Women have to face many challenges on the road to entrepreneurial success. Some of them are economical, some of them are social, but some, and these are often the trickiest ones to solve, come from within. Even the most talented, driven woman you know has had to deal with insecurities, questioning their abilities, second-guessing their decisions, or feeling overwhelmed by the weight of their business aspirations.Fortunately, however, women entrepreneurs going through such trials can count on the advice of Kyra Valdez-Shipp, a Fortune 25 executive turned entrepreneur and business coach. Today we’ll share some of this advice with you.
1. Recognize That Self-Doubt Is Normal
The very first thing you should know about feelings of self doubt is that you are not alone in feeling like this. Studies have shown that women are more likely to question their abilities and achievements compared to men, even when both perform at the same level. When we understand that this is a normal experience, two things happen:
- You feel more confident in sharing your struggles with others.
- You stop taking those feelings so seriously, after all, even the most successful woman you know has gone through it at some point.
The key is to reframe self-doubt as a challenge to overcome rather than something that defines you and your capabilities. It’s not a huge wall keeping you from success, but rather a speed bump on the road to it. When you recognize that many successful entrepreneurs have experienced similar doubts, it lifts the weight of feeling like you’re the only one struggling with this issue.
2. Reflect on Your Achievements
Being an entrepreneur is all about thinking ahead, but keeping an eye on the horizon at all times is a great way to trip on the rock that’s right at your feet. So, taking some time to reflect on what you’ve already achieved can be a powerful antidote to imposter syndrome.Think back on your journey up to where you are and all the victories, big and small that took you here, it could be landing your first client, reaching a revenue target, or successfully managing a team. You’ve earned every step forward.
3. Seek Support and Mentorship
Let’s go back to the first point for a second. Since feelings of self doubt are so common in women in business, one of the best things you can do for yourself and others like you is surround yourself with a supporting community.
This community should be made of other women entrepreneurs or mentors who understand your challenges and can provide the encouragement and validation you need.They’ll help you normalize the feelings of imposter syndrome, and remind you that you’re not alone in your struggles.
A mentor can also be a great ally in this process, someone who has already overcome her self doubt and can help you navigate business challenges with greater confidence will ease the load off your shoulders.
4. Practice Self-Compassion
A common mark of an intelligent woman is the tendency to set up extremely high expectations for yourself. However, the trade off to having such high expectations is that you won’t always meet them on the first try, and when that happens, you should be prepared to show some mercy towards yourself, as if you were a friend you’re trying to help. Recognize that being an entrepreneur is tough, and mistakes or moments of uncertainty are part of the process.
By acknowledging that you’re doing the best you can with the resources and knowledge available, you can break free from perfectionism and gain some much needed resilience to failure, something that will serve you well on the road to success.
5. Set Clear, Achievable Goals
When you know what to do, and more importantly, know that you can do it, the immediate result is an increase in confidence and effectiveness. You can set these goals by breaking down larger ones into manageable steps and celebrate the completion of each one. Besides giving you a clear perspective of progress, this process reinforces the idea that success is built on small everyday victories.
All the tips we have shared in this article are strategies that Kyra Valdez-Shipp teaches women to implement in her coaching program for female entrepreneurs. In this program, Kyra applies her 20 years of experience to guide her clients through business assessments and create tailored action plans based on their individual needs.
You can learn more about her and her company through their website: https://peak-psg.com/