•Re: What do you call yourself?

[merlyn]

On my business card, I list myself as General Manager, because, after all, I generally manage. {grin}

In seriousness, I chose this title because when I had just started my consulting firm 17 years ago, I attended a "consultant's consultant" one-day seminar. At the seminar, they warned against "one man shops" (such as me) from listing "President" or "CEO" on their business card.

The reasoning? If you were talking to a random shmo on the street, and they handed you a card that said "President of XYZ company", your first thought is "he's the only guy there". But if they handed you a card that says "Director of X division" or even a moderate title of "General Manager" like mine, you think "OK, there's people above him, and probably people below him". Instant company size! Also, it means he's a decision maker, but only to a certain extent, so he might need to get approval.

And I've used that title ever since. I'm a decision maker, but there are "people" I must go see if a decision exceeds certain thresholds. In reality, it just gives me more time to think about decisions.

Now you know my ugly secret. {grin} Officially, I am CEO of Stonehenge Inc, as well as the sole board member, but on my card, I'm still just the "General Manager".

[Abigail-II]

If a random shmo I met on the street handed me his business card, my first thought would be something else than "he's the only guy there", regardless of what would be on the card.

Abigail

[duff]

If a random schmo I met on the street handed me his business card, I'd think, "Why is this guy giving me his business card?" and I really wouldn't care too much what was written on the card :-)