Drop the façade, accept your voice

You’ve chosen the roller-coaster life of an entrepreneur. You, my friend, deserve a badge of COURAGE.
 
And if you're like most women entrepreneurs I know, there’s a story behind your business. You may not realize it, but this story contains a turning point: a life circumstance that brought you to your knees and forced you to re-examine your life and priorities. In mythological terms, this is often referred to as a dark night of the soul.
 
The best businesses are borne from these dark places.

And in the midst of this darkness, you found a jewel: your calling. This calling inspired you to birth your business with a dream: to help others get through their own dark places.
 
Wa-HOO. This is HUGE.

But something is still missing.
 
You’re hiding your beautiful, inspiring story from the world.
 
Instead, you’ve built a façade in order to appear professional.
 
You cannot fathom that people will buy from the REAL YOU.
 
Instead, you followed the advice to “package yourself” and present a false front, to play nice.
 
It’s okay. Most women entrepreneurs have a façade. It’s a normal response to the cultural silencing of girls and women. It’s the default we retreat to when the stakes are high. We’re shy about standing out and sharing our uniqueness. We’re programmed to blend in and maintain the status quo. We’re programmed to take care of everyone else while dimming our own light.
 
This in itself is tragic, but it’s fatal for entrepreneurs.
 
What if you could remember your courage? What if you could tap into that courage that led you to starting your business in the first place? What if you could follow that courage all the way to the core of your true message for the world?
 
That’s where the gold is.
 
Think about all the crap you’ve overcome. Think about the losses you’ve had, the compromises you’ve made, the children or other lives you’ve nurtured and touched, the lemonade you’ve made out of lemons over and over again.

There’s a brilliant story here, a story that serves as your best credential. When you tell this story, people will respond.

Is that what you fear most…to be seen?
  
It’s a worthy investment of your time and energy to take a look at this stuff.
 
That's why I created this MINI QUIZ for you. Following are some ways we hide when it comes to sharing our story and message. I invite you to take an honest look and see where you land with each. There’s no shame here, this is simply an awareness-building exercise, an opportunity to notice and open the door to doing things differently.

For each of the 3 points below, Ask yourself, on a scale of 1-10, how much am I doing this?


1. STAYING VAGUE.
How this might look to you: You’re shy about standing out and sharing your uniqueness. You’d rather blend in and maintain the status quo. You’re dimming your light. You’re constantly changing the focus of your message, and when someone asks “what you do for a living,” you become tongue-tied. How this might feel to you: Frustrating, like you’re trapped in a bubble and you can’t break out.


How well does this describe you?
1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9    10



2. HIDING BEHIND A FAÇADE.
How this might look to you: You’ve invented a false persona to hide behind. You picked up a preconceived notion from someone (most likely a marketing “expert” or “influencer”) about how you must “look” in order to run a business. As a result, you’ve sacrificed your true voice and story for one that you think is more “effective.” How this might feel to you: Nauseating at your core, like you’ve just told a lie but you’re in so deep, you don’t fess up. Like you’re wearing a mask you can’t take off.


How well does this describe you?
1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9    10



3. THINKING NO ONE CARES ABOUT WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.
How this might look to you: You water down the details. You avoid going deep. You feel like sharing your story will leave people thinking you’re whiny. You worry they’ll think you’re trying to gain their pity. You imagine their eyes rolling. How this might feel to you: Deep sadness, like you didn’t go after what you really wanted and had to settle for less. Like you're standing on the sidelines watching everyone else.


How well does this describe you?
1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9    10


What did you learn? Again, there’s no shame here. You’ve simply peeled back the layers and peeked at what’s there.

Changing these habits takes care and attention. It can be overwhelming. That’s why I’m here. As your coach and guide, I’ll hold the lamp for you as you embark on this journey to your truth and voice.

There's a couple of ways to work with me.

1. I'm currently accepting new clients for 1:1 coaching.
2. I'm forming a small mastermind/writing group this fall.

If you’d like to learn more about either, or discuss your quiz results, simply reply to this message, or book a free call here.

And if you'd like to explore these questions in our free Facebook community, click the link below now, come on over and share your quiz results with us!
 
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