November 19, 20251 min read
What do you claim to be "good at"?
What do you claim to be "good at"?
How do you know?
Is there evidence that supports your claims?
My friend Kara Smith Brown calls this "the math".
Most of us rely on feelings, vibes, and flattering stories we tell ourselves.
But confidence without evidence is just wishful thinking, not skill.
Examples of evidence...
• You get invited (often) to do it
• People pay you (a lot) for it
• You can show examples of past results
• You outperform your own past results
• Your work holds up under scrutiny
• When you stop doing it, things get worse
• You have a scoreboard that compares you to peers
• You have disparate people willing to vouch for you
• You get referred by people who are not your friends
• You get trusted with higher stakes over time
No, this list isn’t comprehensive.
And no, none of these are definitive on their own.
But quality usually has receipts.