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Ten things you didn’t know about me

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We all carry our stories, our challenges, and our triumphs. And then there are those weird, surprising, and peculiar things we never talk about, we never put them on our CV, because… they don’t really fit in. Let’s share more of the “awkward” and unusual things about us!

We are more than just a CV!

Diana Trisca-Rusu

Annica giving motivational speaker Les Brown a neck and shoulder massage in London

Listen to the podcast about this blog: Your CV: How to make yourself stand out.

  1. I competed in full-contact kickboxing and never lost. But I did get some fine bruises. When my mom begged me to stop, I lied and said I did. But kept on competing and winning.
  2. Unusual jobs I’ve had: Certified US Red Cross lifeguard: worked a season in California with the red swimsuit and rescue tube you see on Bay Watch. Strawberry-picker: didn’t last very long as every 20 meters there was a dead seagull that made me vomit or cry. Deli counter: worked weekends and school holidays at the deli counter where my favorite thing to sell was large pieces of freshly cut cheese and my horror moment was when the old farmers’ couple with a stench of pig’s pee (rumors said they were also siblings) came for their weekly shopping of sliced cow tongue, chicken hearts, and bone marrow.
  3. I fell in love with Aquaman on a flight from Orlando to London, 26th August 2019.
  4. I had three babies in one year, was a single mom when they were 1, 1, and 2, and raise them alone in a foreign country. They drive me mad, and I love them. They get the worst of me, they get the best of me. I hope they will remember mostly good.
  5. 15 years old, with pimples, a bad haircut, “very stylish” jeans, and a purple face, on national TV, I handed over a Platinum Record Award to famous Danish singer Sanne Salomonsen.
  6. In high school, I fell for the same guy everyone fell for and got his attention by playing Poker with the boys during a break. The loser had to pull a card with a number and the winner got to stab a butterfly knife between the spread fingers of the loser as many times as the card showed. I drew a 9. He missed the space between my fingers at number 8 and cut my finger. I still have the scar. I would never do that for him today.
  7. I speak four languages and have been paid to deliver speeches in these four languages. I can also “speak” Spanish, five sentences.
  8. I cry every single time I watch a TV show about families that struggle in one way or the other.
  9. I have given two neck and shoulder massages to number 1 in the world motivational speaker Les Brown because he had acute pain and I do massage. Having been a huge fan for over a decade, I was so star-struck I didn’t know what to say. But he enjoyed it so much he kept falling asleep so…
  10. When I speak words that happen to be parts of a song, I have to sing that song, whether I am alone, facilitating a workshop, or delivering a live webinar.
Photo by: Flavio da Costa, Women’s Entrepreneurship Day 2016

Just like the strange things, the “awesome things” on our CV don’t get the attention they deserve, even if they very often mean a lot to us. What are the things you’ve worked hard for that are worth a little celebration and sharing? I would love to hear!

So, while I’m at it, I’ll take the opportunity to toot my horn. Not to toot my horn, but to share with you some of the things I am really happy about. Most of them I have never really celebrated. Sharing them here with you is a nice way to remember them and have a feel-good-moment.

Tooting my own horn a little bit…

  1. I was nominated several times in multiple categories by the John Maxwell team for Modelling Consistency, Lifting & Leading Others, Demonstrating a Positive Attitude, Exceeding Expectations and Nurturing Transformation.
  2. One of my favorite moments as a speaker was in front of a live audience of 5000 people talking with John Maxwell about leadership. Another favorite is receiving a standing ovation from 4000 people sharing my story about how I made a fool of myself in a pitching competition. And my absolute favorite moment as a speaker is having shared the stage with my children when leading the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day events.
  3. I launched Own It – The Confidence Podcast on my 45th birthday (to take ownership of a VERY crappy birthday in the middle of Covid-confinement, and instead turn it into a day to remember), and was very happy to see it get to place No 1 on the national chart, as well as No 1 in both Self-help and Education.
  4. Two of my books, The Youth Book and The Last Single Mom, reached Amazon Bestsellers.
  5. Award-winning mentor from the Young Enterprise Project. Traveled to Riga, Latvia with my winning team of young entrepreneurs creating an App for people with autism. Crazy proud of them!
  6. Selected as a top 100 profile for “Women on Board” presented by PaperJam Business Magazine and featured in their special edition about women in leadership.
  7. Regional Ambassador for Europe, and Global Ambassador representing Luxembourg in the Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Organization.
  8. Interviewed the Prime Minister, Xavier Bettel, of Luxembourg about equal rights and entrepreneurship.
  9. Was invited to the Palace of the Grand Duchess to talk to her Aide de Camp about my work with youth. Was also invited to the Castle for a reward ceremony to all the mentors in the Young Enterprise Project. What a magnificent garden they have! We were not allowed to take photos. Some did. I resisted. But I was tempted.
  10. Have been a mentor for several years in Dress For Success helping immigrant women integrate into society.
Annica and John talk about the importance of consistency in self-leadership, Orlando, FL.

PS. I’m impressed that you read aaaaaaaall the way to here. I just wanted to add that writing this text was fun, took way more time than I had scheduled for it, and was homework in the phenomenal program 10 Days to Get Seen with Leona Burton and Holly Matthews. #10daystogetseen #awesomesauce



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