Who Are You to Build a Business?
Description:
In this episode eight of the Future-Proof Your business podcast, I ask the question, who are you to build a business?
I look at:
What is imposter syndrome, what it means to me and how you can use it as a force for good in what you’re doing.
What makes you who you are and what’s behind your business?
How to be quietly confident in your area of expertise
How to approach growth and upleveling in your business
And finally I take you through a short exercise that will help you to acknowledge your achievements, your expertise and help you to feel more confident about who you are to build a business.
Here are the highlights from this episode:
(00:52) Who are you to build a business? What makes you special?
(03:14) The one thing that makes your business unique is you.
(09:49) What your DNA is and what makes you unique.
(18:05) The importance of having a CVs of your life.
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I'm Lucy Rennie, and welcome to my Future-Proof your Business Podcast.
The podcast that provides you with everything you need to know to build solid foundations and ultimately Future-Proof your business.
I'm on a mission to share my love for small business with you and help you to enjoy the extraordinary ripple effect that comes through harnessing the power of people and relationships.
And I want to make sure that you can reap the benefits of being a business and a brand that people know, like and trust.
I'm a huge champion for small business and a massive believer in the fact that people do business with people.
This podcast is here to inspire you, encourage you and support you on this roller coaster ride that is building, growing and Future Proofing your business.
Hi, and welcome to the Future-Proof your Business podcast I’m Lucy Rennie and in this episode, episode eight, I'm going to be asking the question, Who are you to build a business? And What is it that makes you really special?
And the reason why I'm going to be talking about this today is I've been having quite a few conversations with different clients and quite a lot of people within my membership, The Future-Proof Club, conversations around - Who am I to be doing this? Who wants to listen to me? Am I good enough? And all those things, you know, have to do with impostor syndrome and doubting ourselves and being confident or not in what we're doing. And I thought it'd be useful maybe to have a little bit of a conversation about this today, and just talk you through a few things that have helped me over the last gosh, over the last, at least 25 years to kind of push myself out there and keep going and do what I'm doing and you know, getting over that dreaded sticky feeling at the bottom of your tummy when you're nervous and thinking, you know, who am I to be doing this.
So I want to talk to you today about a couple of things.
First of all, we're going to look at the fact that it is about you. And it does start with you. And I know I've mentioned this pretty much in every episode so far. But we are going to look at that. I'm going to talk to you a little bit more about impostor syndrome. and how I look at that, what that means to me, and in a way how I turn it around and use it as a force for good in what I'm doing. Then we're going to look at the DNA of you and your business and start to think about the Lego bricks that make you who you are, and make you unique. And then finally, I'm going to take you through an exercise that was recommended to me by a mentor a few years ago, which is basically building a CV of your life. So those are the four things that I'm going to talk to you about today. And I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, as I share a little bit about me and how I go about things in order to overcome this and do I suppose what I'm doing today, which is to continue on a podcast.
So I suppose really, and we are going to talk about this in later episodes about your USP and what makes you different and why clients or people want to choose you. And we've you know, we've talked about reputation, we've talked about brand and vision and purpose and all those good things. But it's really important to understand that, you know, the one thing that does make your business unique, the one thing that does make you stand out from the crowd, and the one thing that you really do have complete control over is you. And it's really important to remember that for two main reasons, okay. I mean, there's lots of reasons, but the two main ones are the;
Firstly is for you on a personal level, because you're the business owner. And I know that at some point in time, if you haven't already had this, you will, there'll be lots of times like this is, you know, when you're on that roller coaster ride, and you're fighting fires, and maybe you've had a bit of a bad day, or maybe you're doubting yourself or questioning yourself and you're thinking, oh God, who am I to be doing this?
When you're having those feelings or when you're about to maybe uplevel or take on a new challenge or maybe it's standing in front of a new audience or putting in a proposal for a new service or launching a new product or whatever it might be, then I want you to really remember that you are you and there's a reason why you're here doing this and what you're doing today.
And we're going to talk about a couple of different things where you'll be able to give yourself that confidence boost and come back and remind yourself of what it is that makes you special. But it's really important, I think for us to hone in on that and have that there ready, so that when those moments do come up because they will and I promise you they will, it's really good to be able to refer back to them and kind of remind yourself of all the good things that make up you.
And then secondly, it's, I think it really helps you to recognise, you know, it does start with you. And that by getting really clear on who you are and what your DNA is, so your Lego bricks, then that allows you to distinguish yourself, it allows you to create the brand that is your brand, and not somebody else's brand. And ultimately differentiate yourself from your competition, and attract the right kind of clients to your business, which was what we talked about last week.
And I promise you, that there really isn't anyone else quite like you on the planet, with the same experience, the same expertise, and the same way of looking at things as you do. And that's what I want you to hone in on. Okay, so it really does start with you. And we're going to look at thinking about LEGO bricks, and DNA, and all those good things.
But first of all, I just wanted to talk a little bit about impostor syndrome, and the challenges that that can bring. So for those who maybe haven't heard of that expression, which I'm sure you have, because I think it is one of the biggest challenges for any entrepreneur or any small business owner. But impostor syndrome is basically where you feel like maybe you don't deserve to be there, or you feel like you're going to get called out as a fraud, or you feel like an impostor. And you're sort of asking yourself, Well, who am I to be saying this or doing this? Or, you know, why should people listen to me? Why should people buy from me? And I suppose really, this is something that I've suffered from for years, and years, and years and years. And it shows up for me in a kind of a sneaky, funny, murky feeling. I can't describe it really at the bottom of my tummy, where I'm always kind of thinking, oh, you know, am I saying the right thing? Am I doing a good job? Do I really know what I'm talking about? Am I an expert in this? Or actually is somebody going to call me out. Or maybe I can't help these people, or what happens if it all goes wrong? all those kinds of things that come with sort of general anxiety linked to impostor syndrome. And I think really the way that I've managed to turn it around for me is that I believe, and I think I've done this since I was, I don't know, go back to the earliest times I can remember when I was like, I don't know, 15. And I put my name forward for things or I'd sign up for things and then think, oh, god,why have I done that? I've got to go and show up and do it now! My thing has always been that, I suppose I must get some weird kick out of putting myself out of my comfort zone.
I think we can hone in on that. And think of it as actually that's what humans are here for, you know, we're here, especially entrepreneurs and business owners, we're here to drive things forward, we're here to do things differently, we're here to kind of break through that noise. And so to do that, we've got to try different things, we've got to try new things, we've got to test things out. And ultimately, that's going to mean that we're putting ourselves out of our comfort zone. And so what I try and tell myself is that those funny feelings at the bottom of my stomach, I turn them into what we call tummy flips and, make it more of an excited feeling, that I'm doing something a bit different, a bit daring, a bit exciting, and there's a bit of a risk there. And I'm going to do it anyway. Because I know that actually at the end of it, once I've done it, I'm going to feel that satisfaction and pride in myself that I've managed to do it and gone ahead and done it. So it's almost kind of, if I look at it, but if I don't do it, then I'm just going to stay doing the same thing, day out, I'm not going to push myself and I'm just going to have this monotonous life.
Whereas actually, if I can embrace that scared feeling, that imposter syndrome that pops up and turn it around and make it into something, that means I'm alive. And this is me moving forward and, you know, bringing some sort of excitement into my life, then it allows me to do that. And I think in a way, you know, we hear all the stars, all the experts, other famous people talking and they've got the same feeling, that impostor syndrome. So I don't think we're going to be able to get rid of it. But if we can turn it around and reframe it and make it into something exciting, where we can push ourselves. Yeah, put ourselves out of our comfort zone and feel alive. I think that really helps.
So with that in mind, I think it's also good to have that buffer which is thinking about, you know, as I say, what your DNA is, what your Lego bricks are, and what it is that allows you to be who you are and do what you do. Now, what I'm not suggesting, because I think we hear a lot of people talking about confidence, and not feeling confident. And I think what I'm not suggesting is that we “fake it till we make it” in the sense that we pretend that we know something until we actually know it and then we're in that good space. I actually believe that confidence comes through doing the things and showing up and having that experience and being able to, you know, confidently talk somebody through, you know, like my future-proof framework, or talk somebody through the way to do something. I genuinely believe that confidence comes from having done it and knowing that you can get the results.
So this is twofold, which is to be able to do that, and to be confident in that sense, and know that you've got the results before, it's about recognising that and capturing that. And that's where I want you to think about your DNA and what it is that makes you special, what makes you unique, and stand out from everybody else. And this is through having done what you've done for however many years you've been on this planet.
And so I want you to think about, and I do this with my clients, and this is something that one of my mentors, Neil Simpson asked me to do right at the very beginning of my small journey, my small business journey, where I was feeling the feels, you know, who am I to go and work with small business owners and help them to think about the different communication strategy or employee engagement, getting the teams motivated, or who am I to help them to build that roadmap, and I suppose really, I was in a space where it was all completely new. And I was starting to work in different ways and starting this adventure. And, for some reason, I had completely shut off and closed the door in my mind on everything that had happened before then.
I was facing this blank page and my imposter syndrome was going through the roof. And of course, it was because I had forgotten about all that experience, I had forgotten about all the good things that I'd done and all the results that I'd got. All the failures I'd had as well, which ultimately enabled me to be able to help other people. It's because I've been there and done it and, you know, I've learned from doing things wrong or in, you know, not in the right way.
And what I did was because I was thinking, Oh, this is a new business, and I'm going to be working with small business owners, that I should shut off, and I forgot about it all. And Neil was really, really amazing. And helped me to open that door again, and really kind of engage with myself and my experience and my expertise. And really remember, all the things that, you know, I have done. All the results that I have managed to get for different clients, whether that's internally within a corporate organisation or elsewhere. So this is an exercise, I really encourage you guys to do it too. So take some time out.
And it's simply writing your CV, but not a CV as in, you know, when you go looking for a job and this is what I do, but more of a CV of your life. So I really want you to think about mapping out your life, in a kind of a CV format. And so really taking some time to think back and reflect as far back as you can go.
And capture, if you can, the different milestones, the different things that have happened throughout your life that make you who you are. You can do this however you want to do it. It might be making notes on your phone, on your laptop, it might be scribbling a mind map, it might be a collage, it can be however you want to do it, but just really take some time out to delve back into you and who you are, and what you've done and plot out the different elements that make you you.
So, for example for me, I can remember thinking back to, you know, when I learned to play the trumpet, or I remember one time where, yeah, when I was 15. And we all had to find this different work experience to go on and do. And I had no idea what I wanted to do. But it was at a time when I did know that I loved languages and I did know that I loved people and I used to work in hotels and restaurants and things when I was younger, and I actually put my hand up and put my name forward to go on a work experience holiday to France on my own when I was 15 and I went to Grenoble and worked in a Michelin star restaurant. And it was only for like two weeks. But I had to stay in a youth hostel and dress up really smart and go into this posh restaurant. It was a gorgeous restaurant. And my French was rubbish. You know, I could kind of get by with a hello, please and thank you, can I have a, you know, a coke and a sandwich, that kind of thing. And here I was on my own, completely out of my comfort zone. Doing this, and it was really scary. I remember ringing my Dad, do you remember those BT charge cards, he gave me an international charge card so that I could reverse the charge on phone call, it was before mobile phones. And I remember ringing them and telling them I was feeling sick. And it was that murky feeling in my tummy. But you know what I did it. And it was the best experience ever. And I'm still in touch with people that were there at that time. I remember Bastille Day with the fireworks and everything going on as I was there, and what an experience. And so that was part of my Cv of life and remembering actually overcoming the fear of going on your own of overcoming those that challenge of doing things and just that satisfaction that you know, I can do it. And once you've done it, you can do all the things. I remember learning to speak Italian or getting qualified as an English teacher, or, or even learning to drive. But these things it might be about getting your first client, it might be moving to a different country, it might be getting married, it might be winning an award, it might be having your first child, it might be overcoming whatever it might be, you've all got different experiences, and different things that you've done. But plotting them down is really important.
And again, for me, what was really important was thinking back to my time in the corporate world, when I used to work with Airbus, or Scania trucks, or, in particular ArcelorMittal, when, you know, I was working with teams around the world, and I've talked about this, I think in a couple of episodes, but one of the big things that I was able to do was create a culture of people, creating an engaged culture with the employees, of helping the managers to really show they cared and of creating that two-way organisation where employees were able to have their say, to feedback.
And I'm really proud of that at the time, because it was a difficult time, but we were able to get through it because we'd built this culture. And so Neil encouraged me to really tap into different things that I've done throughout my career, and note them down. And genuinely, it made me sit back and smile at the end of it, because it brought back all these memories of things that I've done, and helped me tap into that as I was moving forward. I realised that you know what, I do know what I'm talking about.
And I have done it. You know, I do know, I am an expert in communication and marketing. And I can help small business owners and I can do this. So it was a really, really great exercise. And, again, you don't have to share it with anybody. This is just something really personal. But it helps you to take stock of who you are, remind yourself of your uniqueness, remind yourself of all the things that you've done, and overcome and remind yourself of the value that you've got to offer. And, that's what I'm talking about with your DNA and your Lego bricks, because nobody ever on this planet has had the same experience as you.
So this really helps you to pull that back and really think about what it is that makes you special, and who you are to be building the business that you are building. And, again, ultimately, I mean having this CV of your life, apart from the fact that it helps you when you're having those wobbles and those times, it also feeds your content, it feeds the way you're going to communicate with your clients, it feeds the anecdotes and the analogies that you're going to be able to share and and demonstrate that you you know you have done this before, or that you can help them with this.
And you can show them that you have got value to offer, through storytelling or through your narrative that you'd be able to share as you move forward. So I don't know what tactics you have to overcome your fear of doing things or that fear of who am I to do this or whatever. But this is a really great exercise that I would really recommend anyone to do, and keep it somewhere safe. You might want to write a letter to yourself, you might want to print it off, you might want to keep that mind map somewhere on your wall or in a drawer. Maybe there's a box that you've got. And the final thing I would recommend is to add to it as you as you go so anything else that you do, any achievements, anything where it's been a challenge or you've succeeded in or you've got recognition for, then keep it and make it a document that's alive, keep it dynamic and add to it. So you've always got new things on there and your work to reinforce your belief in yourself and what you're doing. And finally, again, adding to that is, make sure you are collecting and noticing every time somebody gives you positive feedback, or says thank you, or demonstrates the results that you've helped them to get. Make sure you're collecting that and that you're not dismissing it, make sure that you're actually if it's, you know, something physical that you can keep, put it in the box with your CV, or if it's an email or a message or a voice note, or even if it's just a conversation that you're having where somebody says, you really helped me with that. What I really recommend you doing is keeping all those things together, because it's the best medicine when you're having that wobble. And you are moving on to the next adventure or the next challenge. And you're kind of looking for that reassurance that you can do this, and you've done this before, and you know that you're going to be able to overcome the next thing. Keep them all together and refer back to them, because I promise it will really help. So that's my thoughts on impostor syndrome, helping you to feel special, and understand that you really are the right person to be building your business and doing what you're doing. And I'd love to chat more about this. I think it's something that will never go away.
I believe that every time you uplevel your business, every time you take on a new challenge, every time you want to grow, every time you want to move forward, you're going to have that resistance and you're going to meet that wall. And it's just through recognising that journey and building that bank of recognition, of testimonials, of reassurance and of confirmation that you can refer back to, to help you to be more confident in the knowledge that you know, what you've overcome and that you can do this. And it's funny, because when you look back, I know when I look back at the different milestones of just in the seven years I've been running this business, it always makes me smile when I think about the milestones that I was worrying about maybe, five, six years in, where it was maybe having the first office or the first employee or standing up in front of the first network group to say hi, or whatever it might be. When we look back, it can seem really insignificant. And we kind of think, Oh, why are we so worried, but at the time it was the biggest thing in the world. And that's what you've got to remember is that as you grow, the challenges are growing too. And yeah, that's the whole point of feeling alive and putting yourself out of your comfort zone. And being on this roller coaster ride because if we didn't really enjoy it, and we didn't get that buzz from it, I don't think we'd be doing it. So embracing it and acknowledging it is the best medicine. So that's my thoughts on all this. I'd love to hear what you think you can connect with me on socials at IamLucyRennie or send me an email at lucy@lrcomms.co.uk I'd love to hear your thoughts and what you do to overcome those moments and those wobbles. And yeah, let me know, maybe we can have a conversation and we can maybe share your thoughts and your ways of doing it.
In the meantime, I'd like to wish you a great week and don’t forget to have a go at making a CV of your life. And I will see you next week for another episode of the Future-Proof your Business podcast.
Thanks for listening to the Future-Proof Your Business podcast. I've been your host, Lucy Rennie, I hope you've enjoyed this episode. If you have, then I'd love you to head over to Apple Podcast, Google Play, Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcast and hit the subscribe button. And I'd really appreciate it if you'd leave a review and a rating and help me to reach even more small business owners like you who want to build a business they love.
And don't forget, you can head over to iamlucyrennie.com and sign up to my email list as well as find more tips and tools to help you Future-proof your Business on my website and in the show notes.
Finally, I'd love to invite you to come and join me and lots of other small business owners like you. In my free Facebook group, Communicate with Purpose.
You can find all the links on my website and in the Show Notes.
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I would love to invite you to come and join me and lots of other small business owners like you in my FREE Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CommunicatewithPurpose