Visibility: Opportunities are Everywhere!

“So this is what a woman’s washroom looks like, Jim. It’s got a fireplace, special seats you can lounge in and your own private makeup mirror!” said Forbes.

“Keep filming Jim, this washroom is a one of a kind!”

“Oh hello, you don’t mind if a guy is in here with a video camera as I show him around the washroom do you?” asked Forbes.

“No not at all, seems perfectly natural to me”, I casually reply, more worried about the state of my hair.

I had just picked up my car from the shop after last month’s engine failure on the QEW and I was scrambling to get ready to join my friend and colleague Randi Goodman at her Business Wealth Summit.

I didn’t have time to do the blow out hairstyle so I let my curly hair dry naturally with the car windows down. Bad. Move.

The car was fixed but the air conditioner was broken! Shit. And I am wearing nylons.

I peel into the parking lot of the hotel, 3 hours late, and without taking a look at the hot mess I was, ran into the event. I’m here!

After the first speaker, I snuck off to the washroom to fix my hair and take a moment to lounge in one of the comfy leather sofa chairs that Moxie’s restaurant has in all their women’s washrooms. It’s divine but not when there is a man videotaping the décor. I was part of the décor at that moment.

forbesandodette“Oh I love your red dress, I don’t look good in red”, said Forbes.

Who is this woman? I ponder.

“What are you doing in the bathroom….?” and the friendship began.

And that’s how I met one of the most successful, one of the wealthiest female entrepreneurs, Forbes Riley … in the washroom of Moxie’s with my hair all frizzed out and my slapped together makeup on my hot sweaty face. Yeah me.

So what do you do when this happens, because apparently it does?!

You crank up your confidence, extend your hand and say, “Hi, I am Odette Laurie, business coach for entrepreneurs!”

It’s not very often you get private 1:1 time with a woman that has had 2 billion dollars in sales, so don’t f**k it up!

People pay thousands for this opportunity and you have got her undivided attention, even if she is trying to fix your hair!

Top 10 ways to come back from getting caught with your skirt down.

10. Stand up like you own the room.
9. Give it your best smile, throw back your shoulders and give it your firmest handshake.
8. Think that this is the funniest but the best opportunity to rub elbows 1:1 with a more successful woman than yourself.
7. Seize the moment and don’t make excuses for it, use it!
6.  Know that you have less than 2 minutes to make an impact, go for it!
5. Not all moments are created equal, but you got the moment handed to you on a platter.
4. Visibility doesn’t just mean when you want to be visible.
3. Be prepared, always, for someone to approach you in your least finest moment. Fake it.
2. The washroom is a free zone for not looking your best.
1.  Don’t make excuses for the way you look, have the tools to support you (hair clips, powder and lipstick).
Bonus: Lipstick always saves the day.

The washroom can be your office.

So how did the conversation go? It was brilliant.  Forbes asked about me, my business, she wanted a copy of my book, asked for my contact information and we had a photo opportunity.

Will Forbes forget me? Maybe, but she won’t forget the experience of meeting a lady in red with the Phyllis Diller hair. And I won’t forget that being visible means anywhere!