Grayson Peoples: Geeking Out for a Career

I’m one of those people who has a bad habit of kicking themselves for not doing enough in social settings. As an introvert, I set low expectations for myself when it comes to social situations—that isn’t a healthy habit either, but it does lead to some pleasant surprises. And I love surprising myself! So, who would’ve thought that a quiet girl like me could find herself in such an extroverted career? It’s all about “geeking out”.

When I began my internship at the Charleston Museum, I thought I was going to pursue a passionate but quiet job in historic preservation. Instead, I came out of that experience determined that I was going to talk to complete strangers every day for a living. Funny how ironic things can be. As part of my internship, I shadowed several tours at the Joseph Manigault House in preparation for my own tours. I always knew that I was good at learning and remembering lots of information, as introverts often are, and I applied it to a real-life task. I absorbed the information that I found to be both integral to the house’s history and the most interesting to me and built my tour spiel in my head.

When I gave tours on my own, I was very nervous to see all of these strangers staring at me as I talked, nervousness which my various “ums” and “uhs” showed. Over time, I became more confident in my dealings with strangers, and even used my sense of humor to throw in some jokes and receive tips. This one time, I was talking about how a local heiress—who married an Italian prince and was known as the Princess Pignatelli—bought the Manigault house and saved it from demolition by donating it to the Charleston Museum. I joked with my guests, “You’re standing in a house that was saved by a princess. You could make a Disney movie out of this!” The joke got me one of my first tips, and it was such a hit with guests that I included it in every tour I gave after that. More than just money, telling jokes also helped me get over any nervousness I had—I was laughing it off. That helped my tours go more smoothly, with fewer mistakes.

I got in a rhythm, and before long, I was wanting to work at the house every day, and I volunteered anytime that they were short on staff. It used to be that I was petrified at the idea of speaking to complete strangers, but once I got used to doing that, I could give the same spiel to multiple small groups.

The main strategy that I used in my tours was focusing on what I loved, which was details about the Manigault family, the architecture, the house’s preservation history, and fun facts about the furniture. Of course, there were some main ideas that every tour guide had to talk about, but the rest we could pick and choose to tailor our tours to our liking. By focusing on the details about the Joseph Manigault House that I found to be the most interesting, I could be passionate about what I discussed. That passion dispelled any nervous feelings that I might have had and aided me in doing my job. Not even the pressure that tour guides are always under—the scrutiny of guests on travel apps like TripAdvisor and Yelp—none of that crossed my mind when I got the hang of things.

This passionate talking that I refer to is what I like to call “geeking out.” Like any “nerd,” I always love to talk about things that I like, especially with people who share common interests with me. I have geeked out about a variety of things for as long I can remember. So, it would appear that being a tour guide is a perfect fit for me! I know this in my heart and from experience, and I couldn’t ask for much more than that!

Now why is this change important? Why am I bragging to you about my supreme tour-giving skills? Two reasons: First, I love bragging about myself. It’s fun. Second, my experience in Charleston has opened my eyes to future career possibilities. If I was so good at giving tours in Charleston, why not think bigger? If I’m good at adulting four hours from home, why not go farther? Now I have more ambitious plans, and I may follow my dreams beyond the South Carolina state line—I’ll undoubtedly be homesick, but what is a growing experience if you don’t have some growing pains now and then?

My time in Charleston has not only developed my sense of what career would suit me best and what skills I’m best at, but I think it has also helped me grow as a person in general. I’m surer of myself, I am told that I walk with more confidence, and I have a lot more optimism about things than before. Do I still have concerns and doubts about myself? Of course, I’m only human, after all. But I am more optimistic and headstrong than I have ever been before, and it is all thanks to my exceptional ability to geek out about interesting things. I hope to use what I have gained in Charleston to be successful in future adventures.

Grayson Peoples is a history major from Clinton, South Carolina. She completed a summer-long internship with the Charleston Museum, where she gave tours at the historic Joseph Manigault House and assisted in the Museum’s kids camp at the Dill Sanctuary.