Someone approached me at a holiday party the other night and asked, “So what are you brilliant at?”  She was asking the question because of the June cover story about me in Response Magazine, which I not-so-modestly decided to post as my profile picture on my Facebook page. It was an interesting question and it peaked quite a few eves dropper’s attention. (I felt like someone had scratched the record and all eyes were on me!) I stumbled over my words, so my business partner, who was standing next to me, chimed in.

“Susan was in the right place at the right time,” he said confidently, smiling.  The interested woman smiled back wryly.  I added, “I am a Web 2.0 gal and this conference is mostly about Direct Response,” I explained, wondering if the blank look on her face was because I was speaking gobbly-gook from her perspective (ie:  “Direct Response” and “Web 2.0″) or if it was simply a product of the wine I had already over-consumed.  She understood (Thank God).  She is a graphic designer (Doubly thankful). And she had more questions that I couldn’t answer (or felt too modest and humbled to do so) and so I tactfully avoided them and asked her more about what type of design work she did, exactly.

In any case, I thought her question was clever and funny and frankly, point on.  I mean really, I’m not “brilliant” about anything.  I’m just an above-average intellectual gal who’s looking for some homerun hit in terms of my career.  Isn’t everyone?

Indeed, I was in the right place and time.  But I would also like to believe that it was not just dumb luck, but that coupled with my personal philosophy on bridging the gap between commerce and community online.