Today, I wanted to chat with you about something that I know many of us struggle with – imposter syndrome.

ARE YOU FEELING LIKE YOU’RE JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH?

I’ve definitely struggled with this during my career. It’s that awful feeling of self-doubt and inadequacy that creeps up on you when you’re trying to achieve something new or step outside of your comfort zone. You might feel like you either don’t deserve the opportunity or success you’ve achieved or that someone is going to find out that you’re not as good as they think you are.

IT’S A PART OF THE ENTREPRENEUR’S JOURNEY

Entrepreneurs face imposter syndrome no matter where they are in their business journey. We’re always pushing ourselves to create, take risks, build something new, and stand out. It’s so easy to feel like we’re not good enough, not qualified or not experienced enough to do all of that.

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Now I want to remind you, you are not alone in this feeling and it absolutely doesn’t mean that you’re not capable of achieving your goals. In fact, imposter syndrome can actually be a sign that you’re doing something right. It means that you’re pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and trying new things – as long as you’re not letting it stop you in your tracks.

REFRAME YOUR THINKING

I’ll take you through a simple mindset shift that I have used to help reframe my feelings surrounding imposter syndrome to start taking advantage of every opportunity and make those leaps forward.

Remember, imposter syndrome is only a feeling and not your reality. Don’t let it hold you back from achieving your dreams and creating something amazing. Keep pushing yourself, learning, and growing.

IT’S TIME TO ELEVATE!

I’m also sharing some very exciting news about the new Elevate Business Retreat coming up! So make sure you stay tuned in to hear all of the super exciting details! 

LINKS: 

Sign up to my Elevate Business Retreat Waitlist here! Applications open on the 29th of May. 

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[00:00:00] Emily: Welcome back. Welcome back. I hope you are well, I am sitting in Ballarat, in my hometown. Well, I actually grew up in England, in Oxford and then I moved to Ballarat, so it’s kind of my second hometown. Moved here when I was 13 and spent my schooling years here and then moved to Melbourne after that moved back to Ballarat and now I, I do live in Melbourne, but I’ve come back. My mom is in Ballarat and uh, we are here for a few days, so mom’s hanging out with Lando. I’ve gone into the spare bedroom. I’m sitting on the floor. I’ve got my laptop and microphone up on a bench. uh, I’m coming to chat to you today around something that I know myself struggles with, and you might too. I know that lots of our members in The Modern Marketing Collective can relate to this and it’s something that we can often find, pops up over it and over again, no matter what level of business that we are at, and that is what is commonly known as imposter syndrome.

[00:01:46] It’s that feeling of perhaps other people seeing you in one way and you’re like, gosh, I don’t think I’m that good. I’m gonna get found out. I feel like I’m a fraud, or someone’s going to kind of gonna realize that I’m not actually that good. It’s a feeling of not being good enough. It’s a feeling of doubting yourself.

[00:02:07] And I remember one of the first times that it came up for me and uh, it was when I was living in Ballarat, I’d moved back after I was doing my Master’s in Communications and I was actually struggling with my mental health. I fell into pretty dark depression and I moved back to Ballarat at that point to get myself better.

[00:02:26] And I spent a few years in Ballarat and I thought I was gonna settle down here. Then I bloody met Coden and he was in Melbourne. So back we went. But um, at the time I was finishing my Masters and I did loads of work experience everywhere. I was kind of like focusing on journalism and public relations and learning about building websites.

[00:02:43] Anyway, I thought, oh, I could get into journalism and that might be the way that I can really do something that feels meaningful and share stories and help like in overseas and international aid sharing stories. And anyway, I digress. So I was back in Ballarat. I was doing lots of work experience everywhere in the radio stations, TV networks journalism.

[00:03:01] So I met and connected with lots of people. Anyway, there was an event that was happening. I think it might have been a like a fundraising or an awards dinner or something. And they had lined up to Mc this event, the news reader from the local network. Anyway, something happened. I think he must have got sick or held up somewhere. And I got a call to say, Emily, could you Mc this event? Now, I was convinced that they had confused me of someone else. Like honestly, I just thought. They’ve, there must be someone else called Emily or some like, I don’t know what’s going on here. But they have totally, they don’t realize who I am. Like, gosh, there’s no way I could MC that event.

[00:03:43] I dunno what to, how to Mc something like, gosh, no way. I’m gonna turn up there and they’re gonna realize they’ve asked the wrong person. So I said, no, and that just is, gosh. Such a representation of someone else, seeing how amazing or what opportunity, what potential we have, and us just not believing in it ourselves.

[00:04:07] And this totally still comes up for me and I don’t often notice at the time, but afterwards I reflect and I think, why didn’t I go for that opportunity? Why did I sabotage myself when I was maybe connecting with someone and then I pulled away because I thought, oh my God, they’re way more amazing than me.

[00:04:25] Or I could just step one little step forward to take up on opportunity and I don’t, cuz I think, oh, I’m not ready yet, or I don’t have the most amazing things to say yet. So how do we move through this? Something that is helping me is reframing from who am I to do this? Who am I to think I could possibly Mc this event when a news reader has just pulled out? Who am I to become friends or connect with these amazing people. I’m not that interesting. Who am I to take up this opportunity when I’m, I’m not that good.

[00:05:04] All these thoughts in our head. Okay, so reframing from the who am I to this is who I am. Well, they must believe I can do it, and I’m just gonna show up and Mc this event just as who I am, because that’s what they want. They’ve asked me because of who I am.

[00:05:22] Instead of, who am I to? This is who I am. This is my personality. Take it or leave it. This is my own background, my own experiences, my own approach, my own philosophies. So take it or leave it. There are billions and billions of people in the world. I know that you don’t necessarily resonate with everyone.

[00:05:44] I know that I don’t resonate with everyone. When I’m looking at different brands, different people, I’m like, oh, they resonate with me. Or this one maybe not so much. And it’s the same for me, and it’s the same for you. Some people are gonna resonate with us, some people will not, and that’s totally okay. And so by being just you and leaning into that and knowing that’s all you have to be, and that’s all I have to be, I don’t have to try and make myself seem more amazing or smarter or more whatever.

[00:06:12] Actually realizing I can just be me and that is enough. And also accepting that we are all so imperfect. We all make mistakes. We all screw things up. We all have little regrets or things that we, in hindsight, would’ve done differently. And being okay with that and knowing that is just part of being human.

[00:06:33] And when we can lean into being ourselves and being all of us, all of our imperfect selves, through our content, through our social media, through our videos, it kind of gives us a bit of a relief, I found anyway, because I’m like, well, I’m just gonna show you who I am flaws and all imperfections, and all self-doubts and all.

[00:06:53] I’m not hiding anything. No one could come catch me out because I’m like, yeah, I know. I’m over here. I’m just being human. I make mistakes too. I get stuff wrong. I change my mind. No one can find me out because I’m not trying to hide anything. And I think that is so helpful when it comes to dealing with that feeling of, oh my goodness, but think I’m like some different person to who I am.

[00:07:14] So I hope that gives you a little bit of help today. Maybe a little bit of an encouragement, a little bit of a reminder that this is a totally common thing that you might be feeling, and sometimes it might be more amplified and maybe other times less, and sometimes when not new opportunities come up.

[00:07:31] This is certainly what it happens for me, things that feel outside of our comfort zone, a little bit scary, a little bit like, gosh, I’ve never done this before. This is at a bigger scale. I find that those times are when it can really creep up, and so I make and try and make that conscious decision to move towards that absolute terror and fear because I know that this opportunity is coming most likely because someone else sees that I have the capacity and the ability and the whatever it is, they want me to do it.

[00:07:59] And so I just have to believe in myself that little bit more.

[00:08:02] You may very well be interested in joining me for my next business retreat. It is back for 2023. It is happening in Trentham Victoria, the most magical, beautiful Kuwait, pretty little town. This is where I’ve always held my events, and I’m excited to be there again in October, 2023.

[00:08:28] So the event is happening, the retreat is on from the 11th to the 13th, and you are gonna spend a few wonderful, magical, fulfilling, enriching, uplifting days with myself and a small, intimate group of other entrepreneurs. Now this is by application and applications will open for the event on the 29th of May.

[00:08:51] So in a couple of weeks now, I want you to go ahead and add yourself to the wait list so you can go ahead and do this at emily osmond.com/business retreat, or if that’s too much to remember, totally fine. Just go to my website or Google, Emily Osmond business retreat and you should be able to find it.

[00:09:09] Now, this is an event that I hold exclusively for my members of the Modern Marketing Collective because we talk about different strategies that we cover in depth in the material, in the modern marketing collective. So it’s really a great hybrid for you to be a member for you to after the retreat, then access the support as you go ahead and implement what we have discussed over those special magical few days together. So as in previous years, the opportunity will open up to my members and also if you are on the wait list, I will contact you to allow you to apply. And then also as happen in previous years you will also become a member of the modern marketing Collective, which is the best thing you can possibly do for your business if you want to learn how to market.

[00:10:02] More authentically to attract more of your ideal, incredible clients. Just feel like you get what you’re actually meant to be doing in business, in your marketing, to feel supported and like you’re not alone and to access ongoing, continuous mentoring from me as business continues to grow and evolve and you’re making decisions and including things and letting go of things and oh my goodness, and I wanna read out a few of the incredible testimonials and feedback that I’ve had from previous attendees of my retreat.

[00:10:34] So shout out to Rachel Clark who is on Instagram at Rachel Jane underscore design, and she has been a wonderful guest on this podcast, and Rachel came to two retreats, so I think that’s kind of saying something. She said the Elevate retreat was the best investment I’ve made in my business all year. Not only was it a beautiful weekend surrounded by inspiring passionate women, but I gained real clarity on where I want to go with my business. I figured out exactly how I can best serve my dream clients, and I’m full of confidence and excitement for where I see my business going. The workshop, so I host workshops over the retreat said the workshops were packed full of value, and I gained so much insight into my business through the brainstorming and chats with the group.

[00:11:13] It’s not often that you have so many amazing business women in the same spot all going through exactly what you are. There was so many beautiful touches to the event, and Emily had thought of everything. The location was gorgeous, the food was divine. Fyi, we have a private chef. Mm-hmm. The laughs were plenty and it was a wonderful getaway.

[00:11:30] Brackets from work and family to be able to focus on myself and the goals I have for my business. Highly recommend So Lisa is Lisa Graham, a mindset coach in celebrant. She said, I left the retreat with a sense of clarity and calm, feeling liberated and determined. Prior to attending, I felt somewhat stuck and apprehensive about spreading my wings in business however, but I left the retreat with a sense of clarity and calm, feeling liberated and determined, and it was evident that Emily, thanks Lisa, had thought of every little detail when planning the retreat and structured the workshop so we get the most outta them. It’s amazing how powerful it is when you bring a group of women together to share experiences and learn from each other.

[00:12:09] The weekend was full of great conversation, delicious food, a calming ambience dynamic learning self-discovery, laughs, tears, and so much more. I highly recommend you invest in yourself and embrace Emily’s Elevate retreat. Thank you so much, Emily. So. Go ahead, get your name down on the wait list and I will be in touch with you.

[00:12:27] So emily osmond.com/business-retreat, or just search Emily Osmond business retreat applications open on the 29th of May, 2023 and this retreat is being held in the beautiful town of Trentham in Victoria from the 11th to 13th of October. So you might wanna pop that date in your diary. And like I said, this is something that I offer exclusively to members in The Modern Marketing Collective, and often we have people that will do the both.

[00:12:55] So if you’re not a member yet, I’ll be in touch. You can go ahead and join the membership. I’ll give you an exclusive opportunity to join and attend this retreat. And for my beautiful members, I can’t wait to welcome more of you to this retreat this year. All righty. That is it from me. Have a lovely day and I’ll chat with you soon.