Why fear is not meant to be defeated.

The process of building a meaningful brand requires introspection. There are a handful of concerns that we have heard over and over from our clients (and that we have said to ourselves) when preparing to get started with brand and business development. By sharing these thoughts with you, our goal is to normalize them and then share our take on moving forward with, not without, these thoughts. 

Here is a list of paralyzing thoughts that might be running through your head:

- I’m afraid to start. 

- I’m afraid to fail.

- I have a great idea but I don’t know how to bring it to life.

- I don’t know where to start.

- I’ve been told that my creative side is better suited as a side hustle or hobby. 

- I know what I have to do, but I’m overthinking and not taking action.

- I’m afraid of feeling exposed. 

- I’m afraid of what people might think.

- I’m afraid to lose stability.

- I’m afraid I don’t have what it takes to be a business owner.

- I’m intimidated by my competition.

You are definitely not alone. We know this because we’ve heard these comments hundreds of times from our clients and community. These thoughts and feelings are valid.

We’ve learned that our fears are not meant to disappear nor to be defeated once and for all. During times of transition and evolution, they reappear, and truthfully, they arrive to protect us. They’re necessary. However, they’re not meant to stand alone or to overpower our other equally necessary confident thoughts.

The goal is to hold space for your concerns, while actively working to be able to also say the following: 

- I’m ready and able to start.

- I know that I will fail once or twice, and when I do, I’ll learn and pivot.

- I’m capable of reaching my full potential.

- There is room for both my competition and myself to succeed

- I know how to take the first step to create my brand or business. 

- Instability is inherent to life, and I can navigate through it.

- My creativity can and will serve me.

- My voice matters.

Instead of focusing on erasing our fears, we can work on increasing our confidence, which in turn, will reduce, not erase, our fears.

“We need to accept that we won’t always make the right decisions, that we’ll screw up royally sometimes – understanding that failure is not the opposite of success, it’s part of success.” -Arianna Huffington