My Face Is A Mood Ring

What happens when your skin speaks before you do?

“If you’re not prepared we can do this another day”

A very important man said this to me 15 years ago and the memory is still so vivid. He was many levels above me at my first post-graduation job and he said it when I stood up to present to a room of identical-looking, very important and serious men.

As part of my job, I had to present a monthly summary to heads of multiple departments. I absolutely hated public speaking (still do!) so I would start preparing weeks before, practising and memorising, trying to anticipate questions and concerns, making my presentation as slick as it could be.

So I stood at the front of that boardroom on that morning, ready to wow them with my professionalism and impressive understanding of the data. I was confident. I was poised. I was ready.

“If you’re not prepared we can do this another day”

Followed by:

“You just look quite flustered…”

And there it was. My brain was ready, but my rosacea wasn’t. And in a second, my confidence evaporated.