So… have you ever felt like a bit of a fraud when it comes to your business? Have you ever had that niggling feeling that you don’t really know what you’re doing or that you’re surprised that people might actually be willing to pay for your product or service?
Or… worse still… that you feel like you don’t belong in the playground with the big kids or that you don’t deserve any business success that comes your way?
Well, guess what?! That’s great! It means you really DO deserve to be playing with the big kids because the truth is, ALL business owners… and biz-mums in particular… feel this way at one point or another. And when this happens, the FIRST thing you need to do, is to work on your confidence, because it’s confidence that will always kick Imposter Syndrome’s @ss.
It’s so easy to get caught up in the self-doubt spiral, when your inner voice starts whispering negative nonsense into your ear every night…
Are you SURE you know what you’re doing?
What if they find out you’re often winging it?
Hasn’t this been done before?
Aren’t there a million other people doing this EXACT same thing, with years more experience and bucket loads of capital backing them?
What makes YOU so special?
What if you fail?
The ways that Imposter Syndrome can creep up on us, and destroy our confidence, are endless and the sad reality is, these feelings will often surface throughout the life span of your business (and I mean… OFTEN).
What you need to understand though, is that IT’S OK, in fact… it’s better than ok. It’s great! Because it means that you care! It means that you’re concerned about the quality of your product or service and it means that you truly have an interest in helping people.
Imposter Syndrome can feel like a debilitating condition and it’s sometimes the reason why businesses fail before they’ve even had a chance to take off. Your lack of confidence and belief in your abilities can develop an irrational fear of being exposed as a fraud, even though the truth is… you’re NOT!
And this is especially true for biz-mums, because they’re facing a barrage of self-doubt, insecurities and confidence destroying factors in all areas of their lives. We know this, because we’ve been there! In fact… we’re STILL there.
As a biz mum, you tend to question every single move you make, more so than any other type of business owner.
Am I doing the right thing by my family? – we want to be there for them ALL the time, but we also need time, motivation and encouragement to pursue our own dreams and goals, so we’re constantly torn between how much we give to our families and how much we keep for ourselves. Sadly, we usually come off second best in this battle, and our confidence is the first thing to take a hit.
Will this cost too much? – This is a legitimate concern for so many women who have left corporate or full-time work to have children, and have lost their main source of income and independence in the process. Budgeting for a household, a bunch of hungry mouths to feed and then a business on top of that, can be scary at the best of times. We always make sure everyone else’s needs are met, before we tend to our own. And often what’s left for us is… too little, too late.
What makes me so special? – right, so THIS is the big one! And the one that epitomises the core of Imposter Syndrome – ‘what makes ME so special?’
When starting a business, most biz-mums feel restricted by a range of products or services that will fit into their lifestyle and give them the flexibility to be just that – a BIZ MUM.
Surely there are thousands of other authors, candlemakers, cupcake bakers, jewellery designers, business coaches, bra-fitters, personal trainers, confidence course creators, social media marketers or graphic designers out there (feel free to insert YOUR specialty here). And we ALWAYS feel like they have a head-start because they’ve been doing it for SO much longer than us, so we can never catch up to their level of business evolution and success, right?
WRONG! The 2 things you need to remember here are:
1. NO-ONE can do it like YOU!
Yep, that’s right. There may actually be another 50 cake makers, personal trainers or consultants in your area, but NO-ONE will be able to do it like YOU! You have your own personal accent – that special ‘something’ that makes you unique, so use it! Make sure your customers and clients know that THIS is why they should come to you and why you ABSOLUTELY deserve to be in this space. Knowing this, and TRULLY believing it, will give you the confidence to shine in your business and THIS is what customers want. They crave that unique thing that only YOU can give them.
We are constantly telling our kids that they are unique and they can do anything they set their mind to. Well, guess what? Age does not neutralise uniqueness! You are STILL unique and you can STILL do anything you set your mind to, so you have every right to get out there and DO IT!
2. There are almost 8 billion people in the world...
Do I even need to finish this sentence? You know what I’m getting at, right? We NEED to have an abundance mentality at all times, when in business.
Yes, not all those billions of people may be potential customers for you and yes, your cupcakes may ruin before you can get them delivered to Singapore or New York, but you get my point.
There is a demand for every business out there, otherwise it would not exist. Which means that yes… people in your area will always want the cupcakes, you just need to convince them of why they should want YOUR cupcakes.
And this applies to ANY product or service. Offer your best self, through your business and there will ALWAYS be people willing to pay for YOUR uniqueness.
So… now you know what Imposter Syndrome actually looks like for you as a biz-mum and how it can affect your confidence. And hopefully, you now also realise why you absolutely MUST manage it for the sake of your business’ success.
To help with this, we’ve created a free download that takes you through the 5 BEST confidence techniques for conquering Imposter Syndrome and taking your business to the next level.
Complete the below form to get it now!
Grab your FREE DOWNLOAD and start increasing your Confidence Today!
And remember… BE YOU! We like her BEST!
