Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway
Let me tell you about a time when I was able to feel the fear and do it anyway.
In August of 2016 I attended the Click Away conference in Seattle, WA, stood up on a stage and spoke to a ballroom full of people for the first time ever in my career.
I was terrified.
My speech was called “The Three Things You Need to Know to Build a Six-Figure Business”. And it was the first time I’d had the opportunity to share my approach to business and marketing with other photographers.
I’m happy to say that the talk was well received. People were moved and inspired by it.
But in the days following the conference, I realized that I left something out—something I didn’t even know I was leaving out until I got home.
And that is why I want to share it with you now.
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway
For some reason, my husband and I own two copies of a book called “Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway”. The funny thing is, neither one of us have ever actually read it, despite that fact, “feel the fear and do it anyway” has become sort of a mantra in our house.
When things are hard., when a choice feels risky, when we are at a crossroads—we look at each other and say those words.
When I started my business (way back in 1999), I remember being terrified. Could I really do it? What if I failed? What if people hated my photos?
The fear and the self-doubt were overwhelming sometimes. But you know what? I felt the fear and did it anyway!
Being in Business Is A Lot Like Being in Therapy
I’ve since learned that the fear that comes with doing something new is a good thing. It keeps us on our toes. It makes us work harder and push ourselves a little bit more.
Being in business is a lot like being in therapy…for it to work, you need to be vulnerable. You need to take risks. You need to be willing to put yourself out there. You need to allow yourself to be scared.
Those are all things I’ve felt in my journey as a photographer.
And those are all the things I felt on that stage at Click Away.
That little voice in the back of my head….
Can I really do this?
What if I fail?
Who the hell do I think I am?
But you know what? I did it. It scared me, but I did it.
I felt the fear and did it anyway. And it was amazing!
This is what I want to share with you
If you are going to build a business that you love, one that is both emotionally and financially fulfilling, you need to be good at your craft. You need a solid brand. You need a marketing plan in place.
All of those things are important.
But, you also need to let yourself be scared.
Feel the fear, and then push past it.
Feel the fear, and do it anyway.
It will be worth it in the end.
I promise.
