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I know it's hard to brag about yourself. As an entrepreneur I have also had this issue too of staying humble and not bragging about myself. But recently, while at a coaching event with Ali Brown's Elevate Coaching Program, I realized I needed to totally revamp my "About" page to show ALL of my accomplishments and previous experiences.
You may not realize that your experiences in corporate or your previous jobs give you MORE credibility as an entrepreneur. Your past is so valuable even if you are transitioning into a business that is totally different from what you used to do at your day job. This is especially important when you want to start speaking or getting media attention because you must have a bio ready to go. Your "About" page is probably the most important page on your website because people want to learn about what you do and how you can help them. Your resume now as an entrepreneur really is that bio and your about page.
I challenge you this week to spend at least 15 minutes brainstorming all of your credentials and experiences.This could be your education, awards, titles at previous companies, accomplishments you have had in your career already or media you have already gotten. Then I want you to list out your experiences. What knowledge do you have? Where have you traveled? Have you been through a similar experience that you are now teaching to others. All of this should be on your about page or in your featured in section of your website. Some members in my 90-Day Corporate Rescue Plan, told me they didn't have any experience. Later as we created their website for them, we found out that both of them had worked for the White House!! I said, "Let's put that on your site!" It might be hard to see all of your accomplishments so this may involve asking others to hear what they say from another person's perspective.
I really want you to be aware of this and your ability to disregard your background because....There is this thing called the impostor syndrome where many high-achieving females tend to believe that they are not as intelligent as other people think. Meaning they felt like impostors or someone's going to find them out! I have done a lot of research on this and even interviewed one of the experts on it, Dr. Valerie Young. She is the author of The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women: Why Capable People Suffer from the Impostor Syndrome and How to Thrive in Spite of It.
The impostor syndrome is big for women because we are often worried about making mistakes. Whereas, men don't worry because they feel they are entitled to make a mistake every once in awhile. The impostor phenomenon in high achieving women was actually studied by psychologists who found that women have a pattern of dismissing accomplishments and believing that their success would disappear once others discovered the awful secret that they were, in fact, "impostors."
So I admit that I suffered from the impostor syndrome when I had my first big international speaking engagement in Brazil back in September...but I was able to get over it.And here's a helpful tip my personal coach told me....you will always have the impostor syndrome. No matter what, that little voice will always be in the back of your head telling you that you aren't ready. You just have to learn to ignore it and march on!
So how could this syndrome be affecting your new career or business?
Maybe you aren't going for a job or a sale or taking action because you don't think you are qualified for it.So is there an opportunity or position that you are afraid to take because you don't think you are ready for it? I am telling you today that WHO CARES! GO FOR IT! You will never be 100% ready but that is when you the best opportunities come. Challenge yourself and start taking risks. Be comfortable being uncomfortable and step up!
