How To Push Past Imposter Syndrome As An Entrepreneur

There is a phrase a lot of entrepreneurs know well. Imposter syndrome.

Even the big names you see online wake up some nights thinking, "I hope nobody finds me out." The number I have heard is that about 70 percent of entrepreneurs deal with it. So if you feel it, you are not alone.

I have felt it too. I grew up in a pastor's family and became a pastor myself. I love Jesus and I loved ministry. I also want to provide well and make a big impact. Going from ministry to marketing to sales and management, there has always been some self doubt along the way.

Here are the steps that help me.

Build Confidence That Comes From Inside

A lot of people around you will say, "Just go get a job." You have to quiet those voices and build a resolve that is yours, from the inside.

You need deep confidence that what you are doing is going to work. Even if you have failed before. Even if something does not work out down the road. The best salespeople have conviction. They believe they can help solve real problems. That belief is the first step.

Think Forward, Plan Backwards

Moving from an employee mindset to an entrepreneur mindset is not easy. As an employee, you take orders. As an owner, you make the rules and build the structure.

So I think forward and plan backwards. Visionaries are good at the big picture. But you also have to work it back into a plan.

Start with the revenue you want. Then work back:

• How many leads do you need?
• How many of them will show up to a call?
• How many will you make an offer to?
• How many will say yes?

Now you know how many leads you need, how many calls to book, and even roughly how much to spend on ads. Then you test it and grow from there.

Plan Your Ideal Day

The reason most of us start a business is freedom. More money, more time, and more impact on the people we love and serve.

So plan an ideal day. A lot of successful people you see with long morning routines built those after they were already successful. Start with what you can do now in chunks. Content. DMs. Calls. Team meetings. Family dinner. Exercise.

Audit your calendar and see what fits. For me right now, that means getting to the gym around 4 a.m. so I can fit in team meetings and still take my kids to school and pick them up. It may change later, but that is what works in this season.

Write Three Budgets

When you are new, you also have to decide what to sell. Information products, software, or a service. Ask yourself what skills you have that people will pay for, and what people already say you are good at. Then price yourself so the business covers costs and your take home pay.

Early on, I made a simple spreadsheet with three budgets.

• Your bare minimum. Imagine you just lost your job. You can cancel streaming, but you still need a phone and a place to live. That is your floor.
• A good lifestyle. Maybe a vacation and a few extras, but nothing extravagant.
• What you really want. Someone to mow the lawn, a housekeeper, things that free you up to focus on your clients and your family.

That third number is usually smaller than you think. Writing all three down gives you mile markers, so you can actually feel it when you hit one.

Lean Into What You Are Already Good At

Grab a journal. What do people say you are good at? Tech? Talking with people? Music? Write it all down.

When your skills, your experience and your passion line up, you get more purpose and more confidence. That alignment helps push the imposter voice out.

Guard Your Mind

You will hear from friends, family, comments and DMs. Some of them say they want the best for you, but they really want you to get back in line with the normal nine to five.

People sometimes ask what I want my kids to do for work. I tell them I do not want them to worry about finding a job. I want them to think about how to create jobs.

You will also have your own thoughts, and the enemy speaking lies into you. When those thoughts come, take them captive and throw them out.

I have had to clear my head of a lot. I am not God, and I cannot carry the weight of the whole world. So I cleaned house on the music I listened to, the podcasts, the videos, and the social accounts I followed.

Brian Tracy talks about entertainment versus education. Look at your day. Is most of what you take in scrolling and shows, or books and learning? If education wins, your life tends to move up.

The Short Version

• Build confidence from the inside.
• Think forward and plan backwards.
• Plan your ideal day.
• Write three budgets.
• Lean into your strengths.
• Guard your mind.

The doubt will still show up sometimes. That is normal. You just do not have to let it drive.