever had to maintain character while a kid pulled your tail for 20 minutes straight, you can handle just about anything economic development communications throws at you.
Jazz hands optional, but recommended.
