Bio The Way

Written by: Misty Smalley

Published: December 2013

Bio the Way...
I just updated my bio. It seemed like a nice way to close the parenthesis on 2013 and open new ones for 2014. Who knows what new and exciting things I'll have to add a year from now!
How about you? Have you updated your bio? Do you have a bio?
No? Why not?

I have a resume
Perhaps you think your resume says all there is to say about you...that one or two or even three (you know who you are) densely populated pages of your objectives, bulleted work experience and education facts paint an accurate and vivid picture of who you are and what is important to you for anyone out there who wants to know. It may do that, actually, but your resume paints a whole mural when a canvas would have been more than enough. Getting to the really relevant stuff in a resume can be time-consuming. A bio is all about you, too, only shorter. It is the trading card version.

I haven't really done anything
While it is probably true that you are not a world-renowned motivational speaker or young adult fiction empire creator, you can and should have a bio. You don’t have to be famous - or even marginally recognizable - to have a brief, superstar quality explanation of your interests and accomplishments. Yes, your accomplishments - you do have them and they are worthy of mention in your bio. Even if you never post it anywhere, it makes for an easy, polished response when some stranger asks the dreaded question at a holiday gathering, "So, what do you do?"

I don't need one.
I hear ya. Before I created my bio, I agreed wholeheartedly. Really, who was I? But then I realized that I had had quite a few opportunities to introduce myself to new people or stand up and share a little bit about myself in meetings. I will tell you that as a young introvert, speaking on the fly had been rather tough, even though it was about a topic I knew well. My mind would go blank and I would miss throngs of interesting facts and potential connection points in others' introductions while I stressed about what I would say when my turn came. I could have (and gladly would have) recited my bio if I had had one. On the flip side, for those who can easily share on demand, a bio also creates a good guideline for how much to share and how long to speak. If you've shared everything in your paragraph-long bio, that is probably a good hard stop.

I've never been asked for one
So, because you have never been asked for a bio, you never will be? I like to think that we are all growing changing and progressing. Your fantastic, meaningful contributions will soon land you in a spot where you'll need a bio. Maybe for the master of ceremonies to read while you walk up to collect your major award? Perhaps having a bio ready will attract opportunities for you to share it, too.

Take a few minutes and craft a bio... just four or five facts in short, simple sentences, using words that you feel comfortable saying about yourself to other people. Be authentic... whether your mark is a tint of humor, an air of gravitas or just the facts, ma'am...make it you... and have a good time using it in 2014.