Mantra of the Day: Nouveau riche is better than no riche. - Imelda Marcos
Let's face it. Social climbing has a pretty bad rap. One tends to think of rude, opportunistic people whose every move is strategically planned. We think of the kind of people who'll only talk to you based on the prominence of your family name, the size of your bank account (and related successes), and who you're wearing and/or dating. That pretty much covers a lot of places between Hollywood and the Hamptons.
Some of the bad rap comes from stories such as Will Smith's character in the movie "Six Degrees of Separation" or Baton Rouge-bred, New York socialite Genevieve Jones, who was exposed by a Wall Street Journal reporter in 2006 for lying about her age, upbringing and income sources.
However, social
climbing doesn't have to be so...ugly. Professional networking is nothing if not social climbing, n'est-ce pas? I pretty much have the hang of professional networking but, to be honest, social networking sometimes makes me slightly nervous. It seems relatively simple, according to Liz Brewer, publicist to the rich and famous. She advises the upwardly mobile to have a purpose, be genuine and be subtle. Oh, and be sure to send "thank you" notes. (I can handle all of that!)On a literary note, I've read mixed reviews on Beth Dunn's novel "Social Climbers". Have any of you read it? If so, let me know what you think.
[IMAGE: Courtesy of Beth Dunn]
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