Brand Belief: The Secret Ingredient to Thriving as an Entrepreneur
Almost every entrepreneur I know (besides a select lucky few) struggle with believing fully in their brand. It’s not that they don’t have passion for what they do, or believe that they can help people… that is actually why they are so drawn to entrepreneurship and putting their dreams out into the world. But something funny happens once we start to actually make the dream we’ve had in our mind a reality.
We start to bump up against all of our doubts, limiting beliefs, self-worth issues, and our fear of being seen. We stop ourselves from showing up as our fully magnetic and wise selves because we’re afraid we don’t know enough, we worry what other people will think, are so afraid we’ll make a mistake, or the biggest one of all… that we won’t actually be able to create the big vision that we hold in our hearts.
It’s that last point that actually stops us the most. The vision sometimes feel so big, and where we are now and how we’re going to get to it can feel like departing on an arduous, unknown journey that we have no idea how long it’s going to take, if we’ve packed enough food and water, and what type of people or creatures we might encounter along the way.
Let me cut to the chase for you: The biggest, scariest thing you are going to run into along that journey is yourself.
Entrepreneurship is a wild ride that tends to bring up our deepest wounding and fears. It forces us to confront all of our pre-conceived notions about our relationship with time, money, capacity, our gifts, our voice… the list goes on. There honestly has not been a part of my life that has not radically been tested or transformed from my last decade of being an entrepreneur. I think when we start out in entrepreneurship, we’re a bit naive. We start out with such enthusiasm thinking it’s going to be non-stop fun, freedom and financial growth like never before… And then we quickly realize that isn’t the case and it’s like a slap in the face. I’ve always been someone who believed that success to be hard-earned, and that going through rough points and pain was the only way to grow. I’m learning to change that narrative now, but looking back, I wish I had known what to actually expect before I started. Maybe then, I wouldn’t have felt so blindsided.
So, here are the lessons I learned the hard way — ones I hope will make your journey a little smoother:
You can’t force yourself to grow past your current circumstances. Meaning, you can’t force yourself into the version of your vision that you see. You need to consistently and persistently pursue it every single day… especially on the days when it seems like it’s never going to happen.
Your relationship with money will be magnified tenfold. Listen, you need to earn money in order to keep running your business so any issues or hang-ups you have with money need to be addressed ASAP.
Your ability to navigate and sit with uncertainty will be constant, especially in the early years. Learn to build trust with yourself that you’ve always got your own back, and I also highly suggest learning how to trust in the Universe as well. It makes things a lot easier when the load isn’t entirely on you.
Say the scary things… the things that are on your heart. People need to hear your voice and your unique way of interpreting things. Whatever you are holding back on is the exact message someone needs to hear today. Holding back on this is actually one of the most selfish things you can do. Once you realize this, your marketing efforts will radically change.
The quicker you can embrace the fact that things are never going to sit still, nor should they, the more content you’ll be in your business. Stop trying to limit yourself so much and get out of the mindset that ‘Once I build this, then I’ll be done and can sit back and relax’. You should be constantly learning, refining, and evolving… that’s what keeps you sharp and at the top of your game.
Bring in the support. Building a company of one isn’t impossible… but it can be lonely. And it’s also quite difficult to build a massive vision all by yourself, especially in today’s digital landscape. You need and deserve the help and it’s okay to take things off of your plate so you can focus where you make the most impact.
Being clear on what you do and who you help is key. This will evolve and refine itself over time. Start broad at first, and once you get some experience under your belt, start to hone in on where you can make the most impact, what brings you the most fulfillment, and what also makes your bank account happy.
You will self-sabotage yourself. There is no doubt about that. Be aware of what your patterns are, and when you catch yourself playing small, acting out of integrity, holding yourself back, or creating chaos and confusion for no reason. Address it. FAST.
Your belief in yourself and your mission needs to be relentless. No one else is going to do this work for you, and this is the piece that is going to keep you going when things get tough… and they will get tough.
If you take anything away from this list, let it be that last point. Because no matter how much money we pour into our business, no matter how beautiful our brand or website is, no matter how pristine our systems are… if we don’t fully believe in our mission and what we are doing, we’re never going to build the business we envision. I’m not saying you won’t have days where you still have doubt. I’m saying, find tools and practices that can bring you back to that state of unwavering belief when things get rough. Find ways to connect directly with the impact that you are here to create so you can remind yourself of what you’re here to build when something happens that causes you to forget in a moment.
Creating an iconic brand and building the business of your dreams isn’t just a pipe-dream. It’s 100% possible. Remember that there are so many people cheering you on from the sidelines… myself included.
Ask Yourself: What’s one belief you know is holding you back right now? Identify it, challenge it, and take a small step toward your big, bold vision today!
