For a thin guy, I sure cast a giant shadow.
Even though I’m always transparent about the collaborative nature of the projects I’m involved in — Canadian Podcast Buffet, Podcasters Across Borders and Just One More Book to name a few — my collaborators including Bob Goyetche and his wife Cat, and my wife, my own wife, Andrea, always seem to be afterthoughts, if thoughts at all, in the eyes of others.
This is not a theory. This is a fact.
Let me offer some examples.
Example One: Comments and questions to the Canadian Podcast Buffet are often sent directly to me. That’s not all. Occasionally the contributor will directly address me alone. I also recall one instance in which Bob introduced himself to someone who was pleased to meet Bob and said something to the effect of “Oh. You’re Mark Blevis’ assistant”. Bob uses a different phrase to describe himself in these instances.
Example Two: Andrea and I have enjoyed a lot of press coverage about our children’s book podcast. While it’s not uncommon for journalists to mistake the odd fact, it’s consistent that the error misappropriates credit to me. And, for all of Andrea’s hours of research for our interviews (2-4 hours PER interview), scheduling and general promotion, our guests and listeners always attribute the success of the interviews to — you guessed it — me. Andrea has a collection of run-on phases to describe me in these instances.
I never chase credit. I never claim credit for things I don’t do. I deflect credit where it is not due. I’m a magnet. Somehow, I just attract credit.
Have you been Blevised?
By the way… Andrea named this post. Really!
Original photo by Mark Blevis Bruce Murray
We received a package from Andrea Beaty, author of several children’s books including Iggy Peck, Architect (a Time Magazine top-10 children’s book for 2007) and Dr. Ted.
