Tips and Tricks to Overcome Imposter Syndrome
I was staring at my computer screen, squinting over a logo design for my newest client. A client I really, really needed. I blinked away the exhaustion, pushing myself to finish. My head throbbed, both with the pollution from the harsh blue light and from the constant stream of negative self-talk spewing its guts across my tired brain.
“You don’t know what you’re doing,” my brain hissed in my ear.
“You shouldn’t be charging for this garbage.”
“They're gonna hate this...”
I was already only making pennies for the time spent brainstorming, sketching, revising and communicating with my client- since I didn't charge enough in the first place.
The grind was draining me, and killing the passion I once had for my business. Why did I ever think this was worth the effort?
“You aren’t good enough.”
“They're gonna be so mad they wasted their money on this.”
“This looks like sh!t.”
The stream of bullsh!t my brain spewed at me was vicious. And it really tore me down.
Now I know what I was experiencing has an actual name. Imposter Syndrome or Impostorism is a psychological quirk describing an internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud, or of not being worthy of certain positive outcomes in life. It makes us doubt our skills, niche expertise, and work.
And something else about Imposter Syndrome?
It’s a lie.
How To Overcome Imposter Syndrome:
There is no exact formula on how to overcome the absolute mind-maze that consistent self-doubt can bring. But there are a few things I have tried over the years which have helped me fight back when my brain is sabotaging me.
1. Network within your niche.
You know that phrase, “it takes a village?” I know they were referencing raising children, but I think it applies to your business baby, too! One of the best ways to combat that feeling of “I don’t belong” is to carve out a space where you absolutely, without a doubt DO belong and can thrive!
Plus, talking with others in your field who have felt the same insecurities that you're dealing with is a great way to feel a little less alone.
Start expanding your network by following social media accounts in the same niche as you and engaging in their content. (You can connect with me if you need a friend in the design field! 🫶) I think we as creatives tend to focus on the competitive nature of content creation-we get so focused on trying to stand out, that we often forget fitting in, finding community within our niche can be just as important!
So, comment on that YouTube Tutorial video. Join the Facebook Groups for business owners in your area. Like, save, and share an Insta post that resonated with you. Reach out to others in your field when they have collaboration opportunities. Every planted seed of connection helps you grow your confidence.
Before you know it, you’ll have a community rallying behind you and your business the same way you rallied behind theirs.
2. Invest in your knowledge.
Without growing your own knowledge- you won't grow your business. It's a pretty basic concept. And yet some people reach a certain level of success where they feel they're "just doing enough" and then they coast.
If you crave more than a basic life- you have to constantly be learning. Getting better by even just 1% per day is 100% growth in just over 3 months.
Think about that: what could you achieve if you were 100% more knowledgable than you are now?
There are a tonne of free resources online these days-and a lot of them are actually fantastic! (That being said- have you downloaded your free content planner yet?)
The virtual world has an endless supply of tools to help you improve your business procedures or learn a new skill. If your business operations need to improve- find the weak spots and come up with a better plan. Maybe it's a new client onboarding process, or a better way of maintaining your books / payment plans. Whatever it is: having strategic, streamlined systems in place for your day-to-day is essential for your productivity and will help you feel more confident in your business.
If you are looking for a better option to running the day-to-day of your business- I highly recommend checking out Honeybook. Here's a 25% off link for this incredible software that makes running a business easily manageable. Set-up your streamlined client onboarding process, automatic payment reminders, collect credit payments online, create questionnaires, send contracts, invoices, proposals, and save your templates for future use. You can maintain every aspect of your client projects in one place. It also keeps track of your financial reports so come tax-season, you have everything ready to go.
There is no foul in trying to improve yourself. The more you work to improve yourself- the more you'll grow.
I learned early on that although I had the know-how and ambition to offer high quality branding services and products, I had no idea how to run a business. I quickly became overwhelmed. I knew that nothing could replace the value and expertise of investing in support. So I found a business coach that could help me by lending her tried and true sales strategy & personalized business consulting.
Without that step of admitting I needed support in an area where someone else was stronger- I wouldn't have been able to snowball my business to where it is today.
The first step of admitting you need support is sometimes the most important choice.
I know that not everyone has the resources available to them to pay for such a service. Hey, times are tough, I get it! But even taking the time to teach yourself how to approach areas of business that you don't feel super-comfy with can really pay off. The more you learn- the more confident you will feel, the less your Imposter Syndrome will rear its ugly head. See how that works?
3. Stop undercharging.
Stop. Under. CHARGING. Stop. Under. CHARGING.
*Ahem.* STOP. UNDER. CHARGING!
You are worth more than pennies!
If I have one big regret- it's not charging the right amount for the value of my work from the start. I SO wish I'd had someone to tell me that charging $50.00 for a logo that the multi-million dollar company was going to use for YEARS was an absolute JOKE (that they are probably still chuckling at today).
Charging what I should have been would have prevented a lot of frustration, a lot of late night revisions when I let clients walk all over me, a lot of project scope creep, AND it helps minimize that Imposter Syndrome voice when you see the proof in the financial pudding that your work is in-fact WORTH it.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT DESIGNER OUT THERE NEEDS TO HEAR THIS RIGHT NOW BUT:
There ARE people are willing / happy to invest in your services.
Pointing to your full bank account and saying, “How’s THAT for 'notgoodenough' you biiiish!” to your Imposter Syndrome is **chefs kiss** obviously an act of self love.
I want you to do something. Look up five other freelancers/business owners in your chosen field. Find out how much they charge, and list their prices in order from lowest to highest. Now think of what you charge, weigh what your deliverables are in comparison to theirs, and place yourself in that list.
I don’t have to know you personally to know that you came in at the bottom of that list. At most, maybe you put yourself in the middle.
You can-and should-be charging more. It’ll help silence that Imposter Syndrome voice when you stop worrying what people will think about your rates, and start serving who you're meant to serve: the clients that see the value in your work- who are happy to pay you what you're worth.
Compliments are nice honey, but exposure doesn’t pay the bills. And neither does self-doubt. Your skills and your expertise are worth it: make sure your pricing is AT LEAST meeting the industry standard before you ever let yourself consider that you're overcharging (because you probably aren't.)
Before we say goodbye-
I hope this post helps you realize how common Imposter Syndrome is. If you feel like you're not going to succeed, your skills aren't "good enough" somehow, or you're overwhelmed by the idea of what people will think if you start charging thousands for your services: you aren’t alone! So many creatives and entrepreneurs deal with it on a daily basis. Silly human brains, amirite?!
Honestly- you'll have to battle those negative feelings for a long time, and they might not ever go away entirely. But when you start finding / engaging in your community, using the resources available to you, investing in your business, paying yourself what you’re worth- you will definitely find those feelings are fading bit by bit.
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