Latest / Online Business Uncovered: Simple Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs / 3: Is fear holding you back?

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3: Is fear holding you back? · Online Business Uncovered: Simple Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hello and welcome to the Digitally She Does It podcast.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: I've got a great episode coming up because I'm going to be talking about fear and if it's holding you back and what you can do to help yourself move forward.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: So let's dive in and get started.
• 0:24
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the digitally she does it show.
• 0:27
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host Karen and I'm here to lift the lid on what it actually takes to create a successful business.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_00: If you are an ambitious creative ready to build a business on your own terms and without compromise, then this podcast is perfect for you.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: With my award-winning approach to marketing and expert knowledge in creating online courses, this show will leave you feeling inspired, energized, and ready to bring those big dreams to life.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_00: Join me each week for a dose of motivation and marketing know-how, along with actionable step-by-step strategies to help you accelerate your business's growth.
• 1:00
  SPEAKER_00: So let's dive in and don't forget to subscribe to all my upcoming episodes, which drop every Wednesday.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: Hello and thank you for joining me today.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: This is episode three, and today I'm talking all about fear and asking the question is fear holding you back?
• 1:20
  SPEAKER_00: Now, as an entrepreneur myself, I know all too well what fear can do to stop you moving forward in your business.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_00: It's such a frightening emotion that can really paralyse us and prevent us from reaching our goals, whether that's in your business or in your life.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_00: And whether we like it or not, we all have some levels of fear inside us.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_00: And fear is there because ultimately it's protecting us, it's keeping us safe, it's making sure that we are protecting ourselves.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: But by having a level of fear inside that sits with us, it's just making us aware of the situation that we're in.
• 1:56
  SPEAKER_00: There can be many, many ways in which we feel the fear.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_00: It could be the fear of failure, the fear of not being good enough, and it can even be the fear of change, especially in business where you may be embarking on this journey for the first time and you're learning as you go, and there can be a lot of fear around that, especially if you do feel like you don't really know what you're doing, and you are just figuring it out along the way.
• 2:24
  SPEAKER_00: I know certainly for me, I absolutely feel the fear as I grow my business because I'm entering into stages that I've never been in before.
• 2:34
  SPEAKER_00: So until I get confident in that area, of course, there's fear that shows up.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_00: Essentially, because of the emotions that are attached to that, that can also lead to that sense of fear around it.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: And you know, fear is an absolutely understandable emotion because it's there when we are tackling new stuff and we are going in maybe new directions that we've not experienced before.
• 3:13
  SPEAKER_00: Now I know firsthand what this looks like, and I found that for me the fear comes in when I am trying something new, and I tend to feel this sense of resistance that often leads to procrastination, and then I get in my own way, which is never good.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_00: So if you are looking to develop and create things going forward, it might be something that you may experience, especially if you're creating an online course for the first time.
• 3:38
  SPEAKER_00: It's so common, and it's something that most course creators will experience.
• 3:45
  SPEAKER_00: It might be that fear of launching or that fear of creating something new.
• 3:50
  SPEAKER_00: Will somebody buy my course?
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_00: You know, what if somebody doesn't?
• 3:54
  SPEAKER_00: What if I fail and I make no sales?
• 3:56
  SPEAKER_00: It's perfectly normal to have these fears because you're stepping into a new space and you're most likely attempting to do something new for the very first time.
• 4:08
  SPEAKER_00: And there's also that sense of imposter syndrome as well.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: That comes up a lot where people feel as though they don't belong, as though they're not good enough, and they shouldn't be doing what they're doing because they don't feel like they are expert enough in their field.
• 4:23
  SPEAKER_00: And I know speaking to a lot of my colleagues that run their own businesses, this comes up an awful lot, and it can be really paralyzing and it can stop people moving forward, which I'm sure probably a lot of people have experienced in their life one way or another.
• 4:38
  SPEAKER_00: And in terms of what I do, I'm always feeling the fear.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_00: There's always that sense of not feeling good enough, worthy enough, and all of those negative emotions.
• 4:47
  SPEAKER_00: But I feel like it's how you deal with it and how you reframe it that matters.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_00: I guess it's like anything in life, you know, how you deal with something is going to be where it leads you, so to speak.
• 5:01
  SPEAKER_00: So if you are somebody that you feel the fear and you just sit in it and you don't do anything about it, then ultimately you're gonna stay put, you're not going to be moving forward, and you're not going to be achieving the goals that you most likely have set for yourself.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_00: However, if you reframe how you're feeling and you look at fear in a different way, one in which that okay, fear is there to protect me.
• 5:28
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you, fear, but I'm gonna push past you because I know I'm gonna do this, then you can have a completely different experience when it comes to that sense of feeling the fear.
• 5:39
  SPEAKER_00: Fear is often born out of a sense of trying something new or being unsure about something, so you may be feeling it if you perhaps are wanting to launch a new service in your business.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_00: That feeling of fear may be coming up because maybe you feel like you're not sure if your clients will embrace the new service, therefore, that may lead to you feeling rejected.
• 6:05
  SPEAKER_00: So recognize the emotion, recognize how you're feeling, but then put a plan in place to overcome it.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_00: So if that is something that you feel, then ask yourself, what can I do to push past this?
• 6:19
  SPEAKER_00: What can I do to make sure that my clients do want this service so that I do get the sales?
• 6:26
  SPEAKER_00: And it may be something as simple as having a conversation with them, and then having a conversation may simply dismantle that sense of fear because you've got the answers that you need that confirms that that new service is needed.
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: So if you are feeling fearful in some way, think about what you can do to push past it, something practical that kind of gives you the control back so you're not stuck, that you're not sitting in that space of not knowing what to do.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I know about fear all too well because in the pandemic I decided to pivot my business.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: The four or five years prior, I was building my brand studio up, and that was very much a space that I was operating in, and my business was doing really well.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_00: But come the pandemic, I previously mentioned in another episode that it really brought up a lot of questions for me about the future of my business and where I saw it going, and so I did make the decision that I was going to build a digital arm to the business that I was going to build out because I wanted to build the strength in my model so that I could have other options available to me and build out various streams of revenue along the way.
• 7:44
  SPEAKER_00: But I'd built a client base and an audience who knew me predominantly as a designer and a branding strategist, so they knew me from that side of the business.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_00: So when I decided to pivot, I felt like I was taking a really big sidestep, and I felt also as though I could potentially be risking what I'd spent four or five years prior building up.
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_00: And one of the things that I was really fearful of was confusing the message that I was putting out.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: So what I didn't want were people to start questioning who I was, what I do, my integrity, my credibility, things like that.
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: So for me, that generated a whole host of feelings of fear because I didn't want to make a huge mistake and I didn't want to lose what I built up.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: And so I remember sort of sitting back and thinking, oh my goodness, am I doing the right thing?
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: Am I wealthy enough?
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_00: Am I good enough?
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_00: Should I be operating in this space?
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_00: And then having to really talk to myself about this in terms of shifting my mindset.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if this is something that you tend to feel, then talking to a business colleague, a friend, or a coach can really help support you.
• 9:05
  SPEAKER_00: Because I know for me at the time I had a dear friend who was a coach who I spoke to about it, it really helped me because it helped me to really untangle all of my thoughts that I had and make sense of them, and then look at things in a logical sense as well.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: So when we're in our heads, sometimes we lose perspective and we can't see the width from the trees.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_00: Whereas when we talk to others about it, maybe somebody that is a bit more impartial, who has an objective view, they can provide a perspective that perhaps you haven't even thought of.
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I know certainly that's what happened for me.
• 9:46
  SPEAKER_00: And I think talking it through, getting really clear on what you want, getting clear on what you need to do to move forward, and then taking the action needed to do so can be really rewarding because it gets you out of that place of feeling stuck, feeling fearful, to taking that control back so that you're ultimately moving forward.
• 10:12
  SPEAKER_00: Now, if you recognize what I'm saying and you're sitting there nodding your head, and you know all about fear, because maybe you are absolutely feeling it in your own business, then I'd like to share with you five tips to fight the fears that you're experiencing because it really does break down to how we tackle fear that enables us to ultimately move forward.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: So, my first tip is first and foremost, recognize that you're feeling the fear.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're wanting to create a digital course, or maybe you want to add a new service to your business, or maybe you just want to work with a particular type of client, but maybe you're feeling a little bit fearful about reaching out to them.
• 10:58
  SPEAKER_00: So, whatever it is, recognize the fact that you're feeling that fear and also be okay with that because it's normal, because you're venturing into new territory.
• 11:11
  SPEAKER_00: Then take some time out and give yourself the gift of space because it's impossible to think clearly when you are flooded with a sense of fear or anxiety around what you're trying to achieve.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_00: So take some time out, go for a walk, go and have a cup of coffee with your best friend at your favorite cafe, meet up with some friends and go and have a giggle, or just take yourself off to the cinema, whatever works for you.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_00: Go and do something that takes your mind off of what you're trying to do.
• 11:45
  SPEAKER_00: And then if you are feeling anxious, then just simply by breathing will help to calm you down.
• 11:52
  SPEAKER_00: Slow deep breaths will help you to get through that sense of panic or fear that you might be experiencing.
• 12:00
  SPEAKER_00: It's amazing what can happen when you just simply take some time out, sit with yourself, and take some deep breaths, and then what you'll find is that you'll just slowly start to get yourself back to normal.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: The goal is to help the mind get used to coping with the fear or the panic that you're experiencing, and then using your breath work to take that fear away.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: Now, my second fear is to start to reframe your thoughts.
• 12:31
  SPEAKER_00: If you're feeling fearful about trying something new, then think to yourself, what is the worst thing that could possibly happen?
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes going to that place of worst-case scenario can really help us come to terms with what might happen if things don't go our way.
• 12:49
  SPEAKER_00: And then knowing the worst case scenario will help you feel better about it.
• 12:54
  SPEAKER_00: So I say this to my clients when they launch their courses for the first time.
• 12:59
  SPEAKER_00: So if they're doing it via a webinar or maybe they're launching from a conversion event that requires them to be visible, imagine the worst thing that could possibly happen to you.
• 13:10
  SPEAKER_00: What does that look like?
• 13:11
  SPEAKER_00: Could it be that nobody turns up?
• 13:14
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, nobody turns up.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: So maybe you've got a fear of nobody turning up to your presentation, so then you're needing to deal with that.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_00: If nobody turns up, what's the worst case scenario?
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_00: What's gonna happen?
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: Well, the worst thing that's gonna happen is that you're simply just going to have to revisit your marketing and look at your copy and what you've done to encourage people to turn up.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe you're not being visible enough, maybe your copy isn't effective enough, or maybe your marketing wasn't effective enough because maybe you're not showing up enough.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_00: So, what is it that's not working?
• 13:49
  SPEAKER_00: And then take some time to audit it and then make changes.
• 13:54
  SPEAKER_00: When you take the control back and you start looking at what might have been the thing that caused your thing not to go the way it needed to go, you can then do something about it, and then when you do do something about it, you're back in control, so then you know that you can control the way that you deal with the sense of fear that you're feeling, but also you can control your outcomes as well, and also know that it's not a personal thing, people are not turning up because it's about you, okay?
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_00: It's not about you.
• 14:27
  SPEAKER_00: Please don't make this personal.
• 14:28
  SPEAKER_00: The world isn't gonna come crashing down because people are not turning up your webinar, it will be because something along the way is not converting, and so you just need to work out what that thing is that's not working.
• 14:43
  SPEAKER_00: My third tip is about facing your fears head on.
• 14:48
  SPEAKER_00: So, for example, if you've got a fear of delivering a webinar, for example, then you have to go and present a webinar, you have to face your fear, you have to do it so you take back the control.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_00: When we avoid our fears, it just makes those fears all the more scary.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_00: So don't avoid them.
• 15:08
  SPEAKER_00: I guarantee you, if you start facing your fears head on, because you're taking the control away from the fear and you are taking the control back for yourself, you will able to dismantle that fear and you will feel better about it.
• 15:26
  SPEAKER_00: So, whatever you're experiencing that's causing you a sense of fear, tackle it face on, and I guarantee you will feel better about it.
• 15:35
  SPEAKER_00: Now, I'm not saying it's just as easy as running a webinar and getting on with it.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_00: I know it's not going to be that easy, but if you map out a plan on the steps needed to do the thing that you need to do, and then work out what those steps look like and put a plan of action into place, you will get to where you want to get to.
• 15:56
  SPEAKER_00: And if you are struggling to do that, then I encourage you to bring somebody else on board, speak to a coach, speak to a friend, whoever you need to speak to, to support you with this.
• 16:08
  SPEAKER_00: But I promise you, by facing your fears, you'll be taking the control back and you'll be able to move forward.
• 16:15
  SPEAKER_00: Now, my fourth tip is to look for evidence.
• 16:19
  SPEAKER_00: If you fear nobody turning up to your webinar, look at the evidence that's in front of you because sometimes it helps to challenge those fearful thoughts by getting tangible evidence that helps us to resolve the fear that sits around us.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_00: Because if you look into something and you realize, okay, maybe this may have been the thing that stopped this thing from happening, you can then do something about it.
• 16:44
  SPEAKER_00: You are learning something, it's just a step forward, learning the thing that you need to learn in order to do what you need to do to be successful.
• 16:55
  SPEAKER_00: So don't try and be perfect.
• 16:57
  SPEAKER_00: Look at what is right in front of you and what you can do to put the right measures in place to make the thing that you want to do a success.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_00: When we have evidence, we have tangible things that we can work with, and that can really help us to be able to control the fear that we feel around it.
• 17:18
  SPEAKER_00: Now, my fifth trip is of course not to try and be perfect because you know what?
• 17:24
  SPEAKER_00: Life isn't perfect, it's messy, it's unpredictable, and it's full of stresses.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_00: Perfection doesn't exist, and I'm gonna do a whole episode on this because as entrepreneurs, it's so easy to get caught up with this concept of perfection that it can really stop us in our tracks.
• 17:44
  SPEAKER_00: And perfection is subjective, and if it's subjective, then it's down to the interpretation of other people, so it's down to their individual thoughts and opinions, so therefore, it doesn't really exist.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_00: You can't say something is perfect when somebody else may think it isn't because it's subjective.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_00: So please don't get hung up on the idea of perfectionism because you'll only stop yourself moving forward.
• 18:10
  SPEAKER_00: Now, my bonus tip is to visualize a happy place, visualize the place in your mind where you're experiencing that sense of happiness and contentment and take yourself there.
• 18:24
  SPEAKER_00: If you are feeling a sense of fear, if you are feeling that something is stopping you from moving forward, then visualize a happy place that gives you that sense of joy.
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_00: Take a moment just to close your eyes and imagine that place of safety and calm.
• 18:41
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't matter where it is, it's just a way of letting positive, joyful feelings overwash you so that you feel more relaxed.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_00: When you are feeling the fear, take these simple yet effective steps and they will help you to move forward.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_00: Remember, we all have our fears and experiences on various levels, which come from things that we often experience in the past.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_00: We can't let this stop us from moving forward, especially in our businesses.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: Our businesses require us to be present, it requires us to be brave and courageous.
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_00: Because if we're going to move forward in our business and we're going to build the businesses that's going to give us the life we want, we have to be brave and fearless in the pursuit of that.
• 19:31
  SPEAKER_00: We must learn to push past our fear, and in turn, we will grow, we will grow personally and we will grow professionally as well.
• 19:40
  SPEAKER_00: And when you start to feel that fear or anxiety, just recognize how you're feeling and then take the steps to overcome it.
• 19:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I promise you, you will feel better in no time because it's going to build your confidence and it will ultimately make you feel amazing because you are in control.
• 20:00
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to today's episode.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you found this episode of value, and of course, please feel free to share it with anyone else that you feel will benefit from today's episode.
• 20:13
  SPEAKER_00: If you are feeling inspired and would like to know more about getting started with creating an online digital course, then why not download my free ebook, 10 Steps to Digital Course Success, by visiting my website www.carenDavies.com, and I will be back next week with another episode.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_00: But until then, have a great week.
• 20:41
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Digitally She Does It Show.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_00: Don't forget to check out the show notes for all the links and resources mentioned in today's episode.
• 20:50
  SPEAKER_00: New episodes drop every week on a Wednesday.
• 20:52
  SPEAKER_00: So why not rate and subscribe so you never miss an episode?
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for tuning in today, and I will see you next time.