Overcoming Impostor Syndrome: Silent Killers of Fashionpreneur Success

Overcoming Impostor Syndrome Starts with Cultivating Confidence

Do you never feel satisfied with where you are in your business? Does your success never feel like enough? Over the past few weeks we’ve covered overwhelm and perfectionism – now we’re overcoming impostor syndrome! This concept has been a buzzword over the past year but what does it really mean?

By definition, impostor syndrome is someone’s persistent inability to believe that their success is legitimately deserved. I’ve experienced this feeling myself and it’s toxic! It’s usually felt by high achievers when they are embarking on something new, like a new job industry or a new business venture. The hardest thing about newness is the beginning stage. You always feel like the underdog. You feel like everyone knows that you are inexperienced, and you believe the slightest slip-up will expose you as a “fraud.” No matter how hard you work and how many successes you win, your company still feels like a little fish in a GIGANTIC pond. Everyone is simply doing it better, and it’s impossible to measure up.

At its core, impostor syndrome is a lack of confidence. It’s a constant feeling of “not-enough-ness.”

No matter how many great ideas you have, you’re never talented enough. No matter how many stores your line is in, your business model still isn’t effective enough. This feeling of “not enough-ness” makes you feel like you have to fight to measure up to this imaginary standard. When you feel like an impostor or an underdog, the automatic response is to over-perform and be perfect. Since you feel you have to live up to this imaginary standard, you start to fear failure. But fear of failure puts you in a constant mental state of fear and anxiety that drains creativity and peace needed for your business to THRIVE.

So how do you STOP feeling like an impostor in your own business?

Focus on Your Why– Not Your Thoughts and Feelings!

Your mission in your business has to be at the forefront of your conscious mind. Or else you’ll lose stamina when your thoughts and emotions tell you that your ambitions are not worth pursuing. We always tell our clients, “if your why doesn’t make you cry, then it isn’t big enough.” So, remember why you started and continue to dream BIG. Maybe you started so you can donate some of your proceeds to a charitable cause you feel passionate about. Or maybe you want to collaborate with artisans and help preserve their craft. Whatever it is, your unique calling is worth it, and the industry needs it! This mindset is the key to staying FOCUSED- probably the most important entrepreneurial trait after confidence!

We develop impostor syndrome when we uphold other people’s success as a standard for our own success. It keeps us out of focus- forgetting why we started and what WE have to offer.

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Stop Looking Left & Right. Stay in Your Own Lane!

Your business isn’t competing with other businesses; it’s competing with your potential! The day you start comparing yourself to others is the day you start losing. Impostor syndrome lives inside of a lack mindset. So, stop comparing! There’s room for everyone to succeed.  Focus on strengthening your own business. If you get at least 1% better at a skill every-day, you’ll master it before you know it. Mastery is the key to overcoming impostor syndrome, not perfection or competition.

Instead of comparing yourself, learn to appreciate where you are in the moment.  As entrepreneurs we have it hard enough. There are so many circumstances that challenge our self-confidence so it’s up to us to replenish it! Acknowledging your worth and talent is the most fundamentally crucial part of preserving your confidence.

And give yourself more frequent pats on the back. You’re too amazing to NOT #treatyoself.

Do it S-C-A-R-E-D! Overcoming imposter syndrome happens after you take action!

Entrepreneurs have the hardest jobs by far. Between cold emailing to negotiating prices, to being a decisive team leader- there’s no clear rulebook for success. Entrepreneurs, especially women, tend to confuse confidence with being “right” and overprepared – but you don’t always have time for that! Business owners need to make quick, executive decisions often. Being a firm, decisive leader takes trusting your gut and cultivating strong intuition.

Remember, success correlates more with confidence than competence! It’s not about knowing everything; it’s about taking chances, learning and iterating as you go!

Stop focusing on what you lack and start OWN-ing your strengths. Watch that impostor vanish!

For weekly mindset tips, I encourage you to check out of Fashion Biz Foundation Online Course. Overcoming fear and cultivating confidence is the premise of this mindset-driven course.

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