I’m A Fraud (Can I Really Say That?)
I’m a fraud.
Have you ever felt like that?
I’m scared.
Have you felt like that today?
I don’t want to do this. I can’t do this.
Is that something you have told yourself this week?
Here is the truth: (I told you, I’m going to be raw, real and totally transparent.)
There are some days I wake up and I don’t want to get on the computer. I don’t want to write my newsletter. I don’t want to get on the phone. I don’t want to make sales calls. Then I argue with myself because I know that unless I’m making sales, I’m not in business. And having a hobby isn’t what I signed up for.
Some days I feel like a wanna-be-preneur instead of an actual entrepreneur. I figure things out as I go, teaching what I can as I go to others who are teachable.
I get afraid of what people will think. I get bored with my message. I question if I’m doing all I can for my clients. I wonder how I can “compete” with other people in my market. I wonder what really makes me different or if it’s all in my head.
Will my friends will be by my side through the whole thing? Will my husband? Will I stay be my side?
Will I follow my intuition? Or let my perception of what I think people want dictate what I do?
Will I get stuck? If so, for how long.
I feel the pressure of being a certain way and if I have a bad day, can I share it? What kind of example would that be if I do?
Most of what I do doesn’t work. The 20% that does work, works well. Most of the time, except when it doesn’t. Then I actually get pissed that the 80/20 rule is working like that in my business. Can I flip that around? Then I see that it’s pretty normal when other entrepreneurs honestly share what’s going on for them.
If I act a certain way, will people work with me? I sabotage my success. I have fear storms.
I feel like a fraud. Can I really say that? Will I lose all credibility?
I wonder if “this” will really work? It won’t work exactly the way I want it to. It will require adjustments, tweaks, support and maybe even some tears.
Why isn’t my list growing faster? Where are places to speak? How do I reach my goal of $500k this year? Is that even possible? Is it possible for me?
People who said “yes” will quit. People who said “No” before will come to the surface when their time is right.
WHOA!
Breathe again.
Why am I sharing this? I’m honest in my journey.
And quite frankly, I’m tired of businesses that “fake it until they make it” because there is no such thing. Only until we share the truth, can we be free; free in our money, business, health and relationships.
Because with all of this, I also know the truth.
The truth is I have what it takes. I’m doing it. Every day I keep going. I created a 6-figure business in 15 months. So can you.
Fear is just an illusion and there are moments, days, and weeks that it feels paralyzing.
I know what it’s like to work you butt off and something doesn’t work out. Or you get hurt. Or you take something personally.
This is why I can relate to you. I know what it’s like. I know how to turn the fear storms into solid ground to stand on as your platform to share your message with the world.
I know what it feels like to wonder if your message makes a difference. I have been shaking with nerves before walking on stage, knowing I didn’t lose that 30 pounds I wanted to before the event, and wonder will people “get” me? Then to be walking down the hall after the presentation wondering if I did the best job you could and someone literally runs up to me, throws their arms around you and thanks me for speaking up and speaking out. Now they have the courage to do the same thing.
Ya, the shaking was worth it. Now I can look at someone in the eye before they walk on stage and know what it feels like when they are shaking and questioning their power.
I know what it’s like to launch a program and wonder if people will join. Sometimes it flops. Sometimes it’s a smashing success.
I know what it’s like to make the first sale after you have raised your prices and you are overjoyed that you have a client who matches your new vibration. Ironically, just minutes before you were in a fear storm because “no one will ever pay that” when the real fear was “Am I worth that much?”
You see, we are all in the same boat, but you have been feeling for a while that it’s time to move with a different paddle. I can show you how to use a different paddle. Chances are, the paddle you have been using is moving you in circles. You’ve been there before. You are ready to see a new part of the ocean. Let’s go.
Remember, the next time you “feel like a fraud,” the truth is on the other side of that. Go through it.
When you get support, you get to your destination quicker and you take a journey that is easier and more effective. I’m here for you.
With Love,
Angela
Angela’s Soul Vision
Last week I was in the beautiful city of Seattle, Washington to see Coldplay in concert. Coldplay wasn’t coming to Utah so my husband and I used that as an excuse to take a mini holiday.And it was brilliant. I loved it. The really cool part is when Coldplay did their encore, they made a surprise appearance in the audience and it was about 20 feet away from me. I don’t tend to get star struck per se, but it was amazing to see talent up, close and personal. (The pic to the left is my hubby and I eagerly waiting for the show to begin.)
I can’t help but have my marketing brain on most of the time. I look at the world through this filter of “how did they do this?” or “What strategy did they implement, either on purpose or accidentally?” I observe how people did things so I can apply it to my own business if it makes sense and I can teach my clients something new they can use.
In next week’s newsletter, I’ll be sharing the four tips I learned from Coldplay that you can implement into your business to make more money by creating raving loyal fans.
Would you Take a Seat at the 7-Figure Table?
I’m in beautiful Tucson, Arizona at an event…I love live events. It’s like “coming home” to participate in the magic that happens in a live environment with hundreds of other like-minded people.
A friend of mine invited me to join her and several people she knows for dinner last night. I arrived and realized I knew one person and had briefly interacted with two other people in the past few months. (I’m enjoying a Prickly Pear “juice” in the picture to the left.)
As I approached this table of mostly unknown faces, my shy self came out and I got to push through the fear of the unknown and connect with these folks at the table. People are often shocked to know that I’m a fairly shy person. Walking into a room with people I don’t know is tough for me. But I do it because I know the pay off is priceless.
During dinner we talked. We laughed. There were even a few tears shed. We shared what we were grateful for. There was an enormous amount of support to be received and generated at this table. I looked around and saw the collective capital we all brought…our experience, our expertise, our breakdowns, our breakthroughs….all of it. I was sitting at a 7-figure table. The resources we all were for each other compounded into something extraordinary. And we all got it.
This is the value of showing up even when there is that moment of fear of the unfamiliar.
Where is your 7-figure table?
Are you surrounding yourself with like-minded people who support you? It’s easy to feel alone on this path of an entrepreneur. In fact, one of the women shared how appreciative she was to connect with everyone because “as an entrepreneur who works from home by herself most of the time, it gets lonely.” We all nodded our head in agreement; we have all been there.
This is why I commit to attending someone else’s event once per quarter.This is why I host two of my own events every year. This is why I’ve ran my networking group Biz Divas for over FOUR YEARS because I know the resource is needed for women-preneurs to connect on a soul level in addition to building our kick-butt business strategies.
After being at this event for one day, I received the following (and none of this is exaggerated or made up)
- Content and ideas of how to shift my programs to provide MORE while leveraging my time and talent. (PRICELESS)
- Over a dozen contacts who want to be part of my JV network in some form or another.
- I met an event planner who will likely be part of my team for my future events.
- I met someone who found one of my fan pages on Facebook two days and had no idea I was the person behind that brand. (And I have to admit, I’ve not been active on that fanpage for a while BUT she still connected with who I was, my brand and my mission.) We will likely be doing a joint venture AND I have a referral for her.
- I gave several referrals to people who I felt could benefit from knowing each other.
- I ran into someone I met six months ago and just yesterday I was telling one of my client’s spouses about this guy and his business model. When I was sharing this with my client’s spouse, I could not remember his name for the life of me. TODAY, this person was sitting at my table so we were able to connect and now I’m able to complete the referral I started yesterday. Seriously, what are the chances?
- I have filled my own cup of confidence and joy!
- I had many ah-has and one in particular being where I can improve my boundaries, which is essential in creating a sustainable business.
- I have learned from a master.
- I have enjoyed a beautiful environment that reminds me that abundance is everywhere. (And I’m excited to enjoy the spa here for some fabulous self care!)
All of this is ONE day. And all of this because I made the decision to show up. It wasn’t totally convenient – I could have all kinds of excuses about how I have an incredibly busy month, I miss my husband, I have a growing to-do list (as always)… I could spend the $1,000+ dollars somewhere else in my business and the three days on other things…AND I chose to show up.
Here is the million dollar question:
Where are you showing up? Where are you not?
How is this creating the results you want? How is it getting in the way of your desired results?
Showing up means taking full accountability for your results. It means playing full out even when you are uncomfortable. It means showing up even when you have fear and when you aren’t sure of what to do.
Show up. Play full out.
Take your seat at your 7-figure table. Create your own table and invite the people you want to connect with to join you. Start your own party.
Read MoreHello From Tucson Arizona!
And now I’m so fortunate to be building my business while I nurture my soul…I’m attending a fantastic event designed for entrepreneurs in a beautiful setting.
This is my office for the next two days in beautiful Tucson, Arizona with Kendall Summerhawk and 250 other soul-inspired entrepreneurs.
It’s marvelous. I can’t wait for THRIVE Business, my 2 1/2 day event this October in Scottsdale, Arizona. Stay tuned for details…exciting news will be announced this month!
What Does It Really Take To Get To Six Figures?
I was recently in a room with over 600 entrepreneurs. From stage, the speaker asked everyone who is making over 6 figures to stand up. When I stood up, there were less than 10% of the attendees standing up.
This is the thing. If I can do this, seriously anyone can do this. I’m not exaggerating. I’m not being unrealistic. I’m being serious. You can do this.
This is how YOU can build a 6-figure business:
Are you hoping for a 6-figure business or have you made the decision that you are creating it? Making a decision doesn’t mean that things will magically fall into place overnight. In fact, after you make the decision, don’t be surprised if you experience some resistance first.
Making the decision means you cut off all other possibilities. You do what ever it takes. You do the inner-personal work and you take action. And you do it again, and again, and you tweak the process as you go.
When people are committed they do what ever it takes. When people are “interested” then they do what is convenient.
This also does not mean that you start a business tomorrow, quit you job right now and “it will all work out.” Be smart about things. Use wisdom. And remember, you are exactly where you are, because consciously or unconsciously, you have decided to be there.
Monetizable Business Model and Message:
There are two ways to make more money: Sell more stuff or raise the prices on what you are currently selling. I recommend doing both. Is your product or service marketable? Is your message compelling your market to buy?
If you are a massage therapist charging $60 per session, then you would have to have sell 140 massages per month to have a six-figure business (which is $8,333.33 per month). That’s a lot of massages. I don’t care if you are superwomen, that many massages every month consistently will not be sustainable if you could even do it for one month.
So if the massage therapist raises their rate to $100 per session then that is 83 massages a month. That is still a lot. This is a great time to introduce a product line to your work (essential oils, supplements, other energy work that you charge more for, etc.)
If you are service-based business then never sell things in individual sessions. Always sell your sessions in a package or program.
Also, make your message unique. There are thousands of people on the planet who can put the same title that you have on their business card. But what makes YOU unique? YOU are your brand and people want YOU. So get clear on your monetizable message and niche.
Tenacity
I had high hopes in 2008 when I got fired from corporate America. I struggled for two years. In 2010 I made the decision. I then created a six-figure business and it’s growing from there. It was a lot of hard work. There were moments (a lot of them) that I cried through it. Moments that I just couldn’t believe it wasn’t working because I was doing everything right I thought. You must keep going. Your “WHY” must be stronger than your circumstances. The only way to truly fail is to quit. So keep going.
Mentors
While you are on your path and things aren’t working, be open to changing how you are doing things. The definition of insanity is to do the same things over and over and expect a different result. This is where mentors come are essential because they have been where you are and they can show you what you aren’t able to see.
Getting support will change everything for you. The very fact that you are investing in yourself through hiring a coach will open the flow of abundance because you are now practicing what you preach as a business owner. If you aren’t investing in your business, yet you are asking other to invest in your products or services, you are out of alignment. You must be willing to do what you are asking others to do.
And this does NOT mean TRADE. Just say no to trades and “energy exchanges.” Until you are creating money to cover your necessities plus a little cushion, then no trades. And then after that, be VERY selective. You can read more about my Trade Soap Box here.
http://soulvisionbusiness.com/archives/1630
Strategy
What is YOUR strategy? I see it all the time “So-and-so is doing a teleclass, so I should do one.” So-and-so is doing an event so maybe you should do one. So-and-so is charging $500 a month for their program, what should I charge?
Stop the comparison. There is value in modeling, but stop the comparison. What is your short-term and long-term strategy? If you have made a decision to build a six-figure business this year then determine what actions have to happen every month to get the results you want. If you don’t have a marketing plan, then it’s time to create one. No one ever accidentally became wealthy from their business.
The biggest strategy you can have is a follow up plan. Example:
- You sponsor a booth at an event.
- Have a giveaway at your table to collect leads. (The event is not about making lead generator.)
- After the event, follow up with every lead and invite them to a free teleclass/webinar.
- During the webinar, offer a service or a product.
- Deliver that service to the people who buy.
- To the people who don’t buy, offer a 30-minute consult with them to explore their needs. During that session, make a recommendation of how you can work with that person.
- Everyone is now on your email list because they all OPTED IN when they entered your drawing. So you are now connecting with this list on a consistent basis. They will eventually show up to an event, buy a product or opt out.
There are a lot of details to this strategy, but this beats the strategy I see all the time:
“I bought a booth at an event and only got one sale at my booth. That was a waste of money and time.” NOPE. You didn’t do it right. You didn’t leverage the opportunity.
See the difference?
Action
Set your intention. Have a goal. Write it down. Have a vision board. Say your daily affirmations. Meditate. AND TAKE ACTION. You activate the Laws of Attraction when you pick up your feet and work the Law of Action.
What actions will you take in the next 24 hours to get you closer to your goal? Write it down and now go do it.
Read MoreI Got A Hell-Yeah Award!
I just returned from Be the Change 2012, Suzanne Evans‘ 3-day business event. And WOW. To be in a room of 600 other entrepreneurs was exhilarating. One of the coolest moments was when a small group of us were recognized for extraordinary action called the Hell Yeah award. (That’s us on stage in the picture. I’m the fifth from the left on the top row.) The people on stage either had a $10k month, a 6-figure year or a 7-figure year! I was smiling from ear to ear. It was all I could do to just keep it together because it was such a huge honor.
Back in my corporate days I loved the company parties, getting recognized for my efforts and celebrating reaching our revenue goals as a company. As an entrepreneur, who celebrates you? This is why two times a year I honor local women-preneurs in my area with a semi-annual “Biz Divas” party in beautiful Park City, Utah. If we don’t celebrate each other, then we’re missing out on a dang good reason to throw a party right? The next semi-annual party is a 2-day celebration on June 21-22!
Read MoreHow I Ignited My Success (in the face of fear)
At IGNITE last week, I shared my story of my “unlikely” success. I barely graduated high school and miraculously graduated college. After being fired in 2008, I struggled for almost two years then I created a 6-figure business in a year when I finally got serious and made the decision that I wanted success.
During a breakout session I presented at IGNITE, I took everyone through the following process. So get a post in note out or a piece of paper and follow along:
- Write down your financial goal you have for 2012.
- Now write down the reasons why you haven’t achieved that goal yet. Don’t edit yourself, but get really honest with yourself.
Now here is the part that either pisses people off, or they don’t see it or sometimes, it creates true freedom in an instant.
The only reason why you haven’t achieved your money goal (or any goal for that matter) is because you have wanted to. You haven’t made the decision to.
Trust me, I’m applying this to my own goals as we speak. This requires 100% accountability to receive such information.
So often, we “wait and see” for things to work out. Or we lean on the “law of attraction” as a crutch while we tell ourselves “If it’s supposed to happen then it will.” I hear people say things like “I guess I’m not meant to be ______ otherwise I would be.”
Sigh….I’ve told myself that in the past too. What results did you think I had in my life with those kinds of excuses running my beliefs and actions?
Making a decision means that you do what ever it takes. There is still flow, freedom and inspiration that comes in, but YOU take the action and the universe meets you half way.
Now comes the question about how you move forward, even in the face of fear.
I don’t know of a single person who doesn’t get scared when they make a change, or say yes to an opportunity. Even when the opportunity is perfect, there may be an afterthought that has the residue of fear.
Ask yourself what the fear is really about. If it’s about how you think your goal won’t happen and you will be a failure, consider this. The ONLY way to fail is to QUIT. And if you stay stuck and don’t move forward, that is a way of quitting.
This is how you move forward in the face of fear:
1. Make the decision of what you want.
2. What is ONE action item you can make to move forward? Rather than getting overwhelmed with the MANY things that get to happen to reach your goal, what is ONE thing you can do in the next 24 hours.
Example: If you want to create an extra $5,000 this month and you have a service or product you can offer, then ONE thing you can do is know EXACTLY what you are offering and when you can offer it (put it in your schedule). Then you create a list of people you are going to call. This doesn’t have to be official, put it on a post-it note. Then schedule time and make the calls.
3. Assess your results. Tweak your process and take more actions.
4. Get support through the process to assist with any “fear storms” that come up. Where people get stuck is they think they have to do this alone. Get a coach or a mastermind.
DO IT NOW! Write down ONE thing you can do TODAY to get you closer to your goals. You will be amazed at how much easier it is to take the action than it is just thinking about the action.
Success happens one action item at a time. There is no such thing as an overnight success. It’s REAL people like you and me who are changing the world. In order to do that, we must change OUR own personal world.
Create an amazing week because you DESERVE all of the success in the world!
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