Five ways you're hiding from massive business success (and how to shift it!)
When I look back to the beginning of my business, I can see so clearly how I was hiding...
...I was hiding from sales calls—terrified of getting on the phone, fearing I wouldn’t have the “right” answers to questions.
...I was hiding from clients that weren’t the “perfect” fit—terrified they’d be unhappy with my work.
...I was hiding from in-person events and conferences—terrified of meeting people who had it “all figured out” and would judge me on the spot.
I was hiding from almost everything that felt even the slightest bit outside of my comfort zone, burying my nose even deeper in the stuff that didn’t truly matter, or at the very least, didn’t affect my bottom line.
And yet, I continued to hide where it was warm, cozy, and comfortable, so sure that one more strategy, one more post, or one more course would be the tipping point.
I’d buy an Instagram course rather than getting to know my ideal client on a deeper level so I could shift my messaging and market to exactly how they’re feeling and the transformation they so deeply desire. It was like putting a band-aid on the problem. Sure, things looked prettier on the outside, but behind the scenes, it wasn’t quite working.
I can see now that I loved that busy-work because it allowed me to avoid doing the mindset work that’s almost inherent in entrepreneurship. Maybe you see a bit of yourself here too?
Because when you’re really, truly putting in the work it takes to run a business, it’s rarely comfortable. In fact, there are almost always times when you’re pushing both your personal and professional development from both sides because that’s how we learn, grow, and meet more of our goals.
But I can honestly say, it’s the mindset work that allowed me to tackle those uncomfortable bits that have gotten me to where I am today.
It was mindset work that taught me that the only way to get better at sales calls is to pick up the phone.
It was mindset work that helped me lean into knowing my value and raising my rates.
It was mindset work that allowed me to see that time away from my business could be a strength, not a weakness.
And it was mindset work that helped me to invest in coaches and mentors to support me along the way (even when I thought I couldn’t afford it).
Which is why this week, I’m talking about five ways you may be hiding from massive business success and how to shift those beliefs and do the mindset work necessary to step outside your comfort zone and get more clients, income, and experience more success because of it!
1- You’re keeping personal connections at arm’s length
When I first started my business, I was terrified to get on a call. My palms would sweat, my heart would start to race, and I’d get hives before any conversation. Perhaps hard to believe from someone who has essentially built their business on zoom calls at this point… And yet, I’ll never forget that pit-in-the-bottom-of-my-stomach feeling that came with getting on the phone.
I mention this because there’s a decent chance you may be feeling this way. I used to raise my eyebrows when a guru suggested that businesses are built on relationships and the best way to solidify that relationship is to hop on a call. (Who were these calls with? Where were they coming from? What do we talk about!??? SO MANY QUESTIONS.) And I while I don’t always agree with the gurus out there, this is one thing that I can 100% get behind.
I encourage all my Future You clients to GET ON THE PHONE. Because there’s magic that happens when you get on a call with your potential client. And I don’t mean some weird sales script that you found on the internet. But when you LISTEN and RESPOND in a way that feels genuine and highlights your expertise, that is where you SHINE. Because while there’s plenty of free information floating around on the internet, personalized expertise and people who actually CARE are hard to come by. That is what sells.
Honestly, I was able to shift my mindset around calls when I started to see how easily they converted. Yes, they felt scary at first, but when I showed up as myself and was honest about my expertise and how I could personally help solve the problem of the person on the other end, it was like a door opened that I never knew was there. Because people buy from people and that personal connection is SO important.
So while I know it feels safe and cozy to simply type up another post for Instagram or hide behind your weekly newsletter, I encourage you to get your mindset on board so you can stop hiding behind your screen and start hopping on the phone. And please know it gets easier. Promise.
2- The struggle is more comfortable than the mindset work you’d have to do to move past it
In the beginning, I spent about a year and a half working on my website. I was so convinced that the “right” clients weren’t finding me because of it. It didn’t have the right look and feel. The copyrighting was off. I needed to hone in more on who I wanted to draw in. The list goes on. And while none of those things are inherently “bad” things to thinking about, it also wasn’t the real problem. Had I spent half as much time marketing my business as I did designing my website, I would have been booked out for months.
And yet, that website was my scapegoat. It gave me something to point to—to go, “Look here, THIS is why things aren’t working.” But the truth is that the website was yet another form of busy-work and procrastination. It was something I was comfortable tinkering away at instead of doing the real work of trying to show up and get more visible in front of my ideal clients.
Now, maybe for you, that isn’t a website. Maybe it’s a certification you feel like you need in order to do the work you’re feeling called to do (and consequently are already good at). Maybe it’s an email funnel you’re spending countless hours drafting because it feels safer than admitting you don’t have a clear message. Whatever it is for you, it may be time to take a deeper look at that thing you’re so convinced you NEED to move forward and ask yourself if it might be masking a mindset challenge instead.
3- You’ve got some money stories floating around
Have you ever stopped to question the beliefs you have around money? One of the things I help my Future You clients with is cleaning up the stories they have in their own head about what it means for them to make money doing what they love. You see, so many of these incredible women are hiding behind the belief that they love what they’re doing so much that, “They don’t even have to make money and they would be happy.” Forgive me, but I call BS.
And here’s why…
These women would not be coming to me with their life and business challenges, looking to expand, grow, and create more than they ever dreamed possible if they were content staying exactly where they are now. Truth. But one of the things that your brain is so good at is keeping you safe. It feels safe to hide behind the story that you don’t need to make money—that you could simply chalk it up to a hobby without ever having to shift your beliefs around sales, acknowledge that you want more income, and do the work to understand your true value. Yes, that sounds like a whole hell of a lot less work. But it’s exactly IN that mindset work that you grow both personally and professionally.
If you’re reading this, feeling like there’s definitely some money stories you need to sift through, I suggest simply writing down all the thoughts you have around money. Get them all out of your head and on to paper. Then, take a look back at what you wrote and decide if you want to continue with those beliefs or if they’re simply helping you to hide from success. Because you get to choose what you believe, and it might be time to rewrite that money story.
4- You’re stuck in “research” mode on the hunt for passive income
With all the ads and messages floating around about passive income, so many of my Future You clients come to me caught up in how lovely it sounds to basically generate money while they sleep. And don’t get me wrong, it’s possible. It’s just that so often they’re hung up on that IDEA more than the bigger vision they have for what they’re passionate about, where their skillset lies, and the strategy that will get them there.
They’re left in a sea of ideas with no clear direction and that kind of expanse can be overwhelming. So what do they do? They bury their heads in research-mode, following anyone and everyone who’s made it work. Cue more overwhelm and comparisonitis. If you’re constantly on the hunt for one more person with a “secret” to passive income or a exact ten-step process. Stop. Please. Because the real secret is that there is no one exact process that will get you there and often time passive income isn’t so passive.
Even the Airbnb we run out of the ground floor of our house is anything but passive. It’s the business in which we quite literally make money while we sleep. We do almost no marketing on our own. Bookings come in with little effort. And yet, there’s still quite a bit of communication that happens on our end, cleaning to be done, and bills to be paid. Look, I’m not complaining. We make a pretty penny doing it, but it’s certainly not passive by any means. And quite frankly I think it’s time to shift the conversation around people who have “made it” on passive income.
So if you find yourself scrolling Instagram with your comparisonitis flaring up, wondering what they have that you don’t, I’m here to tell you the difference is simply that they took action to put in the time and the work to get there. And I think that’s more empowering than any ten-step process.
5- You’re not doing anything at all
When you’re feeling stuck it can be easy to think that you need to take time off to “figure it out.” I see this happen all the time for people in life and business. And yet, I think it’s the single worst thing you can do on your way to clarity and focus. You see, I’m a strong believer that we get what we want through small, consistent efforts. Not only that, but we FIGURE OUT what we want through that same process. We use the polarity of what is and isn’t working for us as a guide.
When I had my ‘aha’ moment that my NYC life was not my forever plan, I didn’t say, “Well, I should probably take a few months off work and see what I want to do next.” No, conversely, I stayed exactly where I was and started taking small steps toward putting a plan in place to move. I researched healthcare plans. Brian and I discussed places we’d like to live. I transitioned out of my full-time job by freelancing with that same company for a few months. I started reaching out to build my own client base. Essentially, I started taking small steps toward what it was that I wanted.
And the same is true for you. If you’re feeling at a loss for what’s next for you in life or business, the worst thing you can do is stand still and wait for a grand epiphany. In one of my favorite books, Big Magic, by Elizabeth Gilbert, she talks about how inspiration finds you when you’re working and I couldn’t agree more. Don’t worry about being on the “right” or “perfect” path. Start by taking small actions toward what it is you think you want and you’ll gain clarity from there.
The bottom line:
It’s easy to hide behind your own stories instead of doing the mindset work you need to step outside your comfort zone and take the actions you need to create massive success in your life and business. Consequently, it’s that EXACT work that will move the needle more than any other strategy, certification, or online course you can throw into the mix.
But I also know that it can be hard to see your own blind spots and exactly how you’re holding yourself back in life and business. If you’re looking for some strategic mindset coaching, personalized to you, sign up for my FREE Simplifying Success coaching call.
During this 30-minute call, we'll:
→ Talk about why you're feeling feel stressed and overwhelmed and any blocks that are keeping you from cultivating a success mindset
→ Identify one thing that you should focus on right now that will move your life and business forward the most
→ Create an action plan for how to move forward in a way that feels good to you so you can see RESULTS and start thriving NOW
In other words, we're going to look at your mindset and then you're going to know exactly what to DO to see results from it! Talk about simplifying success :)
Tell me in the comments below:
What’s one thing you hid from in the past, which created massive results in your business once you got your mindset on board?
Photography by Jennifer Morgan Photography
