Alpaca Business and the Myers-Brigg Indicator Test

I've taken the Myers-Briggs Personality Indicator test many times over the years.  The first time I took it, I was in the Women's Executive Leadership Program run through the federal government.  It was a year that set my career in such a positive, forward motion.  My confidence was ignited during that training.  I had such amazing experiences and was able to interact and learn from some of the best in the government.  My fellow classmates were tops in their fields and the instructors were tops too.  It was during this training that I took this Myers-Briggs test and found out how my personality works.  It was so helpful to understand how my brain works and also to understand that how my colleagues and fellow students' minds worked as well.  I so appreciated that we could all look at the same problem or issue and come from such a different perspective and none of us were wrong!  It was just how we see the world.  It was eye-opening. 

I like to take this test periodically to see if my personality has shifted.  It has over the years.  That first time I took it, I was slightly introverted but had many extroverted traits too.  Now when I take that test, I am such a strong introvert.  Some may say that isn't a positive, but there is no "right" or "wrong."  It is who we are.  As I have worked on myself over the years, it makes sense that I would become more aligned with the individual indicators.  When I was in my early thirties, I was still being molded.  I certainly have the skills, thanks to my engineering career to operate in an extroverted setting, but if given the option, I will always prefer, being quieter and more solitary over being around a lot of people.  It is quite ironic that my introversion is stronger, yet, I'm having to put myself out to the public because of my alpaca business.  If you want to sell alpacas and market, you better be ready to meet and greet the public!  I have visitors stopping by my farm all the time and I enjoy it immensely and at the same time, I love my quiet space and time too.  Thankfully, having alpacas, helps me recuperate faster and recharge my batteries after being around a lot of people. 

Perhaps even more ironically, my introverted alpacas have become more extroverted!  Thanks to clicker training and the positive reinforcement techniques I use with them, they are so thrilled when people show up to the farm.  It means goody time!  They come running when they see someone new walking through the gates.  On open farm events, I notice that the alpacas and I are very similar.  After a busy day of people coming and going, we are both peopled out and although, we are still social, the alpacas are less excited to see folks and some walk away to the back pasture to get some space.  I want to join them!  But, my duties require me to finish out my day's effort of being around people.  Yet, when that last customer leaves after a long day, I think the alpacas and I both take a deep breath and let out a sigh of relief to have our place back to ourselves. 

We are getting ready to gear up for one of those open farm events with National Alpaca Farm Day September 28th, 2013 from 11 am - 5 pm.  I will be open for the day and we will be thrilled to see anyone that is in the neighborhood!  Come out and see us at Alpacas at Hum Sweet Hum, pick up a signed copy of my newly released book, Alpacas Don't Do That! 

The herd and I ready to enjoy being extroverted for National Alpaca Farm Day