We all experience uncertainty and challenges that threaten our creative confidence, particularly when a big life change (like landing a new job or moving away from home) presents itself. It's not always comfortable to push your nerves aside and embrace that change, but it's always worth it.
Because we want you to lean in to risks and grow your self-confidence, we sought advice from four of the most fearless women we know: the successful entrepreneurs and mentor coaches to our 2021 cohort of Selfmade students. These female founders have been through the highs and lows of starting a business from the ground up, and they have a well of advice for staying cool, courageous, and oh-so creative.
Niki Shamdasani, Co-Founder And CEO At Sani
What have you noticed as being the biggest obstacle for female entrepreneurs today?
Imposter syndrome has been a recurring theme in coaching sessions, especially because it can lead to everything from a lack of self-confidence to feeling overwhelmed. We talk about the mindset shifts we can make, but also about how important it is to have a bias towards action to make sure imposter syndrome doesn't rule you.
What advice would you offer to women who are looking to build their confidence and trust their gut on their new path?
My biggest piece of advice is just to get started. I can't remember any one time when my gut said "go for it" at the beginning — it was actually a series of steps, of thinking through the idea and then acting on it in small ways.
What does creative confidence look like to you?
Creative confidence is knowing that inspiration comes from repetition — exercising your creativity every day, even when you don't feel like it — and from iteration — steadily improving on your craft bit by bit.
What do you do when you're feeling creatively stunted or uninspired?
I try to get out of my head, however I can! Sometimes that's a walk, sometimes that's talking to a friend, sometimes it's listening to a great podcast or playing great music.
Annie Vovan, Founder At Avenue Mama
What initially sparked your entrepreneurial path?
What sparked the path for me was when I became a mom — for a number of reasons. The most obvious was because my son had a medical concern which made it clear to me that I would be his primary caregiver. The other spark was to think about my children — and if I wanted to tell them to dream big, I had to leave a career that wasn't aligned with what I felt was best for me and my family.
What have you noticed as being the biggest obstacle for female entrepreneurs today?
Many students got stuck in the ideation phase versus the execution stage. Ironically, you overcome this by taking action. It's not that one day you'll wake up with confidence and then do big things in your business — it's taking steps in your business that give you confidence by taking action. Most entrepreneurs experience imposter syndrome, the difference is that those that take action despite feeling unqualified will be able to see what changes are needed to create something people will pay for.
What advice would you offer to women who are changing career paths and looking to build their confidence?
There really isn't a one-size-fits-all type of advice. A single 26-year-old versus a 45-year-old single mom with kids have different paths. I would seek mentors/coaches or join Facebook groups where you can engage with women who are doing what you want to do, and get a clear idea what it takes for you to create that type of business.
The great thing about being an entrepreneur right now is that the access to your ideal customer is free. I would truly look at your ideal customer and how your product or service would be a viable solution for them. And I definitely believe in going with your gut and your intuition.
What do you do when you're feeling creatively stunted or uninspired?
One exercise I do is write out what my life will look like in five years from the point of view that everything I've been working for has happened in my favor. I can see the bigger picture, and it allows me to let go of the minutiae ... and typically it pumps me back up to get up and try again. The heavier exercise is that I think about my obituary — and I think about where I hope to land at the end of my life. And by doing that exercise, I'm able to readjust or realign what I have going on.
Emily Merrell, Founder And CNO At Six Degrees Society
What advice would you offer to women who are changing career paths and looking to build their confidence and trust their gut on their new path?
There is no such thing as an overnight success, despite it often looking like there is. Consistency and adjusting are the ways to forge ahead, and you should always trust your gut. Your network is your net worth and surrounding yourself with individuals that light you up, push you forward, and encourage you is a small piece of the puzzle.
What does creative confidence look like to you?
Creative confidence is moving ahead without approval from others. It means getting out of your own way and trusting your creative instinct and intuition. We all have it, we just have to tune into it.
How have you seen your confidence grow over the years?
I judge myself less, I worry less what others think of me and the content I'm putting out. I'm 100% myself even if that means not pleasing 100% of people. I also feel more separation from my business. When someone unsubscribes from a newsletter or doesn't want to hire me as their coach, I don't feel the same rejection I felt before.
What do you do when you're feeling creatively stunted or uninspired?
Breathe. Pick up a book. Take a nap. Get outside or move my body in some way. Stepping away from the work I'm trying to do is typically always the solution.
Cachet Prescott, Creator And Host Of The All Things (Un)learned Podcast
What initially sparked your entrepreneurial path?
As a military spouse of 15+ years, my family and I have moved every two to three years which, in turn, impacted my professional journey. Depending on where we moved, there were often limited job opportunities, and even when the job was a good fit for me, we'd usually receive orders to relocate. Necessity was indeed the mother of invention, and I explored entrepreneurship as a viable path to creating a portable career opportunity doing work that I loved. Business ownership is something that I never even knew that I wanted but it's been 10 years now, and I haven't looked back.
What have you noticed as being the biggest obstacle for female entrepreneurs today?
Many female entrepreneurs have relegated themselves to the sidelines of their own lives and don't take up the necessary space to be (and feel) seen, heard, and understood as an entrepreneur. We as women have to proactively take charge of the narrative, using our voices to tell our stories and have the conversations that matter in every aspect of our businesses and lives.
How have you seen your confidence grow over the years?
Learning more about who I am as a person has been one of the main drivers in growing my confidence over the years. As I've gotten to know myself better (what matters to me; what excites me, inspires me, deflates me; what I need to let go of; what my superpowers are, etc.), I've been able to define who I am (and unabashedly walk in that) instead of letting others define me.
What do you do when you're feeling creatively stunted or uninspired?
Three things that usually work for me: allowing myself the space to simply be (instead of do) since putting more pressure on myself to create or produce is often counterproductive, taking a walk to let my mind wander and get the creative juices flowing, or exercising creativity in a different way than whatever it is I'm stuck on.
How do you build your creative confidence? Let us know on Twitter and subscribe to our email newsletter for the latest from B+C!
