“Gaining Confidence to Collaborate” Collaboration Round Table - I left feeling infinitely more confident than I have in quite some time and I hope you did too.
If you weren't able to catch it live, here's a recap of what we covered:
WORKING WITH IMPOSTER SYNDROME
When you're feeling unqualified to call yourself a ___ (speaker, expert, etc.) remember Kellsie's wise words - “You are because you do.”
If you find yourself looking around the room and thinking, “how the hell did I end up here?” Toni said to remember that you were invited, and you belong there! She also recommends having a Hype Tunes Playlist to crank if you're feeling the nerves set in before a big event/meeting/talk.
Amanda told us that she's come to realize that when she's scared, that's a good sign that she's moving in the right direction. She now looks for opportunities that scare the crap out of her.
COMMUNICATING YOUR VALUE
Video is such a powerful medium to showcase your energy and enthusiasm for what you do, and according to Kellsie anyone can get good at being comfortable on camera (it's not just a natural-born talent, so if you currently feel like you're terrible on video, there's hope for you yet!)
Toni reminded us that when you understand your story and how it ties into what you offer and how that helps people, it gives you a sense of worthiness that can't be disputed.
Lean into the channel that you're most comfortable with when communicating your value. Amanda told us that she prefers writing to any other medium, but finally gave into the fact that having a video on the homepage of your website is one of the best ways to quickly and effectively communicate what you do.
When you share your story and your expertise while also being vulnerable, it allows people to connect with you on a deeper level than if you're always coming across as super polished and professional. Baily talked about how vulnerability and transparency can help you cut through the noise and form a connection with your community in a way that makes people feel like they get you as a person.
TOOLS TO REGAIN CONFIDENCE
Often our lack of confidence comes from a loss of identity, like from changing careers or stepping into a new role as a parent. This happened to Toni after she decided to close her successful PR business of 10 years, so her solution was to surrender to not knowing what would come next and to take whatever steps she knew how to every day. That lead to her creating her “My Hype Book”, which not only helped her regain her confidence, it launched her into the next phase of her career.
Kellsie's trick for when she's feeling a lack of confidence is to always choose certainty. Step into the version of you that believes in what you're doing, in your vision, and in your bigger purpose and their goals, and the confidence will return.
When Amanda had her three children, she lost her identity as an individual and also found herself in $64,000 in credit card debt. She knew she needed to pay off the debt and make a change, so she became open and available to whatever came her way, taking steps that she could have never seen coming. Her advice? Don't worry about the ‘how’, just move in the direction you want to go in.
WORDS OF WISDOM
“Find your inner advocate - you've gotta be able to advocate for yourself because when you can do that, you will go a very long way. Whatever practices, tactics, tricks, or hacks that you have to do to be able to do that for yourself - do it!” - Toni
“Keep moving forward towards whatever goal it is that you're trying to achieve; just do something every day. You don't have to know how you're going to get to the ultimate goal, just be open to wherever it takes you along the way, because you might get there in a really weird convoluted way that actually ended up being the best way ever. Be open and willing to take risks." - Amanda
“Being bad at video (or anything else) doesn't have to become part of your identity. Acquire the skills that will help you lessen the learning curve to avoid the pain in the process of getting to where you want to be." - Kellsie
“When you can clearly and confidently tell your story and share your expertise, you'll be able to connect with people on a whole other level. Anytime I'm feeling nervous about speaking (even if it's only on Zoom), I remember that everything I need to know is already in my head. I'm THE expert on my own story and professional experience, so there's nobody better to share it than me." - Baily
Watch the video replay by clicking here:
