My friends think I just “talk to clients” all day, and I'm tired of oversimplifying what I do. When my family asks about my job, I find myself saying, "I manage relationships," which gets a confused look. How do you explain the nuance of your role to people who don't get it?

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Say It’s hard to explain what we do for a living because our output isn’t always tangible and often depends on the work of others. The best analogy we have is that of a waiter. If you’ve ever waited tables, you know it’s more nuanced than just taking orders and delivering food.

Our job is to stay calm under pressure, understand exactly what the client wants—and often anticipate needs they haven’t expressed yet. We need to intimately know our product while also reading the client’s needs as they come in, so we can make the right recommendations or upsells that improve their experience.

When things inevitably go sideways, we’re the ones facing the client: first to reassure them, and then to make sure the problem is being addressed and fixed. We may not be the subject matter experts on every detail, but we make sure the right people are having the right conversations so the team can deliver the best possible product and positively impact the client’s business.

On a deeper level, our role is to make clients feel seen, heard, and understood—and to be the partner they turn to and trust when navigating business challenges.

I think that’s a very simple way that has worked for me to bring in folks to some common ground.

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You have the best job title.
If your friends honestly can’t figure it out, then:
A) You need new friends (sorry, not sorry)
B) Begin the journey to never feel the need to explain anything. That becomes a superpower that will serve you well in your forties and beyond.

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