Go-Get-Her : a sought after woman known for her work ethic, skills, willingness to learn, adaptability, and ambitious personality

Growing up I would often hear people say what a “go-getter” I was. I would jump at any opportunity that could teach me some new skill or push me outside of my comfort zone. Organizing clubs, taking on multiple jobs, leading youth in church related activities, you name it, if the opportunity presented itself to me, I would do it. The reality of it all is that I wasn’t the one going to get those positions; I was the one being sought out to take up those positions. At the surface, it did seem that I was a go-getter. Anytime I met someone and they would ask me about what I enjoyed — my hobbies, my jobs, or my extracurriculars — and I always had a list of things to respond with. I had my hands in just about everything.

When I came to college, I was a fresh face in town. I was just a number on an enrollment form at college. That’s when I started to realize that all those years people watched me grow, watched me thrive, and watched me lead, that is what made me a Go-Get-Her, not a “go-getter.” Half-way through my Freshman year of college I found myself spending much of my time in my dorm room, cultivating friendships with my classmates and roommates, but I wasn’t involved in much outside of the campus. I felt an emptiness. I wasn’t active in my community, I wasn’t working, and I felt a need to do something.

January of my freshman year I decided enough was enough and I wanted to have my hands in more, I wanted to learn, not only from my college but the community. I wanted to make connections, and I knew I needed to establish my name in the area to be able to get back to where I had been in my hometown. That January I became a “go-getter” to reclaim my inner Go-Get-Her. I applied for an internship that had called for Junior and Senior status only, and I got the position! My mentor later disclosed that he chose to take me under his wing because of my ambition and audacity to show up to an interview that I was way under-qualified for.

That year was when I realized how I could reclaim my Go-Get-Her status, by simply being the ambitious, adaptable, outgoing young lady that I was. A couple of months into my internship, I started to look for a summer job. One by one, opportunities trickled back into my life. In my four years of college, I was employed by six different businesses, all of which I remained at for no less than one year. Not one of those businesses I approached about a job, rather I was either recommended to the business owner, or I was simply a customer at those businesses. Following my graduation, I was sought out by other businesses that had heard of me from word of mouth recommendations which led me to form my own business with a little encouragement from an amazing mentor I met back in July.

My Freshman year of college, I had reclaimed my Go-Get-Her status by simply being a “go-getter” one time. Reflecting on my last four years in the town that I have made my home, I ask myself: “Is this normal? Does every woman have that Go-Get-Her in her?” The answer is yes! You have an inner Go-Get-Her — you just need to let her shine!

Three Steps to Reclaim your inner Go-Get-Her:

Never stop learning.

Be open to growing. Sign up for a class, find a mentor, collaborate with those you can learn from. Learning should not stop after school; rather you should continue to learn from classes, webinars, books, and others around you.

Be adaptable.

Know that you can have the most precise plan for how things should go, but there is always room for change. Learn to be adaptable and know that even if things don’t go according to plan, there is always an alternative way to go about it. Be open to change because a new path can lead you to another path that is greater than the path you had all mapped out and planned.

Let your personality shine.

Be the most genuine you. We are so often told to suppress certain parts of our personality, but don’t. You never know if an employer or someone else is seeking that personality trait.

Laura Padovano is a recent graduate of Flagler College in beautiful St. Augustine, Florida. Following graduation Laura attended the She Is Fierce! Women’s Wednesday series where she was inspired to pursue her passion of social media and marketing and launch her own business, Laura Lives Social LLC. Want to connect with Laura? Email her at LauraLivesSocial@gmail.com