There is gold in brevity.

I recently started reading "Never Eat Alone," and it got me to thinking about how we describe ourselves when meeting new people. I decided to ask my friends how they'd distill their roles down to just five words or less, and got some FABULOUS responses via Facebook. (Note: apparently multifamily is synonymous with Crazy Town for a large percentage of my friends.)

• Nerdy facilitator.
• Rent More Apartments.
• Cut through multifamily velvet rope.
• Spotlight Operator.
• A blessing for my family.
• That's easy, it's the same for everyone. "Mayor of Crazy Town." Done and done.
• Ambassador of innovative technology.
• Assistant Mayor of Crazy Town.
• Teach 'em & Lease 'em.
• When's my next call again?
• I Rent in Crazy Town.
• Capturing markets with video.
• Making a difference!
• Orchestrating the built environment creatively!
• Fun!
• Tell him to stop talking!

I'm still torn between dubbing myself Chief Marketer of Crazy Town and Jill of All Trades, but it's amazing how much you can portray in just five little words. (If I were to throw a bit of my personal life into the mix, Marketing Maven + Caffeinated Ballerina Wrangler is pretty darn accurate). Sometimes you need some flowery language to help paint a picture...and other times, getting rid of the fluff makes the most impact.

How would you describe yourself? Is it the same personally as professionally? And would your friends say the same? I challenge you to try it out: what you learn might just surprise you.