Kicking Imposter Syndrome To The Curb

In this blog post we talked about why you should be hosting workshops and how great they are for your small business. Exposure, experiencial marketing, social proof. The whole shebang! That sounds all good and all but before you can actually teach a workshop, you have to kick that pesky ol imposter syndrome to the curb.

Oh I have been there!

When I first opened my DIY studio, I was faced with a boat load of imposter feelings. Who was I to teach arts and crafts to people? I didn’t have any type of formal training – no degree in anything artsy.  Here I was, just a girl who loved to craft and wanted an opportunity to share some amazing DIY’s with my community. Insert some pretty serious feelings of insecurity here.

That’s the funny thing about being an entrepreneur. There are no standard rules to follow, set degrees to obtain. And this creates a lot of room for the impostor syndrome to set in. So today we are diving into the backstory of imposter syndrome and what we can do about it to help our businesses grow!

What is impostor syndrome?

In a nutshell, imposter syndrome is feeling that your success and accomplishments are a result of luck and not your own hard work.  You know what I am talking about. Most likely if you are a creative or small business owner, (and let’s be honest, a woman) you have probably experienced this feeling.

The one that makes you feel like you just aren’t good enough. That little inner mean girl asking you questions like “Whoa girl, why do you feel like you an expert in your field.”  Or straight up things like “You are a fraud.” That worry that comes along with perfectionism. When you feel like you pour your heart and soul into something only to be met with self-doubt that you just aren’t good enough or that no one will care.

Oh and then there is that whole thing we do where we dismiss our achievements. We tend to take compliments and downplay what we have done. I know that I am THE WORST at this part. I tend to always undermine my own achievements because I just don’t want to seem too braggy! Suddenly, I have passed my own insecurities on. Ugg.

Who it affects…

I am here to tell you that this is not uncommon! It can be debilitating and all these feelings can create low selfconfidence in can even at times, it can be a smidge depressing. In fact, it is estimated that 70% of humans fall prey to this syndrome.

Yeah, Yeah. What does this have to do with workshops?

Ok so hear me out. When we let this self doubt and overall feeling of being a fraud take control, we are allowing it to take over opportunities. Suddenly this is running what we allow ourselves to do with our businesses.

We say no when opportunities present themselves because we feel like we just aren’t good enough to take them.

I see this all the time with workshops. Creatives and entrepreneurs don’t feel like they are legit enough to teach their craft to others. They are worried that they don’t know as much as they thought they did. That they don’t have anything to give.

And because of this, they miss out on all those amazing ways that help you grow your business that I mentioned in the post about hosting workshops.

What to do about it.

Yall, I have some awesome news for you! If you are reading this post, then chances are you are already better off than you think! You don’t want to have that feeling any more and you are ready to do something about it!

Here are some of my tried and true techniques that have helped me get over my insecuritites!  

1. Write out all of your accomplishments that you have achieved in your area of expertise. What are some awesome things that you have been able to do because of what you know?  Be specific when you are doing this. Often times we forget about some of these and so take time to jot all of these down – big and small.
2. Create a positivity file! I have a spot that I save all of the emails and highlights of my business. Put your accomplishments from step #1 in there too! This is a great way to remind yourself of all the amazing ways you contribute to the world through your area of expertise when you are having those moments of insecurity.
3. Embrace your thoughts. And them move forward. Letting yourself lean into these fears and doubts allows you to see areas that you might need to invest a little more into. Whether it is practicing a little more or educating yourself a smidge more, this step is vital to moving forward.
4. Talk to a friend. By communicating some of your fears to a pal, you are giving yourself an opportunity to be reassured that you are in fact not an imposter!
5. Just do it. Be bold and know that chances are, if you have created a business out of something, you know something that someone else could benefit from. So put yourself out there and do it!

The bottom line is that putting yourself out there is scary. We all have those feelings but if we want to continue to grow and develop as business owners and entreprenuers, we have to be willing to find ways to get past that Imposter Syndrome.

So tell me, what are some of your tricks for banishing that nasty ol syndrome?

XOX, Cory