There are no small parts

I went to go see the musical theatre production of Aladdin this past Thursday. The show was fun and the genie was definitely a highlight.

But my favourite part of the night was reading the program. 

My partner and I attend a fair amount of theatre and I always scan all the names in the program, actors and stage hands alike, in case I see a name I know, in case someone I knew from high school or university pops up. I never do. I recognize no one. 

Once I accept I'm not cool enough to know anyone who helped work on the show, I move on to the blurbs for each actor in the show. This section usually provides a little bit of background on each of their theatre experience. I'm curious to see who is a vet and who is fresh on the scene. I get excited for the actors whose blurbs state the performance is their national theatre debuts. I always think about how exciting this must be for them and how much time and effort led up to these moments.  

This time, one of the actors had a slew of tv-shows listed in their blurb. I thought to myself, "Cool, how impressive", pointed it out to my partner, and then moved on to the next blurb. My partner however got all excited as he is a big fan of one of the tv shows that was listed off in the actor's experience and needed to know what role he played in the tv shows. He immediately pulled up the actor's IMDB and found it. The experience listed? "Tourist".

Not a lead role. Possibly not even a talking role. But he had a part in the show and he was proud of it. As he should be. A role on a major television program that ran for 7 seasons is a big deal.

But this had me thinking about the lawyers I speak to every week who discredit their experience. Who discount the work they've done. Who tell me why they left something off their resume rather than include it.

On the flip side, I also speak to lawyers every week who are working on impressive and interesting and newsworthy things and aren't sharing about it.

Experience is experience.

We can all learn something from that actor who appeared on the show and he wants everyone to know about it.

All it takes is having done something once to go from never having done it to having experience in it. If you don't believe me, speak to a sole practitioner. Speak to an entrepreneur. These people make careers of taking something new on for the first time and proclaiming to themselves and the world that they can do it.

Take a lesson from the Aladdin actor. You don't have to be the lead to promote yourself. You don't have to be a partner or the one leading the project to share about it. Don't wait for someone else to give you permission to show off your successes - no matter how big or how small. 

Next time you're doubting yourself or your experience, think of the actor in Aladdin. 

Be proud of your accomplishments. Showcase your experience. 

You're doing great.