Overcoming the Fear of Putting Yourself Out There as a Virtual Assistant

Putting yourself out there as a Virtual Assistant can feel scary! What if you get rejected? What if people laugh? In this episode, I cover 7 tips to help you overcome your fear!

Mentioned in this episode:

• Introvert VA Club: https://introvertvaclub.com
• Feel the Fear...and Do it Anyway: http://amzn.to/2vSxckm
• YOU are a Badass: http://amzn.to/2fZqYcK
• Weekly Newsletter: https://desiretodone.com/newsletter

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Transcript

One question I hear often from people who want to start a virtual assistant business is, “How can I get over the fear of putting myself out there?”

First of all, I totally get it. Every entrepreneur has to deal with this fear, especially in the early stages of their business. I sure did! 

My name is Billie Gardner and I’m a Virtual Assistant mentor. I’m so happy you are listening to my podcast! 

In this episode, I’m going to cover 7 tips for overcoming the fear of putting yourself out there. So if you’re feeling scared, keep listening! 

1) Figure out what you’re really afraid of.

Let your imagination run wild here. What is the absolute worst thing that can happen if you put yourself out there? Are you afraid someone will say no? That someone will get mad at you? Or that you’ll make a fool of yourself? 

Once you’ve got your worst-case scenario, think about what you would do if that actually happened.

Now let’s look at things realistically. What are the chances of your worst-case scenario actually happening? Most likely, the chances aren’t very high. Even if it did happen, it probably wouldn’t be the end of the world, and you’ve already figured out what you’d do about it anyway!

For example, if someone says no…you move on to someone else. If someone gets mad at you for pitching your services, well, it’s a good thing to know that this person is a butt and it makes you grateful that they aren’t a client. And if you make a fool of yourself? Well, we are all human! None of us are perfect and perfection is quite boring anyway. Laugh it off and move on! 

This exercise kinda puts things into perspective, you know!

2) Work in baby steps.

Getting your business off the ground can feel huge and overwhelming, so break down the big tasks into smaller and smaller steps until those actions feel doable.

For example, let’s say the idea of launching your business feels daunting and overwhelming. You can make a list of small steps you can take to get your business going, like write down the services or tasks you want to help clients with, determine who your ideal client is, price your services, create a business name, and so on. 

Then commit to taking a baby step or two each day. You’ll be amazed how quickly they add up to success! Before you know it, you will have launched your business and it didn’t feel as scary as you thought it would!

3) Change Your Mindset About Marketing.

I want you to remember something. That is, when you approach a potential client and pitch your services, you are offering them value.

I know it’s scary to reach out to people. But think about your service and how you can help your clients. Remember, you’re not just going around asking for money without giving anything in return. You’re offering a way to make your clients’ lives easier! People need your help! Help them find you!

4) Be Authentic.

Find ways to put yourself out there that feel authentic. Writing a blog post and sharing it on Facebook can feel scary, but does it feel pretty exciting to know that you’re helping people and sharing ideas that are important to you? 

If writing blog posts seem daunting, how do you feel about making videos? 

There are many different ways to market your business and get the word out. Find the ways that feel good to you and that use your strengths. I find that doing videos where I’m talking to the camera is difficult. I need to set up lighting, put on makeup, and remember what to say. But writing a blog post or doing a podcast episode feels easy. So that’s what I do to promote my business.

5) Find Support.

Find Facebook groups or other types of forums that include people who are also starting businesses. It’s powerful to know you’re not alone and that you have people to talk to. They’ll be there to encourage you and lift you up as you step out of your comfort zone and face your fears. 

By the way, we have a supportive and friendly community inside my membership the Introvert VA Club if you’d like to hang with other introverted peeps. You can learn more at introvertvaclub.com.

6) Know the Difference Between Fear vs. Intuition.

Just because something feels scary doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. It just means whatever you’re thinking about doing is out of your comfort zone. Feeling uncomfortable is good for growth! It’s when your gut says “No” that you should listen.

How can you tell the difference between fear and intuition and whether you should act on it or not? One way is to ask yourself if the thing you’re contemplating feels expansive or constrictive. 

If it feels scary yet expansive and exciting, it’s fear. If the thought instead makes your body feel constrictive and you’re not feeling excited at all, it’s your intuition telling you no. I always recommend listening to your intuition.

The final tip for overcoming the fear of putting yourself out there is to WORK ON YOUR FEARS…OFTEN.

There are a couple of really great books that I’ve read that have helped me with my fears (yep, that’s right! I have fears too! As a matter of fact, a lot of fears!)

One of the books I recommend is called Feel the Fear…and Do It Anyway: My biggest takeaway was that ALL fears boil down to one thing – “I can’t handle it.” Knowing this has had a big impact on my life. The truth is, when I really think about it, I can handle a lot and I’m capable of dealing with almost anything life throws at me. There’s tons of brilliant advice in this book, and I find myself referring to it often.

YOU Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life: This book is hilarious and full of helpful mindset tips. It focuses on your desires and what holds you back from getting them. Simply changing our mindset can have a positive impact on our lives and profits! Really good stuff!

Those are my tips for getting out there and being awesome! I know it’s not easy, but getting out of your comfort zone pays off in so many ways! It builds your confidence, leads to amazing opportunities, and will help you become one of those people who achieves their dreams rather than scared to go after what they want!

You’ll need to get familiar with fear if you want to grow your business, but it does get easier! 

If you’d like more tips on running a VA business, why not sign up for my weekly newsletter? Each Wednesday you’ll have an email in your inbox with a Q & A, a blog post, a resource, and more! Go to desiretodone.com/newsletter to sign up!

Thanks for listening to the Desire to Done Podcast! I hope you are enjoying it and if you haven’t subscribed yet, please do! I’ll chat with you next week!