Give you the permission
Silence the Voices Telling You How to Succeed (and Discover Your Own Authentic Path)
Photo de Elise Wilcox
The majority of the time, we are trained to think, act, and do what society, our parents, and social media deem as "successful." So we stick to specific molds to please others and have friends, jobs, or status. But we are not fulfilled and feel like we are in a cage, just to please others.
When we decide to create our dream life by starting our own business, we often end up copying others because we're afraid of not having enough clients, money, or just to prove to others that we deserve to be a coach, business owner, creator, or writer. We sugar-coat our vision because we don't want to be seen as a "snake oil salesman. What if this way of sharing our story is the best way to create your dream business by giving yourself permission to be yourself?
I started my business in 2019 by selling stuff on eBay, following some coaches I had bought programs from. I saw the potential to make money online and be my own boss. Before that, I did my PhD in Geneva, Switzerland. I remember, at the time, I became a doctor just to follow the crowd. I knew I deserved more in life than just going to the lab, listening to my boss, and asking for permission to start a specific project. I felt alone and misunderstood because I couldn't project myself into the future.
When I started my online coaching business in 2020, I was so scared to share my ideas because I didn't have any certifications, and I had too much weight or an "aesthetic" house. I remember spending hours on my phone, looking at Instagram, trying to find the perfect color for my personal brand. But my personal brand is not just colors and typography - it's your essence, and giving yourself permission to be you and explore your vision. I believe the desire to have more, never being proud of our success, helps us to dilute our vision and blend in on social media.
Since May, I've gone through phases of feeling blocked, inspired, and lost. I had so much information in my head - you need to niche down, or you are the niche, become an expert, or you need to be at the same level as your followers, or you need to do a Masterclass or freebie. I had so much information that I lost my own voice. I got jealous, compared myself, and listened to the little voice in my head. I forgot the fundamentals, which is to be my own truth. Don't get me wrong, strategies are important, but all the strategies work. But you need to be solid in your own strategy and move through the fear of:
Being Seen
Failure
Success
Lack of money
Being disliked
I guarantee you, this voice - even if you've worn a mask for years - will tell you to be you. Even if it's one year or ten years since you started your business. I interviewed more than 30 female entrepreneurs (French, British, and American) who told me the same thing: they started to have success in their business and balance in their life when they decided to give themselves permission to be themselves and go all-in, no matter what.
Let's talk about strategy. People think that to grow their business, they need to copy other offers like memberships, masterminds, or masterclasses, even creating ebooks as freebies. If you don't like creating masterclasses, even if your coach tells you to, if you don't like that, you won't have people buy your offer because people feel your energy. Let me tell you my story: last year, I created an ebook about how to create content to attract more leads. Nobody downloaded my freebie. I knew it was because I hated it - I prefer to create a free mini-course. So I created a mini-course, and my email list increased. This is what I've learned with my clients: to find your own way to reach your dream clients, not the same clients as your coach, because we don't have the same story, the same way of seeing things, and the same way of teaching.
Weekly Mood Capsule
Last week, I told you that I felt lost. I've started to find myself again. As I told you, I'm preparing a challenge starting in September called "Project Her." If you want all the steps, subscribe. I took a break from posting on Instagram, only focusing on writing and my notion template, and sleeping. I realized that I was too hard on myself.
Growing a business takes time because we need to learn, learn lessons from things that don't work, and test again. Also, give yourself permission to be yourself no matter what - it will be easier to share your unpopular opinion or just share what you think.
I feel so happy and inspired. I will test so many topics in the next 90 days.
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XOXO