--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Back home I had always been comfortable…" description: "\"Back home I had always been comfortable around people. I was the troublemaker, always being funny - that's just who I am. I'm Latina; I've always had t..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/joan-smalls-13158_challenges_back-home-i-had-always-been-comfortable_32249.jpg" --- # Back home I had always been comfortable around people. I… ![“Back home I had always been comfortable around people. I was the troublemaker, always being funny - that's just who I am. I'm Latina; I've always had that extra little flavor. But when I got to New York, it became about being comfortable with myself in a place where I didn't know many people, and…” quote by Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/joan-smalls-13158_challenges_back-home-i-had-always-been-comfortable_32249.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/joan-smalls-13158_challenges_back-home-i-had-always-been-comfortable_32249.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/joan-smalls-13158_challenges_back-home-i-had-always-been-comfortable_32249.jpg) > “Back home I had always been comfortable around people. I was the troublemaker, always being funny - that's just who I am. I'm Latina; I've always had that extra little flavor. But when I got to New York, it became about being comfortable with myself in a place where I didn't know many people, and that was the big challenge. Ultimately my personality helped me build relationships with the people I was working with, and I was able to stand out.” [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker describes adapting from a familiar, socially comfortable environment to an unfamiliar one, learning to be self‑confident and leveraging cultural identity and humor to connect with new colleagues. **In simple terms:** Adapting to new social contexts while staying authentic. Key Takeaway Cultural confidence fuels relationship building. Themes Identity Adaptation Humor Confidence Networking Mood Empowered Reflective Optimistic Type Personal anecdote Inspirational When to use this quote - Moving to a new city - Starting a new job - Working with diverse teams Key Concepts Cultural identity Self‑presentation Social integration Practical Applications - Mentoring newcomers - Team‑building workshops Questions to Reflect On - How does humor aid in forming professional bonds? - What strategies help maintain authenticity in unfamiliar settings? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Home](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/home/) [Latina](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/latina/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality/) [Standing out](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/standing-out/) [Troublemaker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/troublemaker/) ## Related quotes > [The tits and the hair and the personality helped build the whole Dolly deal, but it was my music that brought me out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolly-parton/the-tits-and-the-hair-and-the-personality-helped-build-the-whole/) [Dolly Parton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolly-parton/) > [I was the troublemaker, always being funny - that's just who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-was-the-troublemaker-always-being-funny-that-s-just-who-i-am/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) > [I'd like to see more beauty campaigns for girls who are mixed Latina and black.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-d-like-to-see-more-beauty-campaigns-for-girls-who-are-mixed-latina-2/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) > [I'd like to see more beauty campaigns for girls who are mixed Latina and black. And if I'm in them, that's great, but overall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-d-like-to-see-more-beauty-campaigns-for-girls-who-are-mixed-latina/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) > [If you are in a leadership position, do not rely on your title to convince people to follow you. Build relationships. Win people over.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-c-maxwell/if-you-are-in-a-leadership-position-do-not-rely-on-your-title-to/) [John C. Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-c-maxwell/) > [It takes two people to maintain and build upon relationships because a relationship needs two for balance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/it-takes-two-people-to-maintain-and-build-upon-relationships-because/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [I certainly think it's important to build relationships with movers and shakers in the fashion industry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ej-johnson/i-certainly-think-it-s-important-to-build-relationships-with-movers/) [EJ Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ej-johnson/) > [Don't give up before you get off your feet. Put the time in to learn what you can, build relationships, and develop quality content.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-hart/don-t-give-up-before-you-get-off-your-feet-put-the-time-in-to-learn/) [Heather Hart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-hart/) > [I worked with Ty Dolla Sign, YG, Nipsey Hussle, Metro Boomin - I build relationships, and I try to stay afloat with everyone who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lil-durk/i-worked-with-ty-dolla-sign-yg-nipsey-hussle-metro-boomin-i-build/) [Lil Durk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lil-durk/) > [You won't build relationships unless you let your guard down](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-ferrazzi/you-won-t-build-relationships-unless-you-let-your-guard-down/) [Keith Ferrazzi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-ferrazzi/) > [Adam wasn't certain what came first with Blue--her treating the boys as friends, or them all becoming friends. It seemed to Adam that this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maggie-stiefvater/adam-wasn-t-certain-what-came-first-with-blue-her-treating-the-boys/) [Maggie Stiefvater](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maggie-stiefvater/) > [At the end of the day, you want to work with people that you like and you trust, and sometimes it takes time to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-steward/at-the-end-of-the-day-you-want-to-work-with-people-that-you-like-and/) [David Steward](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-steward/) > [Social media provides an avenue to build relationships with media outlets and have an ongoing relationship with reporters.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-jo-martin/social-media-provides-an-avenue-to-build-relationships-with-media/) [Amy Jo Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-jo-martin/) > [Overall, I try to build relationships with guys across the team, and understand how everyone communicates and what they respond to. I think being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-jones/overall-i-try-to-build-relationships-with-guys-across-the-team-and/) [Daniel Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-jones/) > [One of the ways we work is that we attack with relationships. The only way you build those relationships is by repetition in training,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eddie-howe/one-of-the-ways-we-work-is-that-we-attack-with-relationships-the-only/) [Eddie Howe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eddie-howe/) ## More by Joan Smalls > [I think it's nice to know that people in the industry are paying attention to all of the hard work you've done throughout the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-think-it-s-nice-to-know-that-people-in-the-industry-are-paying/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) > [I was the troublemaker, always being funny - that's just who I am.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-was-the-troublemaker-always-being-funny-that-s-just-who-i-am/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) > [I felt most beautiful on the red carpet in Givenchy's sheer lace dress at a dinner hosted by Givenchy in honor of Marina Abramovich…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-felt-most-beautiful-on-the-red-carpet-in-givenchy-s-sheer-lace/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) > [A career high was when I did a cover for 'W Magazine's July issue with Steven Meisel. So few girls shoot with Meisel in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/a-career-high-was-when-i-did-a-cover-for-w-magazine-s-july-issue-with/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) > [I don't diet. I'm Puerto Rican! You can never take my rice, pork, and beans away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-don-t-diet-i-m-puerto-rican-you-can-never-take-my-rice-pork-and/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) > [I hate being skinny and being a little weakling thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-hate-being-skinny-and-being-a-little-weakling-thing/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) > [I don't need that much contour.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-don-t-need-that-much-contour/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) > [Fashion is part of our culture, and it's about more than just a pretty dress.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/fashion-is-part-of-our-culture-and-it-s-about-more-than-just-a-pretty/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) > [I remember when I started modelling and being the only non-white girl in the fashion show. I was grateful to be there, but at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-remember-when-i-started-modelling-and-being-the-only-non-white-girl/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) > [People hide behind the word aesthetic. They say, ‘Well, it’s just that designer’s aesthetic.’ But when you see 18 seasons in a row and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/people-hide-behind-the-word-aesthetic-they-say-well-it-s-just-that/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) > [I want to last in my career, and that relies on the way my body performs. So I need to take care of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-want-to-last-in-my-career-and-that-relies-on-the-way-my-body/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) > [I know I'm representing a group - black, Latin, whatever you want to put me with - and I want to show that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-know-i-m-representing-a-group-black-latin-whatever-you-want-to-put/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) > [I've always had a struggle trying to get a hair campaign. It's mind-boggling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-ve-always-had-a-struggle-trying-to-get-a-hair-campaign-it-s-mind/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) > [I need someone who always wants more out of life. Like me - I'm just that way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/i-need-someone-who-always-wants-more-out-of-life-like-me-i-m-just/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) > [My personal style is bipolar. Sometimes I feel like dressing in a boyish leather jacket; other times I want to dress more elegantly. Most…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/my-personal-style-is-bipolar-sometimes-i-feel-like-dressing-in-a/) [Joan Smalls](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) [Explore all 51 Joan Smalls quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/) ## More Challenges quotes > [I know for my wife and I, we always loved the idea of being young parents. It is an incredibly inspiring and challenging job…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/taylor-hanson/i-know-for-my-wife-and-i-we-always-loved-the-idea-of-being-young/) [Taylor Hanson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/taylor-hanson/) > [Our biggest challenge is to eliminate the popular perception that economists don't have anything useful to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-zandi/our-biggest-challenge-is-to-eliminate-the-popular-perception-that/) [Mark Zandi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-zandi/) > [I think books in which people are really happy and things are going well are probably the most challenging novels there are to write,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anna-quindlen/i-think-books-in-which-people-are-really-happy-and-things-are-going/) [Anna Quindlen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anna-quindlen/) > [I think the next 50 years are going to present the human race with challenges that so far exceed the limitations of geopolitical boundaries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zachary-quinto/i-think-the-next-50-years-are-going-to-present-the-human-race-with/) [Zachary Quinto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zachary-quinto/) > [“Doing the work to transform your dreams into reality is like walking across the earth. It can be that hard, and it can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dragos-bratasanu/doing-the-work-to-transform-your-dreams-into-reality-is-like-walking/) [Dragos Bratasanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dragos-bratasanu/) > [I want to be perceived as a guy who played his best in all facets, not just scoring. A guy who loved challenges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jordan/i-want-to-be-perceived-as-a-guy-who-played-his-best-in-all-facets-not/) [Michael Jordan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jordan/) > [People in great groups have blinders on. Their work is all they see. They value failures as learning opportunities. They are optimistic, not realistic,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-g-bennis/people-in-great-groups-have-blinders-on-their-work-is-all-they-see/) [Warren G. Bennis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-g-bennis/) > [If, as I anticipate, a wide array of personal, portable information/communication devices becomes increasingly important and widespread for information-intensive users, it will be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-peters/if-as-i-anticipate-a-wide-array-of-personal-portable-information/) [Tom Peters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-peters/) > [“Two powerful, little words I've learned to use when facing challenges, fears, and doubts— so what? ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richelle-e-goodrich/two-powerful-little-words-i-ve-learned-to-use-when-facing-challenges/) [Richelle E. Goodrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richelle-e-goodrich/) > [It's a challenge to work a character's arc into a format in which you only have a very limited amount of time to grow…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ginnifer-goodwin/it-s-a-challenge-to-work-a-character-s-arc-into-a-format-in-which-you/) [Ginnifer Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ginnifer-goodwin/) > [I personally think if something's not a challenge, there's no point doing it, because you're not gonna learn much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-personally-think-if-something-s-not-a-challenge-there-s-no-point/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Men want a challenge, but they want a challenge they can win.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/whitney-gaskell/men-want-a-challenge-but-they-want-a-challenge-they-can-win/) Whitney Gaskell > [Growing up with a parent in the army, I saw firsthand the challenges our service members face when transitioning to new jobs after time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharice-davids/growing-up-with-a-parent-in-the-army-i-saw-firsthand-the-challenges/) [Sharice Davids](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharice-davids/) > [Nobody challenges me. I challenge myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shakuntala-devi/nobody-challenges-me-i-challenge-myself/) [Shakuntala Devi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shakuntala-devi/) > [Challenging is good, like good conversation, yes? Who wants to have dinner with the same old easy listening music sounding friends all the time?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hilton-als/challenging-is-good-like-good-conversation-yes-who-wants-to-have/) [Hilton Als](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hilton-als/) [Browse all 8,851 Challenges quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Back home I had always been comfortable around people. I was the troublemaker, always being funny - that's just who I am. I'm Latina; I've always had that extra little flavor. But when I got to New York, it became about being comfortable with myself in a place where I didn't know many people, and that was the big challenge. Ultimately my personality helped me build relationships with the people I was working with, and I was able to stand out.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Joan Smalls" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/back-home-i-had-always-been-comfortable-around-people-i-was-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Challenges" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/back-home-i-had-always-been-comfortable-around-people-i-was-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/joan-smalls-13158_challenges_back-home-i-had-always-been-comfortable_32249.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/joan-smalls-13158_challenges_back-home-i-had-always-been-comfortable_32249.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/524/joan-smalls-13158_challenges_back-home-i-had-always-been-comfortable_32249.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Back home I had always been comfortable around people. I was the troublemaker, always being funny - that's…” — Joan Smalls", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Joan Smalls", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-smalls/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Back home I had always been...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/back-home-i-had-always-been-comfortable-around-people-i-was-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-smalls/back-home-i-had-always-been-comfortable-around-people-i-was-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```