On not being fearful
Sometimes, fear stops us from being able to see the clear next step, halting our ability to reach our full potential. I've been waist-deep in this over the last month.
I always knew that bringing someone else into the business meant I’d have to face some serious impostor syndrome moments.
In fact, they began immediately as we began the process of establishing me as Jess Shanahan: Speaker, Author, Presenter.
I’ve been all those things for a while but to suddenly start shouting about it feels strange. I know I deserve to be where I am but I get a little uncomfortable bragging about it — just in case someone disagrees with me.
Last week, I posted a graphic on the Racing Mentor socials that says: Imagine what you could do if you weren’t controlled by self-doubt.
I know full well that impostor syndrome has held me back over the years but I can also see times where I’ve pushed through it to do big things (the key is awareness).
In order to create a showreel for this new personal brand, I’ve had to go through every single piece of video and audio I’ve ever created or been part of. It was a completely overwhelming experience to see all the amazing stuff I’ve done over the years in one place — from being on Portuguese TV with Racing Mentor to talking about women-only parking spaces on This Morning!
This clear evidence of my badassery is at war with The Voice that tells me I’m an impostor and, as a result, I’ve been all over the place.
Putting myself first
For a long time, I hid behind my agency brand Jet Social with all my other brands and businesses sitting beneath that. It was a safety blanket that meant I didn’t have to put myself out there.
As we were planning the future of the business, we realised it made so much more sense to have the ‘Jess Shanahan’ brand at the top of the pile. I’m the talent. I’m the one who’s made a name for herself. No more hiding.
Honestly, it’s quite freeing to know that people will come to me because of the expertise I have. In fact, it makes life so much easier in marketing what I do because I no longer have to work out how to establish Jet Social in the automotive niche, all I need to do is lean on my relevant experience because I’m already known in this space.
What does impostor syndrome look like to you? I’d love to hear from you so feel free to reply to this email.
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Social Experiment
These last two weeks have been all about Instagram again as I’ve delivered two masterclasses to the Racing Mentor audience.
One thing I’ve realised lately is how fired up inspirational messages get people. These aren’t just the realm of #bossbabes, they work for all sorts of audiences. They also get shared, which has led to another jump in followers for Racing Mentor.
As much as I want the Racing Mentor Instagram feed to be a place for learning (and pretty race cars), the audience needs motivation as much as any other, which is why these posts do so well.
Jess Recommends
🎧 Listen: Articles on Curio — I’ve been trying to do more reading on mobility, future cities, politics, and the coronavirus madness but I find that any time I set aside to read just gets swallowed up by social media or emails. Then I discovered Curio, which features articles from top publications fully narrated. So, now, I’m listening while I do my makeup, brush my teeth, or otherwise get ready for my day. Problem solved.
Read more from Jess of All Trades:
This newsletter is an insight into my life as an automotive content strategist and entrepreneur. I hope you found it interesting. I’d love to get your feedback so if you have something to say, hit reply to this email.
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