Redundancy Made Me Remarkable
“Being safe is risky.”
I've always been intensely private. The kind of person who avoids the camera at events, stays off social media, and absolutely doesn't put herself out there for the world to see. Safe? Absolutely. Remarkable? Not even close.
Then I relocated to Dubai.
The Wake-Up Call
Reading Seth Godin's Purple Cow hit differently when you're starting fresh in a new city. The book's central message is simple: in a crowded marketplace, being safe is actually the riskiest strategy of all.
Godin writes, "The opposite of 'remarkable' is 'very good.' Very good is an everyday occurrence and hardly worth mentioning."
That stung. Because that was me: very good at what I do, but completely invisible. In Dubai's competitive landscape, being another "very good" professional who keeps her head down is a guaranteed path to irrelevance. As I've learnt with all the talented people looking for employment here.
Becoming Remarkable (Or at Least Trying)
So I did something that terrifies me: I started showing up for the people who might need what I have to offer.
LinkedIn posts: I'm actually sharing insights now. Each time I hit "Post," there's a moment of panic wondering if this will genuinely help someone. But I'm doing it anyway.
Facebook and Instagram: Set up both accounts. The person who used to say "I don't do social media" is now on social media, hoping to connect with people I might never have reached otherwise.
Next month's video: I've committed to doing video content. On camera. Where people can see and hear me. My private self is screaming, but I know there are people who learn better through video, and they deserve access to what I've learnt.
Finally writing my book: Years of saying "someday." Dubai turned someday into now. The knowledge I've been carrying in my head needs to reach the people who could benefit from it.
Updating my yoga teacher training: After years of teaching, I'm going back to deepen my practice and credentials. Another step out of comfortable expertise into vulnerable student mode because my students deserve a teacher who never stops growing.
Why Dubai Changed Everything
There's something about relocating that strips away your comfortable excuses. In Dubai, nobody knows my work history. Nobody knows my reputation.
And suddenly, all those "someday" projects became urgent (not for me, but for the people I could help). The book I'd been mentally writing for years? Started actually writing it. The yoga teacher training I'd been meaning to update? Enrolled. The social media presence I'd been avoiding? Created it.
As Godin points out: "The person with real influence on the success of a product today gets to sit at the table when the original seeds for a project are being sown."
To sit at that table in a new market, you have to be remarkable. You have to be worth talking about. And you can't be remarkable if you're still sitting on all your best ideas, waiting for the "right time" whilst people who need your help are struggling without it.
The Purple Cow Paradox
Here's what I'm learning: The very thing that makes me uncomfortable (putting myself out there) is exactly what makes it possible to help more people.
Godin calls this the Parody Paradox: "The same word of mouth that can make your product a huge hit can also lead to someone's snickering at you."
The fear of being judged, of looking foolish, of standing out: that's real. But as the book reminds us: "Criticism comes to those who stand out... The only way to be remarkable is to do just that."
And honestly? If sharing my journey means even one person feels less alone in theirs, the criticism is worth it.
From Safe to Risky (Which is Actually Safe)
The old me thought playing it safe was the smart move. Keep your head down. Do good work. Wait to be noticed.
But Purple Cow makes it clear: "Being safe is risky."
In today's world (especially in a dynamic market like Dubai) the real risk is being invisible. Being boring. Being just another professional in a sea of professionals whilst the people who could benefit from your expertise never find you.
So I'm choosing the "riskier" path: being visible, being vocal, being vulnerable enough to create video content even though it makes me want to hide under my desk, because connection requires courage.
The Point of No Return
Next month's video feels like my point of no return. The book manuscript growing on my laptop. The yoga training that will deepen my teaching in ways I can't yet imagine. There's no going back to being the private, invisible professional I used to be.
And honestly? That's probably a good thing, for me and for the people I'm meant to serve.
As Godin writes: "Once you've managed to create something truly remarkable, the challenge is to do two things simultaneously: Milk the Cow for everything it's worth... [and] Create an environment where you are likely to invent a new Purple Cow."
Maybe that's what Dubai is for me: the environment that forces me to invent my own Purple Cow. Not through a product or service, but through the courage to be remarkable in how I show up for others.
To Everyone Else Playing It Safe
If you're reading this and you're also the "private" type, the one who avoids social media, who doesn't want to make waves
I get it. I am you.
But here's what I'm discovering: The world doesn't need another invisible expert. It needs people willing to share what they know, even when it's uncomfortable, because somewhere out there is someone who needs to hear exactly what you have to say.
Your comfort zone is beautiful and safe and utterly unremarkable.
Sometimes the most remarkable thing you can do is step out of it, not for yourself, but for the people waiting on the other side.
Next month, I'll share that video. Will it be perfect? Definitely not. Will it be remarkable? We'll see. But at least I'll be trying, and that's more remarkable than staying silent whilst people who could benefit from my experience never get the chance to connect.
What's your Purple Cow? What could you do that would make you uncomfortable but unmissable to the people who need you most?
