Oftentimes the thing that makes you uncomfortable is actually the thing that makes you interesting. The first example that comes to mind is a client who had changed industries, crossing domains. It was obvious in our conversation that she brought a fresh perspective to her new domain of choice, but she was nervous that she would be perceived as an outsider, despite having accumulated several years of experience in the new domain as well. It isn’t an intrinsically bad thing to be perceived as an outsider. You just have to account for the bad associations with bad outsiders: that they’re ignorant, careless, don’t share our values, etc. If you demonstrate that you’re thoughtful, caring and make an effort to be a good-faith, good-effort visitor, people will love you for it. Polite well-meaning visitors are well-received almost everywhere. It’s true that not everyone will like you, but that’s always the case no matter what. The seasoned veteran that you’re intimidated by? Some people will dislike them for being boring, traditional, predictable, you name it.