It’s time to speak up and step out

I’m so tired of hearing how “selfish” it is for entrepreneurs to hide their “gifts and talents” from the world. For one, an entrepreneur that doesn’t have the expert training, business set up, insurance – even the confidence! – to make an offer shouldn’t jump the gun just because some guru calls them selfish.

Let me tell you a quick story.

When I first decided that the 9-to-5 life wasn’t for me I wanted to be a professional photographer. And I am so glad that I never went all out to promote that business idea. Why? Because I’m not a brilliant photographer. Sure, I knew a little and like the photos I take for myself, but if I’d tried to get client at that juncture I’d just be doing them (and myself) a disservice.

Instead of worrying about your selfishness, I want to ask: isn’t it time to step out and help people right now where you are with the skills and talents you have?

This isn’t about having the right business cards or a new website or even the perfect offer. It’s about service.

A sliding scale of knowledge

Let’s say that all of the knowledge on your particular subject is on a scale of 1 to 100. In theoretical physics 100 is Stephen Hawking; 0.05 is me.

Now, let’s say you have an “expert status” of 10 in web design. You’re mostly self taught, learning advance CSS, HTML and all those other acronyms and you’re a 10/100.

That’s okay.

BUT the trick is that you should only work with people whose knowledge is 0-9 AND who understand that you’re a 10/100. Oh, and price yourself accordingly.

There’s a reason that LeBron James gets paid more than your third grader for playing a season of basketball.

But I don’t want to be in the bottom 10%

It might be really discouraging to realize that you’re not at the top of your field. The solution is not to spend the next 10 years learning but to begin practicing as you grow. Great entrepreneurs are always learning, it’s your choice if you’re going to stagnate or continue to advance.

What does this have to do with speaking up?

Glad you asked.

Most of the time I talk to entrepreneurs about speaking up and stepping out as a _____ (fill in the blank), they’re struggling with confidence and ego. They want to be the best, command the highest rates and yes, win the respect of their community.

It can honestly be very challenging to offer something when you believe your potential is so much higher.

There are people right now who need your support. They need a service or product like yours to help them through this rough patch. And you need their feedback and encouragement and that sense of accomplishment in return.

Think of it like clothes. If every stitch of clothing was hand sewn by a top fashion designer most people wouldn’t be able to afford pants. Bad plan. So there are midline clothing lines. And cheap ones. There’s something for every taste and budget and plenty of people who love their $40 jeans.

Action Step: This week step up and speak out by sharing what you do, who you serve and how you can support your clients. And if you’re curious about how you can use more videos in your marketing check out the roundup on Hubspot here for inspiration.