You were never meant to be normal. So stop keeping yourself small.
What will my ex-colleagues think of me when I post this on LinkedIn? What will my family say when they see me talk about my business on Facebook? What will my friends think of me when I do a Live video? Will they think I am showing off? “Who does she think she is?” Will they laugh at me? Will they talk behind my back?
The stories in your head are often worse than reality.
Do you recognise these feelings? Have you ever felt exposed, vulnerable, or not brave enough to post something, because you had the image of your sarcastic uncle John in your head, laughing at your business attempts? Could you just imagine the girls from accounts giggling at the coffee machine at your old work place, gossiping about you, and what you’re up to these days?
Did it make you get a knot in your stomach, and post something else, just to be ‘a bit less‘, ‘a bit more normal‘, ‘just not too much‘?
You are extraordinary. Start behaving like it.
I get it. I’ve been there too. And sometimes I am still there, when I have one of those days. But you know what? These are exactly the feelings that are holding you back right now. You have big dreams, don’t you? Big goals for yourself. You want to make this business fly, right? You want to show everyone what you’re made of, don’t you? We need to get rid of those ‘let’s not be too much’ feelings. They are not helping.
Because what other people think, really…is none of your business.
So many of us want to be liked. Especially as women, we want to please, and not be too cocky. We don’t want to pretend we are better than anyone else. Because our friends may think we’ve changed. But you are not pretending to be better than anyone else. What is going on here, is that you have a dream, and that you are building a business. Your friends probably have no idea what it takes to build a brand online and grow an audience. It’s hard work! Your content is your tool to build your brand. Your sarcastic uncle, ex-colleagues, or school friends are NOT your ideal client. They can think what they like. You are not making content for them.
Show up as the successful person you want to be
Because the truth is: you were never meant to be normal. Normal left the building a long time ago. You decided that you wanted to go your own way. You decided to step out of the usual 9-5. You were brave enough to go out there and do all of that. So why are you now feeling you can’t show up as the business person you want to be?
You are keeping yourself small, because you are scared of judgement.
You are keeping yourself small in order to be liked by people you probably don’t even care about. If friends are not supportive of your business dream, then are they really your friends? A creative entrepreneur like you can be whoever they like. You have superpowers!
Be honest; if you knew nobody was watching, or judging you and you only ever received supportive comments, how would you show up? Would you show up differently? How would that feel? How would it make it easier to sell your services and products? Would you beam with confidence?
Now think about what is holding you back in becoming the most successful version of yourself. Is it your product or service? Or is it your confidence in showing up 100% and creating the most amazing content, writing freely, making fabulous videos, and attracting your dream clients because they want to work with YOU, because of your energy?
Growing in confidence does not make you unlikeable
Stop trying to still be the same old person you were when you were still working in an office, and didn’t have your business yet. You have grown so much already, my friend. No need to keep yourself small.
Remember, they are STORIES in your head. I have felt just like you, not so long ago, but I am now ignoring it. I am on my own journey. I have my business goals, and I will not get there if I keep on caring what others think. That doesn’t mean I stopped caring about the people I love and who love me. It means I stopped caring about those vague contacts in my network who I never talk to, but who happen to be still on my LinkedIn list.
And do you know what has happened since I started showing up with more confidence, with a clear message, brand and professional photos? People are giving me so much positive feedback.
Out of the blue I get messages from peers, friends or people in my network telling me how much they like my content, and “that I must be doing so well in my business“. They assume I am already the very successful business coach I want to be. I just smile and feel total gratitude.
I am not pretending to be bigger and better than I am. I am just me, and I try to show up as my best, most energetic and positive self. More than I have ever done. But it works. It is perception, which then fuels you up even further. And if your confidence grows as a business person, you will have the power to attract more clients.
If your audience believes you are successful, what else can you be, than successful?
I was never meant to be normal. And neither were you. You and I were meant to make the world a more beautiful place, have an impact, and help people. And perhaps there still are the sarcastic lurkers in the background. That is fine. They are only making themselves miserable in the corner, while we are flying higher and higher, making our dreams come true.
Did this resonate with you? Send me a message. I will always reply.