5 Ways To Manage Imposter Syndrome As You Grow Your Business By Carla Williams Johnson

Do you sometimes question your own abilities? Don’t worry too much, it’s perfectly normal. Imposter Syndrome is real and it affects celebrities, sports personalities, CEO’s and more. It seems like the more knowledgeable and gifted you are, the stronger you feel its effects and, as a business owner, chronic self-doubt can be disastrous.  It can cause you to hesitate to send that proposal, take on that project or simply promote yourself and, as a result, your business suffers because potential clients don’t know who you are and you miss out on lucrative deals which in turn leaves you feeling frustrated, upset and annoyed.  It’s a devastating domino effect if chronic imposter syndrome isn’t handled correctly.

As a sufferer herself, Marketing and Public Relations guru Carla Williams Johnson completely understands what you’re dealing with and she’s sharing her top five tips to help you quiet those ‘I’m not good enough’ voices.

Get the right support

It’s extremely important to have the right people in your network so you can have meaningful discussions to help you move past your feelings of self-doubt. These are your colleagues and business besties who can relate and give you the motivation and reassurance you need. Our brains can sometimes trick us into believing things that aren’t real, and if left alone, those negative thoughts can take over so having the right people to lean on will give you the positive reinforcement you need to pull yourself together and move forward.

Also, consider the following famous personalities whom you admire who also suffer from imposter syndrome for emotional tips to help you reset and refocus your energies. You’d be amazed at the number of persons who you look up to that suffer from this phenomena. You’ll no longer feel alone and you’ll get first-hand information on how they have overcome their own struggles. 

Build a strong community

These are your fans and followers of your business who will remind you every single day that you are loved, needed and are great at what you do. Without even trying, they will tell the world that you’re the ‘real deal’ and defend your honour if anyone says otherwise. They won’t even allow you to utter a negative word about yourself and will be the first to list an unending number of reasons why they think you’re fantastic.  Trust and believe, nothing works best to build your confidence than having those loyal fans show you unwavering love and support. There will be no room for self-doubt once your community is rallying behind you so be sure to build a solid fanbase.

Create meaning relationships

The people you spend the most time with can influence how you think and feel about yourself. Be very careful who you build strong bonds with and foster the relationships that make you feel energised because once you do you won’t have time to feel like an imposter. Stay away from stressful situations or persons who are always negative and while you cannot choose some of the persons who are in your life,  you can certainly decide how much time you spend with them so be sure to limit your interaction with anyone who makes you feel tired, drained or unworthy. 

Know when to say no

Don’t let the phenomena of imposter syndrome fool you into thinking you have to do it all in a futile effort to constantly prove yourself because you won’t be able to do it all and you’ll actually become the imposter you dread. If you’re a workaholic this can be extremely difficult because you want to say ‘yes’ to everything but realise that if you’re going to stay in your genius then you’ll need to choose the projects that align with your values and your business goals. 

Take time to celebrate

Don’t give imposter syndrome a moment to raise its ugly head; Be sure to celebrate your accomplishments at the moment as well as take a look back to see what you’ve done. Try googling yourself and let the internet remind you of the progress you’ve made and the kind words people have said and allow that fuel you.