*This article was written and edited by Tracey Spicer’s mentee Natalie Scanlon 

Tackling Self Doubt as A Female Entrepreneur

After years of witnessing men dominating industries and women constantly being overlooked as powerful leaders, female entrepreneurs are questioning their own abilities, professional talents and self-worth. 

Throw in a global pandemic, a higher unemployment rate during COVID and a Federal Government at the centre of sexual assault claims, and female entrepreneurs are faced with the  ‘one, two, three punch’  when trying to climb the ladder of entrepreneurial success. 

But, why is it often so hard for qualified and capable women to work their way up to leadership roles? And, what can be done to eliminate any self-doubt when they try to do so?

It’s time to pave the way for future women in business, no matter the external obstacles, because to overcome internal fears and self-doubt is to conquer the world.  

The Comparison Stops Here

If you find yourself caught up in the comparison game, you’re going to lose. It is a crippling

game.

I remember being given the opportunity to manage a team of 14 people. It was an exciting opportunity. But for one of my colleagues, my appointment was an insult to his hard work and dedication to his role. 

He continued to compare his qualifications to my own, and was adamant that I was not suited to manage him. He was patronising in his defiance of my management systems, and I was tolerating it because I simply wanted to be just as good, and hopefully a little better, than the manager who preceded me. 

It was a vicious cycle of comparison, and it was detrimental to the culture of the team. We recorded an unprecedented low in closing disputes that month. It was a lesson learnt. 

Stop comparing yourself to others, and start focusing on how you can best navigate the entrepreneurial journey. There is absolutely no room for comparison. Leave it at the door. 

A Strong Support System is Necessary

The people you surround yourself with have an incredibly critical impact on your success.

This is heightened as a female entrepreneur. 

Find your people. The ones who you can email or message at any (reasonable) time, ask the tough questions, and who will be honest when giving you the hard answers.  

Since the #metoo movement across the globe, many organisations are noting that men are increasingly reluctant to work with women. They are distant, unavailable and unable to provide any support, creating an absolute roadblock for women who are looking to increase their support network, and are already lacking in self-esteem.  

So, be sure to look beyond your four walls. 

To navigate the statistics, build a network of other business owners that become a resourceful tool that allows your professional development to flourish… and your self-doubt to dissolve. 

Think of How Far You’ve Come

Whenever you are faced with a new challenge or setback in your journey, think of the successes you’ve had in past roles and the moments that have enabled you to get your business to where it is today.

By looking back on how far you’ve come, you’ll see just how experienced you are in success.

It is this type of positive thinking that disallows any mental distractions or self-doubt to interfere with current goals or business objectives. 

I wish that developing and enhancing our self-esteem would be as easy as surrounding ourselves with great, strong women in the hope that the collective strength would forcefully push down the barriers that prevent us from climbing over the hurdles our male counterparts have never had to climb.

But both you and I are well aware that it’s so much more than that. 

It’s knowing that when you feel deflated, you are capable. 

It’s knowing that when the hurdles are high, you can crawl under.

It’s knowing that there’s a long way to go, but understanding that you have already succeeded.

It’s the strength in numbers, and the ever-evolving power of strength in yourself.  

Don’t allow your self-doubt to cripple your ability to have the tough conversations during the important moments.

Here’s to the moment when we begin to believe in ourselves, and to the entrepreneurial success that is destined to follow. 

Article originally published on TraceySpicer.net