If I do ___, they’ll say < insert nasty comment >
You pace the room, fret over the LinkedIn post and wring your hands over that email. What will they say? Even worse, what will they think?!
Putting yourself out there is hard. It doesn’t come naturally to everyone. Over the years I’ve struggled to get over the what-ifs and be seen, to put my work out into the world, to make an ask. It’s come into sharp relief this month as I’ve not only pushed myself out of my comfort zone in doing something new (delivering a workshop), I’ve repeatedly had to tell people about it – to usher the spotlight onto myself and, gasp, actually ask if they’d like to attend.
Boots. Quaking, in my.
Simple reasoning tells me that if I struggle with this, other people must do too. So if the sweat on your lip has been accumulating for the last five minutes solid as you hover over the ‘send’ button, this one’s for you.
Step out of your comfort zone – nobody is waiting to shoot you down
As a business owner, as someone who has a skill or a passion project, my guess is that you really enjoy what you do. But how do you feel about sharing it, about letting other people see it? Does it make you feel giddy with excitement? Do you feel like you need to lie down in a cold, dark room?
I think I'm more in the latter than the former camp, although I have got better over the years. But when I'm working on something new, when I'm doing something novel (to me), or getting out of my comfort zone, I find it challenging. Luckily, it never turns out to be as bad as expected. I am genuinely amazed when people come back to me with nice comments when I put my work out into the world. Honestly, the support really does help.
My message to you is a simple one: keep pushing yourself out of your comfort zone. Because I promise you, there are no trolls waiting in the wings to ambush you. In fact, my experience has repeatedly shown me if anything is waiting in the wings for me, it’s the other icon of 90s children’s television, the Care Bears. And if you're reading this newsletter then you, my friend, can consider yourself a Care Bear. You fluffy little darling, you.
What worst-case scenarios do you play in your head?
The push to do something new doesn’t always come from inside. Sometimes opportunities bump into us, chances cross our path that challenge the parameters of our current reality. I was prompted to do a workshop by a brilliant colleague and collaborator called Egle Vilutyte, a strategic and branding wizard. The work is taking place courtesy of her generous invitation. As I’ve toiled behind the scenes, I’ve shared the workshop with people cautiously. And though these happy coincidences are opportunities, they are not necessarily easy. In fact, the usual tracks have been looping my mind:
Can I ask for this?
Is it okay to share this work with so and so?
Can I ask them to pass it on to anyone they know that might be interested?
Is it really good enough?
Are people going to want to come?
To my delight, the reception has been incredibly warm, not only to the idea of the workshop, people are genuinely happy to hear about what I'm working on. It sounds so simple and obvious, but it takes me by surprise every time. But why? People that I spend time building relationship with are invested and if I've got something to help someone, why would they not be interested to hear about that?
And if you’re not convinced that people are good and actually want you to succeed, here’s the proof that prompted this very newsletter.
100% fear, 0% negative feedback
Last week’s newsletter was about the workshop; I also posted about it on LinkedIn, to share what I was doing and encourage people to book.
Out of the blue earlier this week, I had a message from a colleague. Now, this colleague isn't someone that had liked my post. They hadn't replied to my email newsletter. They hadn't commented on anything on social media. And yet I arrived at my desk to find a direct message in my inbox, wishing me good luck with the course, that they hoped it went well. It was an absolutely lovely – unexpected – message to receive. But they'd gone further; they'd actually shared with me details of a programme that they'd attended, on how to successfully build courses and workshops.
It blew my mind.
That person had given no visible indication that they had even seen what I had put out there. They hadn't given it any kind of positive reaction, in fact they hadn't given any reaction at all. At that point it would be easy to assume, “Okay, maybe not troll territory, but indifference. I can deal with that.” And then from nowhere, out popped one of those famous Care Bears to drop a very encouraging message into my inbox.
This is not an email, this is a cheer for you
Remember… when you're doing something new, when you are pushing the envelope a little bit – and you don’t have to revolutionise the world – but if you're pushing your envelope, keep in mind the following. Even if you can't see those pastel-coloured teddy bears running around, know that they are there, skipping silently, invisible in the background.
Today, I'm here to be your Care Bear, to encourage you to keep going, to keep sharing. Because I promise you, you will find more Care Bears than Trolls and your work, no matter how big your doubts, will find a candyfloss-coloured home in the sky, where it belongs. So there. Consider yourself Care Bear’ed.
If you’ve enjoyed this edition or if you know someone who really needs a transfusion of Care Bear vibes, please do share this with them.
I’ll see you next week, and don't forget…
Your words matter,
Laura
Workshop – HOW TO WRITE A TAGLINE FOR YOUR BRAND
***Not long left to book***
Can you imagine Nike without its swoosh logo? How about McDonald’s without the golden arches?
You wouldn’t launch a brand without a logo.
So, what about your tagline?
A tagline is a bit like a verbal logo. Can you imagine those same brands without “Just do it” or “I’m Lovin’ It”?
Of course not.
Your verbal brand is just as important as your visual logo – it’s a valuable brand asset that identifies you in the mind of your customers. Think “Because You’re Worth It”, “Every Little Helps” or “Maybe she’s born with it…”.
Learn to write your own in my workshop.
When: Tues 24th November
Where: Online
Investment: £30 – as part of my network you can use code ‘Laura15’ to receive a 15% discount when booking
Feel free to share it with anyone who might be interested. Hope to see you there!
The Weekly Writing Reflection
Welcome!
Each week I share an inspirational quote and a writing prompt. The idea is for you to spend a moment doing some active reflection through writing.
Here’s your quote for this week. Enjoy!
‘The more we genuinely care about others the greater our own happiness and inner peace.’
- Allan Lokos
And your writing prompt, if you’d like to use one:
I really care about…
What’s Caught My Eye This Week
Each and every week I’ll share a few snippets of inspiration, thought-provocation and jubilation. Hand-curated delights, selected by yours truly to stimulate your mind and soothe your soul.
Musings on life I didn’t know I was missing –If you’re at all interested in culture, movement and doing good, check out the BrazilArte newsletter. It’s more than a newsletter though – Emma’s pieces are mini-meditations on life. They said email was dead. If a weekly newsletter that has, before now, brought a tear to me eye equals dead, then long may email be un-breathing.
DO yourself a favour – sign up to The DO Lectures mailing list. Part inspiration, part encouragement, part push to DO something, this is the best example I know of how to build a community, not an email list.
This is what creative people play in their heads before they stop doing the thing they love – An oldie but a goodie, I wheel out this brilliant talk from Brené Brown whenever I’m feeling like I want to hide under a rock, instead of putting myself out there.
Thank you, as ever, for supporting this newsletter. Your eyeballs, your kind words and your presence keep the words flowing. If there’s anyone you know that might need a wordy-hug today, please do share this post with them.
I’ll see you back here same time, same place next week. Make it a good one!