Family is amazing, am I right?! I had a chat with my dad today, who was just back from his first trip to Africa. Needless to say, he LOVED it. Then I had a few email exchanges with my mum, and next week, I will have the joy of seeing one of my brothers for a few days, too.
When it comes to family, I am sure it’s the same for you: they have known me at my best, they have known me at my worst. No matter what is happening in life, your family will generally accept you – that, or tell you what you need to do to sort it out!!
But what about out in the big bright world?
How do people know who you are out there? How do they know if they can trust you? Or, more importantly, how do you know if you can trust them? How can you form meaningful connections with people in friendships, in partnerships? The first two are tough enough, let alone meaningful connections in business!
Today, our Quick Query is from Katie, who writes:
Savannah, I am loving the site and the opportunity to connect with you and ask questions, so thank you.
(Thank you, Katie, that’s what we are here for.)
I am about to start a new business, which I have been wanting to do for several years now. There are 2 things I am worried about. The first is: the most important thing to me is that my business has meaning, that it really will make a difference in the world, and I can meaningfully connect with people through it. But I also realise it needs to be a business to survive. How can I do this?
The second thing is: I am really shy. I know I am going to have to go and talk to new people about my business, and I am afraid that my shyness is going to let me down. I like talking to people who know me, but talking to strangers scares me, and I get really stuck.
I’m afraid they will judge me, or attack me, or worse still, just ignore me and that I will ultimately fail. I’m feeling stuck and a bit depressed about it really, but at the same time, I am still certain starting my own business is what I want to do. Do you have any words of wisdom?
Katie, those are two AWESOMELY juicy questions!!
There are so many parts, so I’m going to break it down – let’s jump in.
Firstly:
- Starting your own business:
I am sure you already have a clear picture of what business you are going to start and why you are doing it. If you are still looking for inspiration, I highly recommend the book Business Model You by Timothy Clark.
I would highly recommend you get yourself a coach and go deep: put an outline and plan in place for your business. If you really want to start a meaningful business, I invite you to consider the wise questions Elon Musk – founder of Tesla – asks himself before he begins a company:
Can it be done? (Meaning that, by doing it, there are no laws of physics being broken.)
Is it important for me and for humanity?
If he gets a yes to both of those, he goes ahead. Now, is it important to humanity is a big question, but if you are looking to meaningfully connect in business, it is a question you will need to ask. Again, a coach can support you in exploring this.
I would also recommend reading Louder Than Words by Todd Henry.
- People attacking you, judging you, or ignoring you:
This fear is totally normal – we all go through it. I have been through it, and I know many in our community have been through it, too. I like to look at it as a right of passage to becoming successful in your business. There will be people who hate on you like crazy and others who love everything you offer up. This process of sifting through those people is called finding your tribe’.
Just focus on one conversation at a time, rather than thinking you need to talk to everyone at once. Others will learn soon enough what kind of person you really are.
Napoleon Hill put it best when he said,
Attend well to your character, and your reputation will look out for itself #NapoleonHill
And believe me, this is so true!
Spend your time and energy on constant self-inspection and self-improvement, strengthen your character, and you will never have to worry about what others think of you. Ultimately, though, the most important thing is how you feel about yourself – that you take time daily for inner reflection and to listen to and act on your feelings. That you are committed to following your path daily with small steps.
Now, on to getting unstuck!!
- Getting unstuck
When you hit a mental wall or even an emotional wall, one of the best things you can do is move your body. I am a HUGE dancing fan – I think this stems from my former ice-skating days. I will put on a favourite track and go for it – I call it shaking my ‘GeniAss’ out!
And with what you are talking about, the song that jumps into my head is a Taylor Swift song – Shake it Off!!
Shake it all off, one step at a time, one conversation at a time. Have your plan and follow it. Decide what your next step is and take it.
Remember, Katie – now is your time to shine.
I’m really cheering you on. I invite you to be seen, share your dream and meaningfully connect through your business.
Your potential can light up the world in ways you have yet to dream of.
Let’s go illuminate this world together.
So, Katie, that is my answer to your quick query. I really hope it helped.
Now, over to you. What do you do to help you get unstuck? How do you overcome the fear of talking to new people? And how do you meaningfully connect in business?
Share with us in the comments below.
Much love,
Savannah
PS What is the Most Important Thing for Human Beings to be Happy?
