If you're stuck in the cringe mud, read this

Hi BOLDie

It’s been a minute.

I wanted to share a few words for those of you who really want to build a personal brand, but still feel really stuck in the ‘it feels too cringe’ mud.

I remember a time when the mere thought of putting anything I wrote out there on the internet would make me recoil.

I didn’t go to university, so I had MAJOR self-doubt about my ability to write properly, or frankly, even spell. I was also terrible at school, which created this story in my mind about my capability, never mind putting my actual thoughts out there into the world for everyone to see. HELL no.

It still makes me pinch myself that today, I run a business doing that very thing, and not only that - I help others do it too. Week by week, I’m seeing the results of my formula, and it’s surreal.

So, how did I overcome this fear?

The first thing I did was break down my thoughts. I had so many made-up stories sitting in my subconscious about what I thought would happen when I posted something. When I really broke down those thoughts, I realised they were completely made up.

Did you know that only 5-10% of our thoughts are actually conscious? So that means, there is so much going on deep in our subconscious (around 90% of our thinking), which is stopping us from doing certain things because of something we aren’t even aware of. Very often, we’re repeating stories internally that aren’t even ours - perhaps something we picked up along the way from a friend, sibling or caregiver.

So just to validate you, it’s VERY normal to be worried about the prospect of people mocking you behind your back, and those of us who do this all the time worry about those things too. We just don’t let it stop us from going after the thing we want.

Perhaps it's that nasty guy who sat next to you in your first job. You imagine him staring at his screen, waiting for you to post so he can scream it around the office, and they all have a great big laugh at your expense.

Or maybe it's that really judgy girl from university who you think is going to send screenshots in the group chat, going off on one about how embarrassing you are for posting on LinkedIn.

But, are they really doing that? And if they are, surely that's more embarrassing for them than for you?

Even if all of those things do happen, you will never know, so it really doesn't matter.

There is no two ways about it, when you first start building a personal brand, it feels unbelievably cringe. Writing your very own thoughts down and clicking post? How unbelievably self-indulgent.

But, I promise you, the opportunities that will come your way from building your personal brand on LinkedIn, will make the cringe SO worth it.

Don't let some random people from the past block you from getting life-changing opportunities. That's the quickest way to let the haters win.

News from the BOLD oven..

Our next event is here! We can’t wait for this one. Anyone who’s been feeling scared to make video content (which is definitely me btw), this is your chance to get in front of some leading experts and ask them how it’s done.

Sign up here; spaces are limited.

We’ll also be hosting this event in Bristol on 29th July (with a different panel), so if you’re a BOLD Bristolian who wants to up your video game, keep an eye on your inbox (or our IG) for updates.

.. and final thoughts, if you’re feeling ready to grab life by the nipples and build your personal brand, you can check out our services here, or book an exploration call here to discuss options.

Stay BOLD

Amy xox

P.S. Want my tech stack? 🤫