Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Robin Fisher Roffer is CEO of Big Fish Marketing, one of the entertainment industry's preeminent brand marketing and digital advertising agencies, with clients such as A&E, Bravo, CNN, Comedy Central, FX, MTV, NBC Universal, and Sony Pictures.

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Praise for The Fearless Fish Out of Water

"In The Fearless Fish Out of Water, Roffer has crafted a motivational and inspiring text that taps into a theme that has inspired me for years. The idea that within a seemingly ordinary individual there is something extraordinary, and by embracing these extraordinary aspects, one can enrich their own life as well as the lives of those around them. A blueprint for how to apply your personality and your unique abilities to succeed."
―Tim Kring, creator and Executive Producer of Heroes

"Say 'yes' to fearlessness! It's time to celebrate your uniqueness and make it your success strategy. Roffer delivers exceptional interviews with executives on the frontlines of mega-corporations and weaves in her personal experience as a woman entrepreneur, inspiring all of us to define and then embrace what's different about us that can lead to success."
―Cynthia Good, Editor and CEO of PINK magazine

"We need big ideas and big thinkers now more than ever. The Fearless Fish Out of Water helped me see that, as scared as I am, as scared as we all are, there are ways to figure out what's next, and to forge plans to accomplish business hopes and dreams."
―Marian Salzman, CMO, Porter Novelli Worldwide, coauthor of Next Now: Trends for the Future

"A fearless fish herself, Roffer has written a guide to the challenges of maintaining one's identity in the contemporary workplace. Insightful and entertaining!"
―Aline Brosh McKenna, screenwriter of The Devil Wears Prada

Aus dem Klappentext

Conform to the norm or stand out? Fit in or break the mold? What's the key to success in the business world? Can you be what they expect you to be and still be yourself?

In The Fearless Fish Out of Water, Robin Fisher Roffer offers a business success guide for anyone who's different, and gives readers a permission slip to celebrate their unique style. Here are the insider secrets to doing it your way and doing it big! You can be true to yourself and you can be your own person―without sacrificing the success you know you're capable of achieving. No matter what sets you apart―gender, race, age, style, attitude, or anything else―you can still make it to the top, not despite your differences, but because of them. In fact, being different is a powerful force if you know how to make the most of it.

At one time or another, we've all been the fish out of water. You might have felt left out, undervalued, ignored, or misunderstood―whether because of your style or your circumstances. But when you focus on the positive aspects of what makes you different, you can turn your differences into an advantage. Here, you'll find personal stories from successful professionals who were also fish out of water and learn how to make the most of your differences with practical insight, easy-to-follow guidelines, and engaging exercises.

You can fit in without blending in or disappearing, because being different gets you noticed. The secret lies in learning how to be more of who you are without alienating those around you. The Fearless Fish Out of Water shows you how to open up to your authentic self, use your differences to attract opportunities, and project a magnetic persona out of those personal qualities that set you apart.

It's time to stop apologizing for who you are and instead celebrate it. You may be different, but you aren't alone. Standing out is often the critical key to success for everyone from businesspeople to entrepreneurs to entertainers. Follow their lead, but do it your way. Read The Fearless Fish Out of Water and learn to show your true colors and reel in unlimited success.

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The Fearless Fish Out of Water

John Wiley & Sons

Chapter One

Fearless Fish Out of Water Accept Who They Are

So many of us continue our childhood roles into our adult life, only to find that they don't work anymore. Maybe you've been knocking yourself out to earn approval or worrying obsessively about money because growing up your family always felt the lack. Sometimes it takes a wake-up call like mine to realize that operating as in the past or out of fear is a failed strategy.

None of us comes into this world with a handbook to guide us in developing our personalities. We simply jump into life and do the best we can. But what if you feel different-that you somehow don't fit in with the norm, that you aren't truly recognized and accepted for who you are?

Trying to retrofit yourself into society and work life can be daunting, burning you out before you've even had a chance to shine. What do you do? In my case, I got caught in the act that I was using to hide behind. I was fortunate that my future husband was perceptive enough to see through my facade. It allowed me to realize that we fish out of water need help; and who better to write a guidebook than someone who has been a fish out of water her entire life?

Humorist Erma Bombeck wrote a book titled If Life Is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits? Funny as that is, it inadvertently highlights a truism about life: It's all about perception. You might ask, "I'm a fish out of water. What's the good in that?" Well, it's a matter of perception. You either believe you're "in the pits," or you realize you're at the intersection of discovery and opportunity. How you come to understand that being a fish out of water is the best thing that could have ever happened to you is what this book is all about. And it may mean shifting your perception so that you absolutely know you've been dealt the best cards life has to offer.

Let's start with a description of what a fish out of water is. It literally refers to a living creature having been removed from the setting in which it's able to survive. So if you're a fish out of water, you've been taken out of your natural environment. You attract attention, usually because you're different from the people around you. You are perceived as someone who doesn't fit in; you're outside the norm, you think and dress differently; some may feel that you're too controversial. Many times, you're considered ahead of your time, maybe even an iconoclast. Whatever you are, you don't run with the pack; instead, you march to the beat of your own drum.

If I've just described you, count your blessings. You are indeed fortunate. Your natural characteristics are what will-and likely, already have-set you apart in a positive way. You may not feel very positive about those differences right now because you've been busy trying to wish them away or cover them up. The truth is, you will stand out not because you're different, but because you're solidly grounded in who you are-with no apologies. People will gravitate toward you because of your energy, confidence, and flair. But before any of that happens, you need to come to terms with being a fish out of water-and a Fearless Fish, at that!

I had to come to terms with being raised by a single father. I longed to have a mother like the other kids in my school. I wished for our family to have more money like my wealthier classmates, all of whom seemed to receive a credit card the day they became a bar or bat mitzvah. When I moved from Ohio to Alabama for college, I was not only seen as a Yankee, but I ran into prejudice as a Jew-one of 150 in a student body of 10,000. There, I came to realize that my differences sparked curiosity and, as a result, created opportunity. I had to come to terms with the fact that there were things about myself that I could change and others I was simply going to have to accept.

Being a Fearless Fish means not doing any of the following: hiding who you are; compromising your personality just to fit in; short-circuiting opportunities because you're afraid of what others will think; overemphasizing characteristics so others will think you're in the groove and on target; or letting others tell you how to think, feel, and act-just so that they'll feel comfortable and safe.

If there is one thing I've learned, it's that acting out of fear and living according to other people's needs will definitely pigeonhole you into being someone you're not; and that's not what life is about. The universe offers a myriad of ways in which we can express ourselves and find success on so many levels, both personal and professional. Our job is to be open to those possibilities and see how far we can go. Life truly is a journey; so why not make the most of it?

So, let's begin the journey of celebrating your distinctiveness. From my own personal experience of being a fish out of water, I've put together a series of steps to help you realize your full potential as a unique individual. They are:

Step 1: Go Fishing for the Real You

Step 2: Use Your Differences as a Lure Step 3: Find a Few Fish Like You Step 4: Swim in Their Ocean Your Way

Step 5: Put Yourself Out on the Line Step 6: Evolve by Casting a Wide Net Step 7: Reel in Your Unique Power

Step 1 to becoming a Fearless Fish out of water is to peel away the layers you've piled on in your attempts to fit in, uncovering the power of your authenticity. Shedding old habits is often essential to opening up to your authentic self. It's about being comfortable in your own skin and accepting yourself. Easier said than done, I know! It takes real courage to dispel the myths about you and find out how to be yourself honestly. This is fearlessness.

As CEO and chief creative officer of Big Fish Marketing, one of the entertainment industry's preeminent brand marketing and digital advertising agencies, I lead as a woman in a highly competitive, male-dominated field. I started my own ad agency at the age of 30 and 15 years later, I was named one of the top 10 digital advertising strategists in the country. My client list includes some of the most high-profile brands in the world: dozens of television networks, several motion picture studios, and even a hot cosmetics company. Having this kind of presence in the business world takes talent, but it also takes confidence and confidence didn't come naturally to this fish out of water.

Getting to know ourselves is a lifelong process. One of my closest friends recently said to me, "What if I've come this far and I still don't know who I am?" As much as we want to quickly understand ourselves, there are no shortcuts to the truth. We're deep and multifaceted, and we're changing all the time. But at our core-in our souls-we are stable, vibrant beings with philosophies, values, and perspectives that travel with us throughout our lives.

Open up to your authentic self. Sounds scary, huh? "The real me?" Sometimes we're not quite sure who that is. When we're used to feeling distant from the group, we tend to submerge our true selves in an effort to be accepted. The real movers and shakers in this world live their lives with conviction; they never hide who they are. They accept that they were born different or landed in...