DEAR HARRIETTE: I ran into a woman the other day whose face was vaguely familiar. We were at a restaurant, and I was dining with other people, so we said hello but no more.
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As I was leaving, she asked if I was still working at a company that I left more than 10 years ago. I told her no and shared what I am doing now. Then I left.
Clearly this woman remembers me. I don’t really remember her. I was kind to her, though.
Should I have stopped to chat more? I was with a group of people, and we were leaving a restaurant.
— Was I Rude?
DEAR WAS I RUDE? It sounds like you were appropriately polite to this woman.
You greeted her and later answered her question. The moment didn’t call for more than that. You were not rude. Yes, you could have lingered a bit longer if it felt right to do so, but acknowledging each other warmly, quickly updating her on your current work situation and keeping it moving was perfectly fine.
If she wants to talk more, she may try to reach out. You told her where you work now, so if she really wants to reach you, she probably can, either there or on social media.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a performer friend who thinks that I would make the perfect manager for her based on my history working in entertainment. However, I’ve never managed anyone before, and I am quite nervous about it.
My friend is in the early stages of her music career and is trusting me to help her figure everything out, but I am afraid that, due to my lack of experience, I’ll mess up and hurt our friendship.
When I told her about my worries, she insisted that she knows that I can do it and she doesn’t want anyone else for the job.
What should I do? Should I give it a try, or should I decline and suggest that she look for someone with more connections in the business?
— No Experience
DEAR NO EXPERIENCE: Since your friend trusts you and is adamant that you should fill this role, do your research to learn exactly what a manager does.
Figure out the responsibilities and legalities. Offer to try it out for a specified period of time, after which you two can review your progress together.
Many family members or loved ones serve as managers for new talent as the performer is building their presence in their industry. It is not unusual for your friend to ask this of you.
Go for it. Do your best, which should include continuing your research and building a team of professionals who can help manifest your friend’s dreams.
Through trust, strong relationships and hard work, you may be the perfect person for this role. As long as you do not forget to surround yourselves with people who are experts at the things you don’t know well, you should be good.
Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to [email protected] or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
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