Party Patty returns home excited to have another day surrounded by people, even if she was just at work. So what if all of her work didn’t get done today? She can wait until tomorrow. So what if she didn’t make her sales quota that will happen next month. Most importantly, she threw the best 50th birthday party for her work friend. “Why can’t we all have fun at work?” she asks, “Life would be so much better if everyone took time out of the day to enjoy it and have a little fun.” Patty listens to her youngest son banging on the clean pots and pans that have been taken out of the cupboard and sits next to her to make “music” with her. Dinner is late as usual, but who cares, life is too short to meet a deadline and there’s always a frozen pizza that can be warmed up. Looking around the house, there are various started but unfinished projects on the already messy kitchen table, but what’s the problem, there is always tomorrow. Dinner will have to be in the family room again or maybe you can go out to eat instead.

Sounds familiar? If so, then your someone is an “I” on the DISC personality profile who is “Influential.” Their motto in life is “Have fun”, for them enjoying life to the fullest is the most important element and everyone around them knows that this is their motto. They are the life of the party and every day is a new and exciting adventure from the moment they wake up to the moment they fall asleep. Even their dreams are full of fantasy, as their lives seem to be from Disneyland. If you are going to have a party, invite them and the party will be great, forget to invite them and it will be a sure failure. If they have a party, be prepared to meet the strangest group of people you can imagine, as they have “friends” from all walks of life. But while his “friends” are a mile wide, his “friends” are an inch deep.

As a spouse. There is never a dull moment with this personality type as you literally never know what the day or night will bring. Don’t be surprised by some new recipe experiment, as chances are they won’t cook the same food twice, wear the same clothes twice, or want the same group of people to come twice. Her parenting style has a lot of room for flexibility and discipline is definitely lacking, but the kids will love it and that’s all that matters, having others like them. In life and especially on vacation, expect them to have no plans, but rather fly through the seat of their pants when making almost every decision. Just don’t hand them the checkbook, as your creative flair will likely spill over into creative financing and creative spending.

As a friend. Who doesn’t want a friend like that? They bring their own emotion, have tons of stories, keep the conversation flowing, seem interested in everything you say, and have tons of ideas about everything. The biggest problem is that they are not very reliable as friends, as they are likely to leave you waiting for another big concert at the same time. They reserve too much, they commit too much, they promise too much and they relax too much, which can cause problems in your friendship only if you take it personally. They don’t say it personally as they just want to please, it just happens.

As a coworker. If there is a promise of recognition at the end of any goal, they will work towards it. But if not, don’t be surprised if your project is put on the back burner and they have many others. They are rarely on time as 30 minutes late is normal, miss a deadline because something more interesting always comes up and they are likely more interested in making friends than working. But the office won’t be boring with them, as they alone keep the energy alive and thriving.

When I was little. They are the fun kid that needs to have tons of activities as they are always on the go wanting more, seeing more and doing more. This kid is great with new people and will likely be found talking to anyone who responds to him. They will approach perfect strangers with the greatest of ease and start conversations making them seem older and smarter than their peers. Wonderful performers, these children are likely to engage in any activity that allows them to be on stage in front of an audience. And when there is no audience, they will create one through good and bad behavior.

Fortunately, this personality has a natural salesman-like ability that allows them to literally sell you the shirt you’re wearing, as their acting skills are way above average. They are fantastic in any type of customer service, teaching, training, or any environment that requires good interpersonal skills or performance, as this all comes naturally to them. In the most tense situations, they have the ability to calm the air with a few jokes and return high anxieties to normal levels. So the next time you meet a Party Patty, realize that she will want to be your friend and even call you her best friend, but you need to take a number as there are probably a dozen other BFFs out there.