Ep. 19 The Stern Truth: Navigating Imposter Syndrome

Have you ever found yourself believing that someone is incredibly successful? You visit their website and are wowed, but also feel… intimidated? Out of their league? Just not good enough? That’s imposter syndrome.

Small business owners often think they’re going to fail, or that they can’t even do it to begin with. So many people underestimate what they can’t do that they don’t focus on what they can do. 

As an entrepreneur for over 30+ years, I know those limiting beliefs. I’ve seen them and I’ve helped people break through them. 

In this episode of “The Stern Truth”, I reflect on a client who revealed her apprehension about her online presence. Her imposter syndrome told her it wasn’t polished enough, that she wasn’t ready to put it out to the word. Eventually, she came to realize it didn’t need to be right from the start. Just start.

This episode challenges our own perceptions of our abilities, reinforces that pace is personal, and really underlines that we should ENJOY the entrepreneurial journey. 

After all, the first two letters of imposter are I-M. So tell yourself “I am”. 

“I am ready.” 

“I am capable.” 

“I am moving forward.”

Subscribe to The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered so you never miss an episode and receive a FREE GIFT: http://www.thesterntruth.com/

Join my Business Inner Circle Community for free here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thebusinessinnercirclegroup

Book your complimentary business blindspot assessment with me here: https://attractwell.com/MarshallStern/landing/breakthrough-session

I encourage you to reach out with feedback, topic suggestions, and share your own entrepreneurial challenges.

Get in touch in the comments or head to...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marshallstern/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarshallDStern
Email: marshall@marshallstern.net

Transcript

[00:00:00] In this episode, we cover one of the biggest topics that hold us back and growing our business, and that is imposter syndrome and limiting beliefs. This is just part one of a series that we're going to be talking about this topic. Also, please mark your calendar for August the sixth. Okay. We are reintroducing, it's been a two years since we've done this, the Entrepreneur Bonfire series, and this is going to be a completely free event.

[00:00:29] We're going to run through the month of August every Wednesday for four weeks to help you build a momentum going into the fall season. More information on that later. If you want to get on the list for it, send me a quick email to marshall@marshallstern.net and I'll send you the details. But for now, enjoy this special episode on limiting beliefs and imposter syndrome.

[00:00:58] Hi, I'm Marshall Stern and I've spent over 35 years leading and growing multiple small businesses. I know firsthand the struggles of entrepreneurship, feeling isolated, lonely, overwhelmed, and feeling like you have to do all by yourself. I've been through multiple recessions, and I have felt the highs and the lows. I've been there and I get it.

[00:01:19] This podcast is here to change that every week. I will bring you straight talking advice, real world strategies, and honest conversations about what it takes to succeed in business without the fluff, the gimmicks, or the sugar-coated. If you're ready to stop spinning your wheels and start making real progress, then you are in the right place.

[00:01:40] This is the Stern Truth. Alright everyone, welcome back to another episode of the Stern Truth Business Unfiltered. Okay. Today we're talking about one of the biggest things that will hold you back or has held you back possibly from building the business that you truly want, and that is limiting beliefs, or more specifically for today's topic.

[00:02:09] Imposter syndrome. Yes, imposter syndrome. And it is very timely because we've just come out of our group coaching session momentum. And one of the things we talked about, in fact, a big part of our discussion today was around this thing called imposter syndrome. Now, recently in preparation for today's episode – 

[00:02:35] I went to my community and I asked them for feedback on how imposter syndrome can show up for them. Because here's what I do know, could be a Stern Truth. These hidden stories that we keep telling ourselves, these limiting beliefs being stuck in imposter syndrome, I am saying, can be one of the biggest reasons we don't hit those goals.

[00:03:02] That we deep down know that we are capable of, but something holds us back and that something or someone is usually us. Imposter syndrome, however, can be just a symptom of limiting beliefs. Okay, talk about that further in just a moment. I'm going to give some tips, strategies as well to navigate this, but here's a question I have for you.

[00:03:26] Have you ever felt like an imposter in your business? Or found yourself stuck because of a belief such as the following, look at this person and all that they've done. I am nowhere near where they're at. That's number one. So that sounds familiar. Check out someone's website and it's like, wow. Look at what they've done.

[00:03:53] Who am I? Where am I? Here's another one. I'm too young. I'm too old. I'm just not ready. I don't know enough. What about, what will they say if I show up online? What are they going to say about me? What if, here's another one. What if they find out I am not as good as they think? Hmm. How about that one? Sit with that one.

[00:04:21] What if I'm not. As good as they think and they find that out. What if I fail? And another big one, can I really do this? So some of these are limiting beliefs, some of these getting stuck in that imposter syndrome. Now, as I said, talked about this in our group session today, momentum, and I went to my community, as I mentioned, and here's some of the feedback that.

[00:04:47] Some of our clients and some of my community members mentioned how of how imposter syndrome affects them or shows up for them. I've got this written down. What if we grow and I'm not prepared to lead more people or simply am I really a capable leader? How does that sit with you? What if we grow and I'm not prepared to lead more people or simply am I really a capable leader?

[00:05:16] Here's another one. When we first, this is from one of my clients, she said, when we first started working together, I was very concerned with how many, with how my business presented itself from the outside. Was my website polished perfectly and up to date, not years old, like not an old website was my Google page set up properly, so on and so forth.

[00:05:40] This initially stalled me from putting myself and my business out there to be seen by others. Hmm. We have since worked on this. And I now realize that people will learn who we are and walk through the front door, so to speak and see the well-oiled and well taken care of machine that we are. The reality I had to come to terms with was this, anyone I wanted to work with was not going to judge a book by its cover.

[00:06:12] Yes, I needed to have a presence online, but it didn't need to be perfect. Okay. Did you catch that one? Didn't need to be perfect. I've since overcome this and it has also helped me put out social media posts daily now on multiple platforms where before I would have hesitated and been too nervous and never posted anything, thinking it was not good enough.

[00:06:44] Okay. Wow. How does that sit with you? Okay, here's another one. I questioned whether I was good enough or too much, or too weird. One more. Confidence without competence is delusional. Just need to make sure you are focused on developing the skills for competence. Okay, repeat that one. Confidence without competence is delusional.

[00:07:13] I like that. Okay. I'd love your feedback on that one. And here's the final one. Feeling that everyone's work is better than mine, and the self-limiting beliefs that go with it, perfectionism and procrastination, and those are all further symptoms. Perfectionism and procrastination stalls us from moving our business forward.

[00:07:42] Like I said, imposter syndrome can be a symptom of limiting beliefs. However, the Stern Truth is, imposter syndrome alone can be a good thing. Well, really Marshall? It could be a good thing then feeling like an imposter. Yes, it can be. Lemme explain. Sometimes when we feel like an imposter, okay, give an example.

[00:08:10] What if you're at this networking event, Chamber of Commerce event, you walk into the room and you're around all these people, or you’re at a weekend retreat business conference. You walk into a room and you see all these people, and from afar they look like they've got it together. Okay? Cue the imposter syndrome.

[00:08:30] You have speakers getting on stage talking about how successful their imposter syndrome. But here's the thing, you're there. You're feeling the imposter syndrome possibly because you're stepping outside of your comfort zone. If you never feel imposter syndrome, maybe you're not growing, maybe you're not stepping outside of your comfort zone, you're just too comfortable.

[00:08:55] So imposter syndrome can be a good thing as long as I have to add this, as long as you catch it and you talk to it and you stop it. From going any further because it doesn't no longer serves you if you allow it to take you away from what you want to achieve, your goals, your vision for yourself and your business.

[00:09:25] Same thing going to social media, posting online, getting out there online, just like in person. If what's holding you back, like my client earlier I'd mentioned, her response if you're holding back, posting and showing up on social media, because you, you fear what other people might say or you don't think you're good enough.

[00:09:47] You're a little uncomfortable. Yes, get clear on your message, but just doesn't have to be perfect. Just get out there. So that's one of the strategies. It's like one of my mentors said, jump and build your wings on the way down. Do it scared. And if imposter syndrome starts to creep up.

[00:10:09] What are the first two letters of imposter? Yes, I-M. So instead of letting it take you down the black hole of imposter syndrome and then limiting beliefs, so and so forth, you just stop yourself and say, I am ready. I am moving forward. I am capable. I'm valuable. So on and so forth. Keep moving forward.

[00:10:39] It's smoke and mirrors my friends online, offline as well. All smoke and mirrors a lot of the time. What you see, I've told you the story. Okay? I think I've told you the story in a previous episode when I first got into the sign industry, long time ago. It was part of the franchise and one of the people who had the franchise in Portland, she had 10 locations.

[00:11:07] We thought she had, she was the queen of the franchise organization. We thought she had everything she did on the surface. She had all these locations. I went down with my then business partner, spent a week with her well a few days with her. I. She had like 56 or 65 employees, something like that. She had an HR department, a marketing department.

[00:11:32] You know, we had like, there was like six of us. She had like 10 times that plus 10 locations, and she was the golden child of the franchise. Everyone wanted to be like her. There was a little imposter syndrome, but we also went knowing that we could learn from her. So it didn't hold us back. We were stepping forward, stepping into it.

[00:11:57] But the smoke mirrors came because yes, she built this, her own little empire within this bigger empire for herself. She had a silent partner who was the money behind it, and things start to go south and she started closing up location after location, after location and doing things, not paying her rent for those locations.

[00:12:24] Things were a bit of smoke and mirrors. On the surface, it looked like she had everything but behind the scenes they were struggling. So that's one of the things to do is to really look at when you're starting to feel like someone's got it made, or you're feeling it an imposter because other people are doing this.

[00:12:43] First off, realize it's perception. Our perception. Perception is our reality. It's not necessarily the reality. Number two, everyone goes at their own pace. The fact that you're feeling it, congratulate yourself that you're feeling it because you're moving forward, you're pushing forward.

[00:13:05] Just don't get stuck in there. Again, redirect the imposter syndrome with the “I am”, rather than saying, I'm not ready. I'm not good enough. Replace it with, I am ready. I am good enough. I'm going to do this. Another strategy to try. It's a big one. I harp on this all the time. Build a stronger inner circle. Get yourself a mentor.

[00:13:34] Get yourself a business coach. Surround yourself with other entrepreneurs who aren't necessarily all struggling. If you're struggling, maybe entrepreneurs that are maybe one step ahead of you or with you and grow with them. It's a process or a process depending on where you are. Enjoy the journey. Too many of us want to be at the destination.

[00:13:59] We want to enjoy the rewards. We want to enjoy achievement. We want to enjoy the destination. There's a famous quote, success is a journey, not a destination. Enjoy the journey. Love the journey. Celebrate the journey. There's going to be ups and downs in entrepreneurship. My friends there is just the way it is.

[00:14:21] If you want to own a business, if you want to do this thing like we call entrepreneurship, just know it's going to go up and down, but we can control it. The final tip I want to give you is stop letting the outside influences stop. Letting the outside influences negatively influence the inside. Repeat that. Stop letting the outside influences negatively influence the inside.

[00:14:54] Third, last time, because I fumbled the last one, stop letting the outside influences negatively influence the inside. I would love to hear your feedback on this. Love to hear how you have imposter syndrome or living beliefs show up in your life. This is only part one. We are going to continue with further segments on this topic because it is that important my friends.

[00:15:18] So I want to hear your feedback. I want to hear. What's worked for you? What hasn't worked for you? Reach out to me at Marshall Stern online or marshall@marshallstern.net. Send me an email. That's it, marshall@marshallstern.net. Join our Facebook group, the Business Inner Circle.

[00:15:39] Let's do this together. Thank you so much for. Listening, watching, and we'll see you again next week in another episode of The Stern Truth Business Unfiltered. 

[00:15:54] Thank you so much for tuning in to the Stern Truth. If you found today's episode helpful, we would love to hear from you. Please like, share and leave us a review.

[00:16:02] Also, if you'd like to be a guest in the upcoming episode or join us in one of our Moment Accountability Group sessions, simply email me to marshall@marshallstern.net. That's marshall@marshallstern.net. And don't forget to hit the subscribe button, so never miss an episode. Until next time, keep pushing forward and leading with confidence.