My menswear journey began in the unsuspecting Mecca for all fashion business: Las Vegas. I was 21-years-old, oblivious to the likes of Barbour, Gant Rugger, J. Lindeberg, or Carlos Campos, and I was new to Sin City. The word “tradeshow” brought to mind a stuffy hotel conference room, chock-full of comb-overs and “Hello, My Name Is” stickers stuck crookedly on Men’s Warehouse lapels.

In a word, I was wrong. So, so wrong.

I stepped foot into the Mandalay Bay Convention Center for my first walkthrough as marketing associate for the industry’s premier contemporary luxury menswear tradeshow, and was immediately overwhelmed by the transformational design. There were art installations, brand booths, a runway, and interactive stations that consumed the nearly eight acres of indoor space.

The next five days were a blur, and not entirely for the reasons you’d expect. The blur was induced by feelings of inadequacy and that I didn’t belong in this world. I spent three days on the show floor learning about brands, terminology, influential editors, relationships, and how the buyer relationships work. I absorbed the operations that all of the stakeholders were charged with, and tried putting the puzzle pieces together as to how this event runs like clockwork season after season.

It all boiled down to one festering thought that had been growing alongside my new marketing career: was I cool enough? This multi-million dollar industry is about the business of cool. Bloggers and editors are trying to capture and label the cool, buyers are trying to buy the cool and set the trends, trend forecasters are literally charged with predicting the cool, and brands are trying to be the cool. This is the commoditization of cool. Meanwhile, my outfit resembled that of a Midwestern Old Navy employee – casual basics and comfortable shoes. “Am I cool enough?” I thought again. Trying to start your career amongst a sea of professional, well-dressed men will make you doubt most of the fibers in your being — and, on your body.

It all boiled down to one festering thought that had been growing alongside my new marketing career: was I cool enough?

I couldn’t tell if I was trying to alter who I was to fit my reality, or if I was getting out of my comfort zone like the textbooks tell you to do. My solution was to go old school. I realized what made these menswear folk so “cool” was their ability to talk fluidly about fashion and the current state of the industry. Having an opinion is what makes people genuinely believe that you can carry your weight, and I needed to do my research to develop a critical eye. So, I read.

As my role with the shows grew, I began waking up at 6 a.m. daily to read the industry publications, making sure that I was on top of the east coast headlines. As a contractor and full time agency exec, I was on the phone with the tradeshow team daily, sometimes hourly, integrating into their process. I learned who was up and coming and whom the business of cool gave their stamp of approval to. I also learned the sartorial rules of thumb, because at the end of the day, a young professional on the brink of an existential crisis finds peace in order and properly tied Windsor knots.

I wish I had some sort of “aha!” moment, but I don’t. At some point along the tailored line, I folded everything I had picked up – the operations, the press, the brands, the retailers, the publications, the opinions – into a package of expertise that has now made me confident. It’s amazing how people respond to your work and being when you can speak up and be heard. By my fourth show, I had a group of friends and experiences and a growing sense of self. Going to the shows felt like fashion summer camp – the reunions were sweet, there was always a love interest, and we all made it count. Sales were made, goals were met, press was earned. I spent nearly two straight years at fashion summer camp, traveling to New York and Vegas and occupying a niche within an industry that I had once been afraid to penetrate.

It’s amazing how people respond to your work and being when you can speak up and be heard.

All in all, confidence is key, ladies. Learn about what interests you, absorb it, and take the leap onto that proverbial runway.

Image via Jonathan Hokklo for PROJECT Trade Show