More often than I would like to admit, I let people and things become bigger in my head than they actually are. Companies, brands, people, places- they all blow up in my mind and become terrifyingly intimidating. But what always reveals itself to be true, is that they are much more open and approachable than I let myself think.

I have been at the World Economic Forum and shook the hand of Al Gore, and had a chat with Queen Rania of Jordan. I’ve raised my hand in a room full of executives to ask a question. I have gone to the offices of Ford Models and met the people who make it the mecca it is. I have had interviews with my favorite brands and lunch with the CEO of the Gucci Group. I have bonded with a room full of trend-setting fashion bloggers and eaten brunch with online editors.

Before each one of these ” big” meetings I feel those insecure nerves stirring my stomach, but the one comforting thought I am armed with is, “They are human too, and at one point felt just as I do.” Of course, I respect their accomplishments and admire the names they have built for themselves, but keep it in perspective and remember that before they were all that, they were just themselves- and that is something you can relate to, because we are all human. ;)