Ever Feel Like You’re Hiding?

When I first moved to Maine, I knew NO ONE in the small business world: no entrepreneurs, no like-minded people who’s values matched mine. I had left NYC where I had a professional community, colleagues, ideal client opportunities…and moved somewhere where I had to start all over again.

And to kick it all off, I had recently re-branded and re-focused my biz from life coaching for women to business coaching. I was speaking to a whole different community, and the first thing that happened was that my list died as my old ideal client left and my new ideal client hadn’t yet found me.

I needed to be VISIBLE-my business, my income DEPENDED on it.
But the community in Maine that I was finding wasn’t always my people, my Tribe. I was in rooms with women in smart, chic suits, with pearls. And as nice as they looked, it made me want to hide my tattoos. Find shoes other than the boots I wore everywhere. Stop cursing and tidy up the way I speak.

It was scary to think about being authentic and visible as who I was. I thought the women would think I was a fraud (after all, I had no biz degrees. No certification. Hadn’t been doing this THAT long- I just had my OWN profitable biz to show as proof). I thought they’d think I looked weird. That someone who looked like me couldn’t POSSIBLY be a successful biz owner.

I wore long sleeves to a few other networking events, and then stopped going. I realized that my biz DEPENDED on my growing a community of women who were attracted to what I was saying. Who were willing to look and think outside the box to make THEIR heart-centered businesses a success.

And that was part of the message. I couldn’t speak to what I could provide, the benefits I could offer from working with me, if I was HIDING, myself.

I had to walk my talk.

Where in your biz do you just KNOW you need to walk YOUR talk to grow your community and be more visible?

It might be around your personal appearance: is some self-care needed to help you feel more confident being visible? (Some of my tools: exercise, nutritional support, good haircut (or fun dye job) a new outfit, or some new clothes that make me feel good in them, etc.)

It might be around your biz: Do you need to make your message clearer? The benefits of working with you more specific? Does your website need some work? Or do your social media accounts need some love and attention?

Is discomfort with visibility or fraud fear costing you income, empowerment, leadership, clients, or WORSE? Is it holding you back from the work you’re here to do…the ways you’re here to make the world a better place?