Managing Imposter Syndrome as a Business Owner
Breaking down imposter syndrome
What is it/what beliefs cause it
Imposter Syndrome is something that a lot of people deal with, and I have been seeing a prevalence of business owners talking about it on social media. It refers to a phenomenon where people feel as though they are a fraud or are undeserving of their success.
We end up believing that we are fraudulent. But everyone is a little bit. No one person has life figured out better than anyone else. If it seems that way, it is a lie. We are all deserving of success.
How we can beat imposter syndrome
Challenging imposter syndrome
Challenge imposter syndrome when thoughts come up. What evidence do you have that says you aren’t an expert? What evidence do you have that says you are? What makes you think less of yourself? You are in control of what your brain thinks. You will start to believe what your brain tells you, make sure you are speaking to yourself kindly.
It might feel silly at first, but once you start, it is going to be so much easier.
You don’t have to be perfect all the time
I know that I have always felt a pressure to always do things perfectly. Because if you can’t do something perfectly, you might as well not do it all.
That thought process is trash. Not being perfect is how you learn. Making mistakes is how you get better. Showing up is how you become successful. Not being perfect.
You don’t have to be perfect at something to be worthy of praise. You don’t have to be perfect at something to be knowledgeable. You don’t have to be perfect to be an expert. You don’t have to be perfect to run a business. You just need to keep showing up.
Acknowledge your own accomplishments
How can you prove to yourself that you are proud of yourself? How can you give your brain evidence that you have accomplished things and that you are doing enough? Stop telling yourself that you aren’t good enough to be doing what you are already doing.
Take a second right now to think back on your life’s accomplishments. Get out a pen and paper (or your notes app) and take note of all of those things that you did. Everything that you can think of. And I mean EVERYTHING. Anything that you were excited about, any situation that was difficult to get through. Getting through high school, letting yourself feel your emotions, getting a puppy, overcoming a difficult situation, getting out of bed this morning, graduating grade school, getting a good grade, starting a family, ANYTHING and everything. And don’t downplay them. Don’t add asterisks or parenthesis or even think about belittling your own success.
You did that.
I did this little exercise myself and holy wow. So validating. Sometimes we are moving forward so fast that we forget to celebrate our wins or realize how successful we really are. Celebrate yourself for a second.
Small Business vs Business
You don’t have to refer to your business as a “small business” your business is a business. It can be so limiting to call your business small. You are doing big things. Whether you run your business while also working a “corporate” job or it is your full-time job, it is a business. You own a business.
Taking the time to work through imposter syndrome is a feminist act
A study* that looked at imposter syndrome in both women and men, showed that women tend to struggle more with imposter syndrome even with consistent evidence of external validation.
As women, it is harder for us to believe that we are experts in our field. It is hard for us to believe that we are enough or do enough or have enough. Whether we have people cheering us on or not, it is difficult for us to cheer for ourselves. We struggle with internally validating ourselves. Being kind to yourself in a world that is set up to tell you the opposite is a feminist act. Working through imposter syndrome as a women is one step closer to equality.
Asking for help
One of my favorite and most scary methods to defeating imposter syndrome. All of the greats had help. Everyone is deserving of help. The most successful businesses are teams. Having people in your corner to support you will allow you to focus on the parts of your business that you love. It is much harder to doubt yourself when you are doing what you love.
If you are looking to grow your team, check out my services page and fill out my inquiry form.
Listen, I understand the pull of imposter syndrome is intense. I shut down a “side hustle” business in 2019 because of imposter syndrome and anxiety. Don’t be like past Mara. Work through it, keep showing up. It will be worth it.
Some articles I looked at while writing:
* “Yes, Impostor Syndrome Is Real. Here's How to Deal With It”