I was recently listening to the Talking Heads’ song ‘Once in a Lifetime’.  At one point, the lead singer David Byrne prominently asks himself, ‘Well, how did I get here?’  This is a question we all may ask ourselves rhetorically once in a while, and we may not know the answer, at least in the terms that Byrne poses it.  It got me to thinking, though:  there are situations in the professional ecosystem (e.g., networking, interviewing, casual conversation) in which someone does ask, ‘Well, how did you get here?’.  And it’s critical to have a response at the ready that is both practical and tactical; you don’t want to miss this opportunity to shape perceptions of you, to deliver your story:  preparation is crucial.  All too often however, you are not prepared; the question occasions a momentary lapse as you sort through your thoughts; and finally there follows a muddled, disjointed response.  This is a moment to be capitalized on.  And you can and will capitalize on it if you’ve done the ‘me-search’: explored the formative experiences in your life; examined a selection of those experiences in terms of certain criteria; developed a simple, coherent narrative about yourself; and learned to deliver that narrative to demonstrate who you are and how you got here.  By gathering and organizing the evidence, sifting the details, clarifying the patterns, in other words, through StoryPathing™, you have prepared to make the most of an opportunity just like this to illustrate who you really are.