Successful Marketing Despite Imposter Syndrome or Anxiety

Being your own boss comes with challenges you may struggle to navigate.

Imposter syndrome, a belief in which you don’t think you’re good enough to be where you are and you think people will see through you and realize you’re a fraud, is a real fear. It’s probably not true, but that doesn’t stop the fear.

If you struggle with imposter syndrome, you may also struggle with marketing your business because you don’t believe you deserve to be where you are, doing what you’re doing. It’s hard to market your business when you don’t believe that you deserve the success. Imposter syndrome is all about the false belief that you got where you did because of luck or some other external force instead of your expertise and hard work.

Believing in the fact that you got where you are because of your hard work and expertise as well as believing in what you do as a business owner is vital to the success of your business.

Imposter syndrome shares many traits with anxiety including self-defeating thoughts. Allowing these thoughts to run about without keeping them in check allows doubt to creep in which is dangerous for a successful business.

You’re passionate about being a business owner. You love what you provide to the world. You know your stuff inside and out. There’s no need for imposter syndrome or anxiety.

Do you know how to let it go? Do you know how to stop the swirl of negative self talk or doubts?

If not, you’re not alone. Many people struggle to let go of these feelings and thoughts. After all, they are part of our survival system

But it isn’t hopeless, there are ways to let go of the anxiety and imposter syndrome so you can market your business with pride and ease and build a successful business.

As the owner of a therapy private practice and a coaching program, I am well aware of the anxieties and imposter syndrome that can be ever present.

I went to school to become a therapist. I then went to work in agencies. Before I was licensed, I believed that others gave me leeway, but as soon as I got licensed I believed others believed I should *snap* know everything. This led to a lot of anxiety and imposter syndrome. I didn’t know everything. I didn’t even feel like a good therapist at the time.

Over time, with continued work and continuing education that is required to maintain a license, I felt more confident in my abilities as a therapist and ventured out into private practice. Seriously imposter syndrome? I thought you went away! Why are you back? Private practice comes with a whole new set of skills that I had to learn (ah hem, marketing…cringe). As I was learning those skills, again I felt like a fraud. Ask for business? Put myself out there? Not my favorite thing to do!

But, wouldn’t you know it? Over time, I felt confident in my abilities as a private practice business owner and learned my favorite ways of marketing myself. I work with people in general dealing with anxiety, trauma, secondary trauma and burnout, but I specialize in working with first responders, therapists, medical professionals, veterinarians and others who deal with other people’s pain every day. I continue to feel very passionate about my work and even enjoy marketing my services.

But over time I decided I wanted to venture out into the world of coaching to reach another group of people. Look what popped back up…imposter syndrome. Each time it pops up it does NOT become easier to manage. Again I’m dealing with a new skill set and have to go outside my comfort zone. I do not have a certificate in coaching, who am I to be a coach? Hello, Meg! You have more credentials than a coach with a certificate! But it wasn’t quite that easy for me to get over imposter syndrome. I felt like a fraud.

Whereas being a therapist and being a coach share many qualities, and marketing both share many techniques, they are very different in their approaches. I had to learn another skill set.

My coaching business helps people in general overcome anxiety and imposter syndrome, but I specialize in helping small business owners including therapists build successful businesses by overcoming the imposter syndrome and anxiety that holds them back.

Here I am today, a successful therapist and a successful coach. I love what I do in both businesses and feel super passionate about both businesses. I know that whatever direction life takes me, I will likely hit the imposter syndrome and anxiety obstacle again, but I know that I have the tools to master it and be successful yet again.

Are you wondering how to make marketing your business easier? Many small business owners, including therapists and counselors are introverts and it’s hard to market yourself in the traditional sense when you’re an introvert.

Marketing as an introvert doesn’t have to be scary or hard. The hard part is making it habitual.

Habits are what we do without thinking about them. Right now, marketing yourself is not habitual.

Are you ready to learn how and start making marketing habitual? Schedule your clarity call with me! If you still need to a bit more time, take a look around my site.