For a long time, I was a chameleon.
In school, in college, in early jobs, I’d look at the people around me and quietly try to mirror them. Who they were, how they presented, what they seemed to project. I thought that was just how you fit in, how you got ahead. It took years to realize people actually just liked me and that I didn’t have to perform a version of myself to earn that.
Restoration is a relationship business. It always has been. Carriers, contractors, homeowners are not just evaluating your scope or your timeline. They’re deciding whether they trust you. And trust doesn’t come from a polished pitch or a perfectly rehearsed presentation. It comes from feeling like the person across the table is actually talking to them, not performing at them.
Early on, whether it was my first days at Servpro or DocuSketch, I’d step into a room and unconsciously shift. I’d try to match whoever I was presenting to—mirror their energy, adapt my style. And there were moments where I could feel the gap between who I was being and who I actually am.
It didn’t land. It never does.
What changed things for me was getting comfortable with the idea that not everyone is going to be your cup of tea and that’s okay. When I present now, people come up to me afterward and say things like, “you just talked to us.” That’s the goal. Not a presentation. A conversation. Tell me your problems, let’s figure out how to solve them.
In a relationship-based industry, the most powerful thing you can bring to any room is yourself: clearly, consistently, and without the performance.
Holly Baldwin is the Senior Customer Success Manager at DocuSketch.
