I decided to try exhibiting at an attorney’s conference when Med League was 6 years old (in 1995). The first opportunity was an American Justice Association (then ATLA) conference called Weekend with the Stars held at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Having never exhibited before, I sought out a colleague who knew the ropes, and she gave me a large teddy bear to sit on my booth to attract attention. Teddy wore a patient gown and a cervical collar. Hanging above his head was an IV bag  with 500 cc of Dextrose and Water. An ace bandage was wrapped around his arm. A sign near him said, “This patient needs a nurse.” Reactions to Teddy were mixed. I noticed that children and women enjoyed him, whereas the male attorneys gave him a wide berth or ignored him.

The exhibit was a success. I met an attorney at the Weekend with the Stars who appreciated what I had to offer. When I called him to set up an appointment to go to his office, there was a lot of background noise. When I asked him if he could hear me, he requested that I speak louder. “I’m in my private helicopter”, he told me. I was so intimidated by that statement that I nearly hung up. All the negative self talk came flooding in, as in “Who do you think you are, Pat, to want to work with an attorney who has a private helicopter?”

But I persisted and met with him. When I looked at a case in his office that day, I saw something that everyone else had missed. It was a critical factor in the liability of the case. From then on, we worked closely together and still do.

See the dangers of giving into negative self-talk? Have you ever almost talked yourself out of an opportunity? Tell us about it.

Pat Iyer is president of Med League.