Reminds me of Rocket Boys. Good thing Brad didn't listen to the doubters. Rocket Boys, Chuck Yeager, Brad Smith.
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At one of his first-ever jobs, Brad’s boss took notice of his West Virginia twang and, unfortunately, did not find it charming. Suggesting that it was an inherent flaw that would lead to stereotyping, Brad was sent to executive communications courses to “fix the bug.” Try as he might, Brad’s vernacular was afflicted by the country lilt of a small-town boy who couldn’t outrun his roots.
“I began to feel like a failure, but then I noticed something – whenever I would participate in a group setting or give a presentation, people would ask, ‘Who was that guy with the twang?’ Smith said. “My accent differentiated me from the crowd, and I began to realize it was a good thing.”
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At one of his first-ever jobs, Brad’s boss took notice of his West Virginia twang and, unfortunately, did not find it charming. Suggesting that it was an inherent flaw that would lead to stereotyping, Brad was sent to executive communications courses to “fix the bug.” Try as he might, Brad’s vernacular was afflicted by the country lilt of a small-town boy who couldn’t outrun his roots.
“I began to feel like a failure, but then I noticed something – whenever I would participate in a group setting or give a presentation, people would ask, ‘Who was that guy with the twang?’ Smith said. “My accent differentiated me from the crowd, and I began to realize it was a good thing.”
