5 Ways to Silence Imposter Syndrome and Start Building Your Personal Brand

Imposter syndrome is one of the biggest barriers to building an online presence.

It convinces you that you’re not ready, not qualified and not enough. And that will always be true… As long as you stall.

Because confidence isn’t something you wait for.

It’s something you build.

My Story

I started my first business in 2019 with no network or prior experience.

For the first two years, I made it way harder for myself than it needed to be.

How?

By not using being visible online.

I made so many excuses and convinced myself that I wasn’t good enough or qualified enough to have a voice.

So I used other methods to create clients like cold calling or direct messaging.

For context, it took me 2 years to work with my first 50 clients.

In the following 2 years since I became more active online, we’ve had over 1000 clients work with us.

Yep.

That’s not a typo.

Breaking through my own imposter syndrome and deciding to be visible online was one of the best decisions I ever made.

My only regret was not starting earlier.

In this article, I will help you break through your own limiting beliefs so you can start building your personal brand online.

But first, let’s talk about some of the mistakes people make.

Mistakes People Make

Why do you think you need thousands of followers before your voice can make an impact?

Many people believe that unless they already have a large audience, they’re not worth listening to online. This mindset keeps you stuck because you don’t realise that building a following happens after you start sharing, not before. Your first posts or videos may not reach a huge audience, but each one is a step towards gaining visibility and building trust with those who do see your content.

You don’t need a big following to get started. You just need consistency.

• You miss organic growth: The more you share, the more likely you are to connect with people who relate to your message. Growth happens naturally once you start, not before.
• Inauthentic engagement: Chasing a large following without creating meaningful content first can lead to shallow interactions that won’t serve you in the long run.
• Fear of being unnoticed: Worrying about follower count creates unnecessary pressure and stops you from developing your own voice. Authentic engagement is far more valuable than big numbers, hands down.

Besides, isn’t it better that less people see your content while you are still developing your style?

Reasons Why This Happens

Why do people let imposter syndrome hold them back?

One of the main reasons is the tendency to compare themselves to more successful influencers, which creates a sense of inadequacy. Additionally, many fear being vulnerable or failing in front of an audience, leading them to hold back. Some even convince themselves they don’t need an online presence at all, believing traditional methods are sufficient.

It’s the mental barriers that stop people from taking the first step.

Let’s break down the specific reasons why this happens:

• Comparison to more ‘successful’ influencers: People look at influencers with larger followings and polished content, which makes them feel like they’re too far behind to even start. But they overlook the fact that nearly all of these influencers started with zero following, just like you.
• Fear of being vulnerable or failing: The idea of exposing themselves to an audience makes people fear failure or judgment, leading them to avoid showing up online. But I can tell you from experience that none of those fears will actually materialise. On a deeper level, it’s voices from your childhood that are making you scared, not you.
• They think they don’t need it: Some believe that an online presence isn’t important to their success. I know because I felt that way for 2 whole years into running my business. Well here’s the kicker. You already have a personal brand, whether you realise it or not. Everything about you contributes to the way people see you.

The real choice you have to make is whether to control your personal brand or let your world create it for you.

Actions You Can Take

Here are 5 ways to push through imposter syndrome and develop confidence during your journey to building a personal brand.

1. Start small: Confidence grows with action. Instead of trying to be everywhere at once, pick one method and one platform. Method = speaking or writing. Platforms = LinkedIn, X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram or TikTok.
2. Pick one topic: Make life easy for yourself by having a narrow focus. It could be a hobby that you have, a subject that you’re passionate about or a business you want to start. Start by talking about what you have experienced and what you have learned – this is how you build a supportive audience.
3. Focus on consistency, not perfection: Ideally, you want to write and post at the same time every week. Even if it is once a week, create a routine and stick to it. You cannot develop the skill of creating (and reap the benefits of a personal brand) without continuous action.
4. Learn as you go: You don’t need to know everything on day one. Let yourself to be a beginner. You don’t have to be perfect! We all learn more by doing and iterating than we do sitting and planning. Let experience guide you.
5. Accept the growing pains: Imposter syndrome makes you think that discomfort means you’re in the wrong place. But in reality, discomfort is a sign of growth. When has learning anything worthwhile ever been easy?

The Bit About Imposter Syndrome

You might be reading this and wondering where the tips to kill imposter syndrome are.

Well…you already have them.

The truth is that confidence isn’t something you obtain before you start.

Confidence is the result of action.

And the best way to beat imposter syndrome is to become a better imposter.

Create enough evidence to prove your doubts wrong.

Which will only happen by starting, persisting and improving.

Over time, you will evolve into the person your imposter syndrome never thought you could be.

So don’t wait until you feel 100% ready. Start where you are, and the confidence will follow.

Whenever you are ready, here's how we can work together.

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