How I'm Overcoming Fear to Build a Business and Help Others
How I'm Overcoming Fear to Build a Business and Help Others
My path is my own, but I hope it can inspire others, or encourage suggestions.
When my kids were younger, they started expressing interest in being a streamer or a YouTuber. Being a shitty parent, I dissented, suggesting that only a small percent ‘make it big’, though I did offer to help them get started.
That didn’t go far, between my own distracted brain and their quixotic adolescent whims, it all just faded away.
That odd background voice still remains in my head as I talk about creating a following, or finding people online to help and ‘sell myself’ to.
When I started writing online, people asked if I was looking for a job. I was quiet in offering the response that I was writing. “It’s impractical to think you can make a living online.”
When I started considering how to make a living from writing, I would shy away from calling myself an entrepreneur. “I’m not building a business or selling things, I write and grow a following.”
The truth is, I’m scared to be an entrepreneur, but I’m also scared to call myself a writer. I don’t feel like I have the skills, or the experience, or the discipline to stick with any of them.
Unfortunately, I’m also fed up with corporate culture and lack confidence in job stability in the current market.
What do I want? When fear isn’t a factor, I want to help people who are struggling. I want to bring simple tools to people with ADHD that want to thrive. I know I can help other people, even more effectively than I can help myself.
I know I’ll kick myself later if I don’t really, earnestly, make this work.
How do you bring value to people you don’t know?
My last ‘day job’ had me writing content to help with a specific product. People would come to the website for that product when they needed help. I didn’t have to get the word out, I just had to create good enough content to be considered useful and helpful.
Before managing a help center, I provided. technical support. Again, the audience found me.
I realize, now that I’m on my own, that I had it pretty good. I was worried about the customer satisfaction, but I didn’t have to worry about getting the customer.
I recognize now, that just writing isn’t enough. There is marketing to do. I’m only helpful if people stumble upon my content AND if they ask questions.
I don’t have a product to sell (yet) and I don’t have an audience to target (yet.)
That’s my goal this week.
Who is my audience? What is their problem?
I’ve said repeatedly that I’m creating tools and a community for people with ADHD. That’s to say, my audience is:
Adults with ADHD who want to make a change in their life.
Within that broad group, there are several categories:
Professionals - Working and wanting to improve.
Students - Studying and wanting to improve.
Unemployed or Underemployed - Struggling and needing a path out.
Early Entrepreneurs - Doing their best to create a path forward as they build a business.
All of these people are likely dealing with the same problem, they can’t keep themselves accountable, or they struggle to stay focused. They may have a problem starting or a problem stopping too easily.
These people could all use a coach who offers ‘bespoke’ solutions and a person to hold them accountable, but they can’t all afford it.
What can I offer?
I have 30 years experience staying focused and active in a corporate environment, primarily the tech industry. I can offer perspective and experience from that.
I’m a Early Entrepreneur who has invested a lot of time learning the ins and outs of getting started. I’m not successful, but I know what needs to be done.
I’ve got 20 years experience building communities and supporting people in a group environment. I am great at working with people and have perspective and experience running forums.
I also have my own system for getting focused when I need to work each day as well as my own system for getting longer term success. Both are simple, designed for an ADHD brain, though very useful for anyone who struggles with focus, attention and procrastination.
So, now what?
I’m writing this to put it out in the world and to just hear myself say it. This feels a bit ‘journaly’ so I’ll wrap up.
Last week was a lot of me really understanding what I just wrote above and working on my ‘Primed 90’ goals and objectives to get done by November.
This week is putting it all into an actual plan, creating the documentation for myself and others to repeat the process, and to create templates and forms to make it easy to return to.
I’m also investing time in my morning and afternoon engaging on social media to be more visible.
Finally, I’ll take time each evening to journal about the day, capturing stories of my life that are worth repeating.
I’m thankful to you, my small ‘entrepreneur audience’ which doesn’t grow much, as well as to my slowly growing Channeling Chaos audience who is looking for the help I described above.
I’ll capture some numbers to share next week.