I work with small to medium-sized business owners and so many of them experience imposter syndrome and don’t want to be in the spotlight.
Some founders possess various qualifications, others have plenty of experience and others have enormous amounts of passion. As a founder of any business, you are a risk-taker and you are a change-maker and you deserve kudos for just that…
Business is hard and challenges that you have overcome need to be accepted with pride. You need to find pride and confidence within yourself and not from external validation or influence.
The same with success. You got you where you and you came up with an idea and a small business for a reason. Be proud of yourself, have confidence and accept that you are the founder of a business that solves a specific problem.
Post-pandemic and in the modern world, consumers, whether business to business or business to consumer, require connection. Connection, authenticity and understanding your customer’s problem as well as solving it has never been more important.
Seven tips to overcome imposter syndrome
- Write your story down including your challenges, achievements, milestones. This will help you to see what you have overcome, feel pride and success plus it will help you to connect authentically to your target audience.
- Work on yourself from the inside out. Whether that means seeing a counsellor, psychiatrist, psychologist or religious or spiritual leader, you cannot be in the public eye and aim to connect with people if you have not learnt to love and connect with yourself.
- Be fine with delegating and asking for support when needed. A leader and a business founder needs to know when things go beyond their scope or expertise. Be open to asking for help, support or knowledge when it comes to your business and your personal life too.
- Affirmations and vision boards can be helpful to visualise and plan effectively. You can also just write out your goals on notes on your phone or on paper.
- Own your story. No one has walked in your shoes except the feet that hold up your body. Own your story including the mistakes, ups and downs. We are all human and no one is perfect. Your story creates connection with customers and shows that you are authentic.
- Fake it until you make it. Actors, actresses and anyone in the public eye knows that when you feel like you are down or suffering from imposter syndrome, you have to fake it until you make it.
- You are not an imposter. Each and every step that you have walked means that you have experience, qualifications and success and that you deserve every bit of success. Own it!
You deserve to be where you are and who you are at this moment. You got here for a reason whether that is determination, experience or due to education.
You are not an imposter. You have created your business for a reason! Own it. Today!
I find it heartbreaking that business owners who have taken so many risks to get to where they have today, lack the confidence to own their story, the gap in the market that they fill and the fact that they have overcome so many challenges.
You are the only one who controls your thoughts and actions, so learn to embrace your success, overcome your shortcomings and own your success as a business owner.
I believe in you, your story and am in awe of the challenges you have overcome, now it’s your turn…
By learning to believe in yourself, you will allow others to believe in you and your business.
