First Line of Defense

I had a blast at the UFC Fan Expo in Boston which included me getting a FREE ticket to UFC 118!  While attending the expo’s many attractions, I got all of the fighters’ perks (Free shirts, hats, supplements, bags etc.) even chilled with them in down time.  I realized that I got all of the attention because I looked like one of them, an MMA fighter.  It made me think about a book I read “Restoring the Male Image” by Alex O. Ellis.  In the book, Mr. Ellis talks about the impact of your image (from attire to walk) at times can be your first line of defense.  Wear a suit, people will initially treat you like a businessman, wear baggy jeans & baseball cap people will initially treat you like a thug (in many cases) and in my case wear a tight fighter t-shirt & flip-flops and you’ll get treated like a MMA fighter (in UFC arenas).

When you go to a job interview or business meeting, people decide whether they want to work with you within the first 15 seconds, without any type of conversation.  The point is this, if you ever wondered why people treat you a certain way upon meeting you, they judged you based on your appearance.  I am not saying that this is right but as Earth Wind & Fire says “that’s the way, of the world”.  In this world of micro-branding, if you want the part, you have to look the part, play the part then be the part.  I think the next UFC event I attend, I’ll wear a suit….nah, I liked getting free stuff.  Be blessed, #bedynamic!