You better work!

A Life Lesson from the Bar Belle

Filmmaker Woody Allen once said, “Eighty percent of success is showing up.”

I wholeheartedly agree with that. Many people ask me how it is I know so people in Louisville, and my simple answer is: I show up to things.

Well, it’s that, and the fact that I’ve been around writing about the city for 17 years now.

Perhaps it’s just something instilled in me from my upbringing. I do have a case of FOMO, but I also had severe FOM (Fear of Mom) as a kid. Which is why I never missed a day in high school, which is why I never drank my first beer until college, and which is why I’m always 10 minutes early to anything.

It’s true, though. You get invited to a pop-up bourbon event on a Monday evening? Show up. Get there early, and stay late. Don’t turn down opportunities to network. Put yourself out there, shake hands and remember names (which I admittedly am terrible at).

Life is a balancing act, of course, and you can’t commit to everything. You probably think it’s easier for me get out and about because I’m single and have no major obligations waiting for me at home. And you’re probably right. But I do value my personal time as much as anyone else, and the times I am in a committed relationship, I practice the very important lesson of compromise.

Some exes would say I failed at that lesson, and others would say they had fun joining me on my many adventures while it lasted.

But this isn’t about them. This is about me giving away wisdom like Oprah does cars.

You’re welcome.