Overcoming Impostor Syndrome

In the world of online business, there is a tendency to hide the challenges in the journey toward financial success. The illusion that plenty is the norm gets perpetuated by glamorous pics of entrepreneurs living a laptop lifestyle in luxurious hotels all over the globe, Gucci bag over the shoulder, and glass of champagne in hand. There seems to be a perception that if you don’t portray your business as a luxury brand, you’re not as successful as those who do. 

Perhaps that is why, deep down, so many entrepreneurs who are still on the path of establishing themselves as coaches and mentors in the online world struggle with impostor syndrome… and with good reason. 

When your income depends on your ability to be a role model and extraordinary guide for others on the same path, it can be hard to admit that you don’t know everything already… that there are things you’re still discovering, learning, and integrating in your own business and your life. Some of my private clients tell me that they compare themselves with other entrepreneurs and feel a deep sense of shame for not yet having reached the heights of success that some of their competitors have... even though some of those competitors may have carefully curated an illusion of accomplishment and limitless wealth.

I believe the breakthroughs in being successful come when we are confident enough to be radically honest about the fact that we’re all still refining our understanding of what works and what doesn’t work in the world of online business. And how one strategy that works so well for one entrepreneur simply does not work for another. We all have vastly different personalities, different skills and abilities, different values, and different ways of serving our clients as best we can.

Personally, I understand more and more the importance of being open to lifelong learning and leaving room for refinement. We have to be open to cycle into higher and higher levels of knowledge and integration. Ultimately, it’s the journey of studying the strategy and energetics and psychology of online business that gives you the credentials. It is your ability to be an extraordinary student of life that creates your ability to be an extraordinary coach and mentor. 

When it comes to success in online business, there is no one-size-fits-all recipe. There is no point of arrival. There is no point of knowing it all, having it all, being it all. There needs to be room to discover, to grow, to distill, to alchemise, to master the game. 

The question is, how well can we learn to play in the online world? And how alive can we be while we’re playing the game? How well can we integrate the stories of our lives into the experience of growing an online business? How raw, how real, how true can the living of an extraordinary life become for us on our journey of growth and transformation over a lifetime?

My invitation to you is to do big and bold and beautiful things in your life so you have stories to tell in the marketing of your services and the delivery of your programs. Be the embodiment of your beliefs and values. Be the person who grows in leaps and bounds. Make memories that take your breath away, and then go share them, even if they don't involve Gucci bags or champagne. Unless they do, and then that's cool, too!

Nobody can question your felt-experiences and the lessons you’ve learned from walking your talk. Experience trumps knowledge. Every time. 

The deepest, most profound work of our lives is gathering life experiences, and integrating those experiences into how we serve. That’s where the juice is. And that takes care of impostor syndrome in a flash. 

True? 

BIG love,

Mia xo