3 Ways to Develop Confidence & Combat Imposter Syndrome in Your Business [Ep. 35]
Have you ever questioned yourself in your business, wondered if you should do what you’re doing, or felt like clients or customers won’t want what you have to offer? Why am I talking about confidence and imposter syndrome? I believe they are closely related, and they are something that many of the women I talk with experience. A lack of confidence can look like questioning what you're doing, wondering if you're on the right track, feeling like clients or customers wouldn't want what you have to offer, or struggling to share about your offer or your business with others. With imposter syndrome, you might second guess whether you are qualified to do something, underestimate your abilities, and assume that others could do it better than you. Often it includes feeling like you're going to be "found out" -- like someone is going to figure out that you actually don't know what you're talking about. Can you relate to any of this? I absolutely can! In this episode, I'm sharing 3 ways you can become more confident in your business and combat imposter syndrome. #1: Know Biblical Truth When we look at confidence from a Biblical perspective we can see this: Confidence is not about you, it’s about the God who lives in you. You see if you look at the definition of confidence you find that it has a lot to do with trust. And Scripture shows us that our trust should not be in ourselves and our own abilities but in God and His ability to work in us and through us and to provide what we need. I want to share a couple of scriptures that demonstrate this: Psalm 33:20-22 - “Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and our shield. For our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.” 2 Cor. 3:4-6 - "Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.” We can see that confidence is not based on our own abilities, but on God who gives us everything we need. God has given us abilities. He has given us gifts. For more info and encouragement on this topic, check out episode 6 and episode 67 of my Christian Woman Leadership Podcast. And if developing confidence is something you struggle with, then you may want to check out my Confident Leader Catalyst. In that course, you will develop confidence based on God's truth, gain clarity about your purpose, and gain courage to step into your calling. #2: Understand the Truth About You Once you establish that your confidence comes from God, it's important to also look at the truth about yourself. This is not about being prideful, it's about being honest. Many times I have second-guessed my own products and services, my rates, what I'm doing and whether I have a "right" to be offering what I am. One time I was struggling with this and I had a conversation with a mindset coach. She asked me several questions that helped me to gain an accurate perspective of what was going on. Over the years, I've had other mentors and biz besties who have helped me to do the same. So I want to do the same today with you... I want to help you gain an accurate perspective of your qualifications for what you are doing. Here’s how: List any and all experiences you have in the past that have prepared you for what you are doing today. Identify what you learned or took away from those experiences. List out anything you've invested in for your own personal or business development (courses, mentors, coaches, books). Note what you invested and reflect on what you learned or took away from each one. List out any practical skills you might have, and make special note those that are rare or unique. List out your natural and spiritual gifts. Reflect on how these help you in your business. Think about the work you are doing now. When have you gotten results for yourself or others? List out any and all wins you've had in your own business or with clients or customers (free or paid). After you’ve done this I hope you’ll see that there’s no need to be questioning your ability to do what you are doing! But we still do it. So I find it really helpful to have a visible list of my own experiences and qualifications even just for my own reference so that i can confidently share what I'm doing with others. Now maybe you are staying, "But Esther, I am offering something brand new! I have never done this before and I don't know if it actually makes sense for me to charge for it." I will say this: I do think if you're putting yourself out there as a coach, consultant or expert that you should have some level of knowledge about that thing. But there is a first time for everything! Which brings us to #3. #3: Take Action When I first got started, someone reached out to me about building a website. I had built one for myself but never for someone else. I had no idea if I really had what it took to do the process for someone else. I definitely underpriced, but I did the project and the client was happy with the results. So the next time, I bumped up the price and built a site for another person. Over time, even though this was not a main service of mine, I got over questioning whether I was actually able to do a good job b/c I had taken action and done it. More recently, when I felt God asking me to shift into doing more coaching and strategy for Christian women business owners, I had a massive mindset battle. I felt like I wasn't sure if I could actually do it. I felt like people might think I was being prideful or something crazy like this if I said I could help them grow their business online. One day I was chatting with a friend through Voxer and she was having a business challenge. I offered her some encouragement and she came back to me and said, "You just coached me. You've been doing this for years and you just haven't been calling it that." Now that we're several months into the year, and I've been offering this kind of support with clients and students, I can tell you that it feels amazing and God has affirmed that I'm on the right track! Through the feedback and responses I've had from clients, I know that what I'm offering is something that is needed. And the same goes for you. What you have to offer is needed! And if you hold back because you are afraid of whether you have all the right qualifications you might never move forward! And others might be missing out on what you are offering. I get it, it's tough to put yourself out there. It's tough to get visible and tell people you can help them withXYZ. But there are people who need your gifts, your experience, your insights! So, I challenge you to take action even if it's not perfect! As you do, the imposter syndrome stops having power over you. And if you are really unsure about where you are at and you need an outside perspective, you can book a strategy session with me. We can chat about it and I can provide an objective viewpoint. Faith Focus: Our faith focus today is Matthew 5:16 - "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." One of my business values is excellence because I want to serve my clients and students well so that it will reflect the beauty of who God is and bring Him glory. Let's serve our clients with excellence and let's shine our light to those around us. As they see this light, they may ask us questions. They may be inspired to get to know more about God because of how we are living our lives and running our business. Or, if they already know God, they will hopefully be encouraged to glorify Him by seeing what we are up to. This week as you do your work, as you serve your family, or as you interact with your community, remember that you have the opportunity to be a light to those around you. Shine a Light Segment: Today I want to shine a light on Christa Hutchins. Christa is a project manager and accountability coach serving Christian creatives and leaders. She is passionate about leading women to draw their strategic influences straight from scripture and apply it to their everyday tasks and decisions. She works one-on-one and through her Move Forward Mastermind. She's also a friend, Podcast in a Weekend student, and client. I want to shine a light on her today because she consistently builds up and encourages women. She's a master at collaborating and connecting people! She also recently launched her new podcast, Just One Simple Thing while working a full time job and continuing to serve her clients. She used Podcast in a Weekend to do so and she said "I never would have made it through a long complicated podcasting course." I love what Christa is doing so be sure to head over to the Just One Simple Thing podcast and check her out! Connect with Esther: If this podcast was helpful, consider leaving a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or your podcast app. Website Subscribe to my other podcast, The Christian Woman Leadership Podcast Join the FB group Connect on Facebook Connect on Instagram Connect on Clubhouse: @estherl
