148: The ONE thing that’s costing you growth in your business!

In this episode of Online Business Uncovered, I’m talking about one of the biggest things I see holding entrepreneurs back from real business growth… fear.

If you’ve ever found yourself stuck in planning mode, endlessly tweaking your ideas or staying busy with tasks that feel productive but don’t actually move your business forward then just know - you’re not alone! I see this all the time with business owners who want to grow, create digital products or build scalable income but feel stuck at the same level.

In this episode, I share why fear isn’t usually the real problem. More often, it disguises itself as busyness, perfectionism or waiting until you feel “ready.” I talk about how fear keeps you comfortable, familiar and stuck and how that comfort zone can quietly cost you momentum, confidence and growth in your business.

I’ll walk you through how to recognise when fear is running the show, how to reframe it and how to use it as a signal that you’re actually on the edge of growth — not failure.

Whether you’re thinking about launching your first digital product, growing your audience, making a bold business move or stepping into the next level of your business then this episode will help you stop overthinking and start taking meaningful action.

I also share real stories, practical insights and encouragement to help you stop letting fear make your decisions and start building a business that supports more freedom, clarity and growth (without burning yourself out in the process).

Transcript

Karen [00:00:00]:
Hello and welcome to Online Business Uncovered. This is episode 148 and in today's episode, I'm going to be talking about fear and how it can hold you back and keep you stuck. And we're going to be talking about ways to push past it so you can move forward and do what you need to do. 

So let's jump right in and let's get started. 

Hello and welcome to Online Business Uncovered. Thank you for joining me today. I'm your host, Karen, and I really do appreciate you hitting that play button to listen to today's episode. This episode is sponsored by the Digital Creators Hub, which is my free community designed to help you kickstart your online business journey.

Karen [00:00:50]:
Inside the hub, you'll get access to practical tools, resources and replays of my live mastermind masterclasses, all created to support you turning your valuable expertise into a profitable online course, a membership, or a digital offer. Now, if you are ready to get started and take the first steps towards creating your very first scalable digital product, then this is the perfect place to start. You can join for free today. I'll put the link in the show notes, but join by heading over to www.sellyourbrillianceonline/community. 

Because there really isn't any better time to start building that business than today. We're at the start of the year, we've got the year laid out in front of us, so now is the time to start building those scalable offers in your business so you can start making money on repeat. 

Right? Okay, so let's get back into today's episode. And today I am talking about the power of fear and how it can hold you back, keep you stuck, keep you in that state of overwhelm, so that you don't actually move forward and achieve your goals.

Karen [00:02:12]:
So today I'm going to be breaking it all down in the episode. We're going to be looking at what fear is and how you can take practical steps to overcome it. Now, I find the concept of fear really quite interesting because fear doesn't usually show up in our businesses as panic or us being paralyzed or anxiety or anything like that. What it can tend to show up as is busyness. Busy getting caught in the weeds of your day to day, tweaking things, planning things, learning new things, busy getting ready for whatever it is that you're going to be doing. And on the surface, this it's. You can look productive, you can look like you're doing things and you're moving the needle and moving forward in your business, but in Reality, you're not moving at all because you're staying stuck in that planning stage or in that tweaking stage, so you're not actually moving forward and getting the things done that need to get done. And I find this really interesting because when you run a business, there's a lot of things that you are most likely needing to, to experience for the first time.

Karen [00:03:43]:
And also I think there's a lot of uncertainty as well, and, and that can bring about a lot of fear and it can show up in so many different ways. Procrastination is a massive one where you know you need to do something, but you keep putting it off because you feel a discomfort for doing that thing. Now, if you've ever ended a week feeling exhausted with a long to do list that you've ticked off, but then you end up, when you reflect back on your week feeling like no progress has been made, then this is the episode for you. Because today, as I said, I want to break it all down and I want to dive into what fear actually is and how it can be really sneaky and keep us stuck. Now, fear, I think, doesn't often look like fear. I think for a lot of the entrepreneurs that I work with, and for me as well, because I recognize this with myself as well, I don't think fear sort of shows its ugly head and say, you know, stop, don't do this. I think what it actually says is just do another thing first. So, for example, if you are doing something new in your business where maybe you want to go to a new networking event because you recognize that networking is a really great way to grow your business, meet new people, build your network, and find collaboration.

Karen [00:05:18]:
So, you know, with networking, there's going to be a lot of benefit from doing it. You may have found a networking group that you want to visit and you may kind of in your mind think, well, okay, this group takes place on whatever day, that's the date that I'm going to go. So you book it all in and you prepare yourself ready for the networking event that you're going to attend. And then what can happen is that the morning of the networking event that fear starts to creep in because you know it's going to require so much of yourself to get out there and meet people and to promote your business. So what may happen instead is that a piece of work comes in that you feel then needs to be prioritized because that work is where your comfort zone is. So you end up, you end up not going to the networking event because it's easier to do the client work because after all, you're getting paid for that. So it might be that you feel like you're being busy and you're being productive and you're getting things done, but actually what's happening is that fear is creeping in. You're getting uncomfortable because you're having to go into an environment that you're not sure on.

Karen [00:06:41]:
And instead of embracing that and actually going to the networking event, because after all, you know, the client work can wait. But instead of going to that networking event, you prioritize the client work. So that's where fear can then creep in, keep us stuck and actually stop us from doing the things that we need to do to move our businesses forward. So I don't think fear kind of rocks up and says, you can't do this or you're gonna have a panic attack at the mere thought of going to a networking event. I think it is that at that point, you choose to do something else instead and not actually do the thing that's going to move the needle and grow your business. And I speak from experience, but I also speak from it because I've spoken to a lot of fellow entrepreneurs and business owners who have told me that they have at times not turned up at an event or something that they know will benefit them, but they just don't feel comfortable speaking to new people or walking into a room full of people and going through that stage of vulnerability and discomfort because it's not something that they relish doing, even though the benefits are great. You know, can. Can have a real impact on their business.

Karen [00:08:08]:
And I think when things like that happen, when we actively avoid doing something that we know will be something that will help us, that's when fear starts to become a problem because it starts to seep in and it starts to influence the decisions that you then move forward and make. And that can, as I said, that can keep you stuck. It can keep you in overwhelm and feeling as though you're not progressing because you're not doing the things that you need to do in order to move forward. Now, I know this because, as I said, I've been there. I mean, I love networking, so I've. I. I'm always up for a new networking group. I love meeting people.

Karen [00:08:57]:
I love talking to people and building relationships. But there was a point very early on in my business where I was a member of a networking group called bni. And that was really intimidating, walking into that room full of established business owners. That was so much further ahead than I was. And that fear, I still remember getting up to do my 60 seconds and feeling terrified and intimidated and feeling like I didn't belong there because I wasn't a proper business owner. And it was almost like I was playing at it. And everybody could see through me, everybody could see that I didn't belong there. I hadn't earned my stripes to be there.

Karen [00:09:48]:
And so that fear, I remember being very real. I think the problem comes when you let it stop you doing something. Now, in the world of digital products where you are building a business online, I think fear can play a huge part in not taking action. And I again, I remember very early on with my first online course, which is a branding course called crafting your brand. Talking about it felt very uncomfortable at the beginning and I think it was because you're asking for money for something that you've created and that requires quite a lot of self belief because you want people to invest in what it is that you have to offer. And I think when you're providing services it's slightly different because that there's that sort of direct communication with your client. You have a conversation about what their struggling with and how you can help and then that will most likely lead towards you creating a proposal, that you send in that proposal and then that client accepting the proposal. And then from there you can get into the onboarding process and move forward with the project.

Karen [00:11:11]:
But you've had that conversation, you've set those boundaries and those expectations and you've discussed pricing and what the client's going to pay and everything's been upfront and it's all done through conversation. Whereas when you are running a business online, it can feel very transactional and faceless. And when you are creating something and you're putting it out in the world and you're asking people to buy it, you're not having that conversation, you are simply having to promote it by carrying out marketing activity and doing things that most likely make you feel uncomfortable. So there's a lot of fear that goes into doing this, whether it's creating your first product or whether it's having to deal with the tech aspect of creating your product. Especially if you don't feel comfortable using tech. Or it might be the marketing piece of it and it might even be the confidence around the product that you've created. And at all those different stages you can feel that fear and that fear can keep you stuck. So what then could happen is that you stop progressing with the thing that you're creating.

Karen [00:12:33]:
The thing that you've identified is going to generate you more income and it's going to grow your email list, bring in new people into your business, and it's going to help you to build in that, that freedom enough, you know, with financial, you know, with your finances and, and with your time as well. But all of that can fall by the wayside because of the, the fear that can creep in at each of the stages of creating that product. And when you have a lot of ideas as well in your head that you're, you're thinking about again, that can bring around about a lot of fear. Because it's like, what ideas is going to work? And what if I choose the wrong idea, how' going to look? I'm not going to make no sales. I'm not going to make no money. It's going to be a waste of time. I'm going to have wasted my time. I'm going to spend all this time planning something, creating something, building something for nothing to happen.

Karen [00:13:32]:
And then that's when fear can creep in as well. So it can be really challenging when you're trying to push yourself and you're trying to do new things. That fear can really keep you stuck, and it can also send you off track as well. And I know for me, whenever I felt that fear, and believe me, I have, you know, I've had a lot of fear in different areas. I mean, for me, one of the areas that I recognize, you know, I've probably got fear around is Facebook ads. I don't know why, I don't, I don't know why I feel a little, you know, every time I run an ad or I go into my ads manager and all of that, I feel really uncomfortable. I feel like I'm an absolute novice. I have no idea what I'm doing.

Karen [00:14:29]:
I'm starting out. I'm, I'm, you know, I'm trying to work these things out and it's not my comfort place by any means. And so I recognize the fear that I feel by doing it. And what that done in the past, it's prevented me actually running ads because that fear of getting it wrong and then spending a ton of money doing something that's wrong. So then what I have done in the past is that I've not run ads and I've stopped myself from reaching new audiences where I know ads would really help. So it's looking at where you are in your business and identifying what is keeping you stuck, what is keeping you in a place where you don't feel like you're growing and recognizing as well what you need to be doing in order to kind of move forward. Now, staying where you are is familiar. There's comfort in staying stuck because you most likely know how to deliver your services, respond to clients, fill your diary with endless appointments, trade your time for money.

Karen [00:15:52]:
If it's something that you've always done, and it may be exhausting and it may be frustrating, but it's predictable, you know what you need to do to make this work. So you. You most likely keep doing it because, as I said, this comfort in familiarity and trying something new, like creating new offers in your business, if it's a different. A digital offer or any kind of new offer, it requires a different way of working. And that ultimately threatens your comfort zone. Because I think fear tends to ask questions like, what if nobody buys? Or what if I do choose the wrong idea? Or what if I put it out there and it completely flops and nobody buys? Or what if this proves that I'm actually not as good as I thought I was? So instead, we stay busy, we reorganize, we tweak, we refine, we polish, and we call it progress without progressing. Now, the reality is that not everything that keeps you busy is going to move the needle. Busy work will often include things like tweaking your branding or rewriting content that hasn't been shared.

Karen [00:17:19]:
Consuming information instead of implementing or planning instead of deciding. These things can make you feel like you're being productive, but they're just protecting you from the discomfort of being seen. And the reality is the fear loves that. Because fear wants to stop you. Fear wants to keep you safe. Now, I think the important thing to recognize is that fear isn't a stop sign. You just need to reframe how you deal with fear. Because fear isn't telling you to stop.

Karen [00:18:02]:
It's telling you that you're standing on the very edge of growth. And every time you move forward into a new phase of your business, fear's going to be there because it's new, not because it's wrong, but because it matters to you. And I think one of the mistakes that we often make is waiting for that fear to disappear before we take action. Fear's never going to disappear. It's never going to go away. And whatever stage of the business you're at, you're always going to feel some kind of fear. Confidence is built after taking action, not before it. And the way that you deal with fear is by taking action and having that confidence.

Karen [00:19:00]:
Because when you have that confidence Fear will disappear. So if you're feeling stuck right now, I want you to ask yourself these three all important questions. Is what you're working on at the moment moving you forward, or is it keeping you comfortable? What's the smallest version of the thing that I'm actually avoiding doing? You don't have to do a big launch, you don't have to create a perfect offer, and you don't have to take the next step. And I also want you to ask yourself, what will stay in exactly where I am cost me in a year's time. So when you're down the road in a year and you look back and you look at what you've done in your business, how will you feel with your energy, with your time, with money, with joy, with your freedom? Because I think sometimes fear shrinks when we look at it as a real cost of not moving forward. And here's something that I see all the time. People don't avoid scalable offers because they're, they're hard to create. I don't think that's true at all.

Karen [00:20:31]:
I think they avoid them because they are changing their identity. You stop being a service provider or just a service provider, and you start becoming somebody that is building something bigger than you, that's going to work without you. And that's scary because that shift alone is powerful, but it's also where you're going to find that freedom. So I want you to just remember, you do not need fear to go away. Fear is there to keep you safe. You don't need fear to keep you ready. You are ready. And you don't need another plan.

Karen [00:21:21]:
You just need to decide that staying stuck is no longer an option for you. Because fear is always going to have an opinion, but you don't want it to be making the decisions for you. So if you are feeling fearful, nervous, uncomfortable, afraid, all of those legitimate feelings that can surface when you are growing a business, I want you to take a deep breath and remember that you have what it takes to get your business where it needs to get to. But sometimes we have to push past the fear. Accept it's there, but push past it anyway. Take the action necessary so that you can achieve your goals. Because where you want to be in a year's time is so much further along. And you want to look back and feel as though you're the.

Karen [00:22:26]:
The one in control. Fear's not in control of you. You're the one with the power. And you are powerful enough that you can create a business that serves the life that you want. If this episode has made something click for you, then let this be your sign to take one step forward this week. Don't have another busy week. Have a meaningful week where you've moved the needle and you get things done. Things that are actually going to make a difference to the growth of your business.

Karen [00:23:03]:
Thank you so much for tuning into today's episode. I hope today's episode has given you some clarity and spark some new ideas in your business. If you found it helpful, I would love you to share it with a friend or a fellow entrepreneur who is building their online business because this episode might be exactly what they need to listen to today. 

And if this episode has you thinking that you are now ready to turn your valuable expertise into income, then come into my free community, the Digital Creators Hub. Because inside you'll get access to free tools, resources, monthly masterclass replays, and you'll be the very first to hear about my upcoming live events. Head on over to www.sellyourbrillianceonline.com/community and I look forward to seeing you there. Have a wonderful week and I will be back next week with another episode.