What would it look like if you were to stop allowing fear to hold you back, get out of your own way, and go after what you want? What does it take to be gutsy? My brand-new book, Gutsy, explores just that.
On today’s episode, Akua Konadu steps into the role of podcast host here on the Independent Business Podcast to ask me about my upcoming book. Gutsy is a rallying cry for all current and hopeful independent business owners. It’s the kick in the pants you need to stop letting fear hold you back from the life you want to live and the purpose you’re meant to bring to the world. I hope you enjoy this conversation and learn how to live gutsy.
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Pro tip
The definition of gutsy is “showing courage, determination, and spirit.” Being gutsy means setting goals and going after what you want.
The number one reason that high-achievers aren’t gutsy
The reason more people don’t chase after the life they truly want is because of fear. Fear is the number one thing that holds high achievers back, and it’s something that independent business owners experience at all levels of their business.
The kicker is that this fear is almost always rooted in what other people think. It’s not rooted in the opinions that business owners have of themselves, but in the opinions that other people have in them. Or the opinions that they believe other people have in them, even if it isn’t true. In fact, most of the time, it isn’t true. Our imaginations are really good at inventing ideas about what other people think about us, even if they aren’t based on reality.
But it’s these limiting beliefs that stop people. Limiting beliefs can mean people don’t go after what they want.
Even the most successful people in the world deal with this fear, so the question is not about how to get it to go away. Our brains are wired to care about what other people think. The real solution is to learn how to face these fears when they come. Gutsy features several tangible exercises that can help you overcome fear when it strikes.
What it means to be gutsy and go after what you want
Being gutsy can mean something different to everyone. It can mean:
- Having an opinion and voicing it
- Pursuing your dreams even when you know you could fail
- Getting back up and going again when you do fail
- Not listening to the critics and naysayers
- Holding the opinion you have of yourself higher than the opinions others have of you
- Being afraid and doing it anyway
How inner thoughts impact how you show up for your business
Going through hard experiences changes us in one way or another. As independent business owners, what we go through in our personal lives can change how we show up in our businesses.
The inner work that you do on yourself is usually unnoticed by others, but they will notice the change in you as a result of that work. It’s common to keep inner work completely separated from the work we do on our businesses, but they go hand in hand. We don’t like to talk about inner work because it’s not sexy, but it’s the most important work we can ever do.
Turning breakdowns into breakthroughs
Most independent business owners learn how to bend themselves to be everything that everyone else needs them to be. The common belief is that it’s better to bend than it is to break. But what if you bend yourself so much to others’ expectations that you don’t recognize yourself anymore? And is breaking really so bad?
Oftentimes, the things that we think are going to break us are actually the defining moments in our lives. Our breakdowns are actually breakthroughs, and they make way for the life we want to live.
We have the power to rewrite our own stories and change our relationships to our pasts. Instead of trying to forget our bad experiences, we need to seek to understand them so that we can move forward and take our power back.
If you are still holding onto the past, you cannot become the person you’re meant to be today. You have to get gutsy. The way forward is to acknowledge that what happened to you has shaped you into the person who’s uniquely suited to make your dreams come true.
The objective of Gutsy
My objective in writing Gutsy was to empower others to fully step into all that they can do and achieve their dreams. No more hiding and taking dreams to the grave, it’s time to step out of your comfort zone and go after what you really want and share your creative genius with the world. It’s time to go after what you want.
When you do not go after the things that you uniquely have to share with the world, you are not only robbing yourself. You’re robbing the world of the gifts that you bring to the table. Don’t you dare forget who you are and how you’re supposed to show up in this world. Don’t forget the things you have overcome and accomplished to make you the person you are today.
Don’t you dare forget who you are and how you’re supposed to show up in this world.
Natalie Franke
There’s nothing small about running a small business
Becoming a small business owner takes courage and skill, and there’s nothing small about it. You put your heart on the line, hone your craft, pursue your purpose, and leave yourself open for the world to criticize you.
You do it because you know you can make an impact on the world and you want to build a life on your own terms instead of building someone else’s empire. It is no small feat to believe that you are capable and worthy of achieving the life of your dreams.
Courage is not a competition
When you see others in your community struggling in their lives and businesses, be the light they need to see the way forward. Share your courage with them.
It’s easy to decide who is more courageous based on what we see on the outside, but no one knows the battles that people are fighting every day. Do not discount the courage that it takes for you or someone else to simply show up in day-to-day life.
Do not discount your own courage to show up just because you see someone else bungee jumping. Courage is a muscle, and the more you use it, the more building blocks you put in place for yourself.
The science behind opinions
People love to say that they aren’t easily influenced, but research proves otherwise. Studies have shown that people are more impacted by the world around them and outside opinions than they realize.
Knowing this, it’s more important than ever to make your own opinion of yourself the loudest voice inside your head. When you value your own opinion, it gives you the ability to take feedback from others in a healthy way.
Even though it may be impossible not to take the opinions of others personally, we can learn to weigh them against our own opinions about ourselves. It takes inner work to learn how to accept feedback in a positive way instead of letting it determine your identity and value.
Part of this process requires crafting a trusted inner circle that you can go to for advice and valuable feedback. However, it’s important not to create an echo chamber full of people who agree with you. Do not aim for total agreement, aim for trust and respect.
This is your encouragement to be gutsy and go after the life you want.
Important sections of the conversation:
- [1:55] Why fear holds high achievers back in life and business
- [5:18] What it means to be gutsy
- [7:32] How inner work changes how you show up for your business
- [13:11] Turning breakdowns into breakthroughs
- [17:42] The objective of Gutsy
- [24:29] There’s nothing small about running a small business
- [26:40] Courage is not a competition
- [30:03] The science behind opinions
- [47:40] How to get a signed copy of Gutsy
