A few months ago, I posted that I was interested in starting a podcast. I asked my Instagram followers for ideas and the responses were overwhelming - in a good way.
I ordered a fancy microphone, started outlining the episodes, and mapped out my publishing schedule.
With all of this planning done, I realized there was still an elephant in the room - starting a podcast would mean that I would have to actually talk on my own podcast. I began to wonder…
- “Am I knowledgeable enough to start a podcast about running and fitness?”
- “I’m not a ‘fast’ runner, will people take me seriously?”
- “Does the world really need another running and fitness podcast?”
Instead of continuing down the rabbit hole, I paused to reflect on where these thoughts were coming from. I realized that they were rooted in my personal discomfort in talking about my ideas, qualifications, and achievements.
, have you ever felt uncomfortable talking about your own ideas, qualifications, or achievements? Does it impact how you show up at work, home, or even during your workouts and races? This could look like:
- Not raising your hand when your boss asks for ideas, even when you have a good one in mind
- Staying silent when someone incorrectly discusses something pertaining to your area of expertise
- Not putting up your best effort at the gym because you’re worried about what others will think
Someone gifted me the book, “Brag Better: Master the Art of Self-Promotion” and honestly, it was exactly the reminder that I needed. The author writes about the “intentional invisible”, or people like me who are knowledgeable but have a hard time speaking publicly about their accomplishments or showing that they are experts in their fields. Not only does this impact our self-esteem, but it makes it hard to advance in important areas of our lives - like starting
that blog, book, or podcast.
This week, let’s practice owning (and sharing) our expertise and accomplishments. The more comfortable you get talking about yourself, the easier it will be to use your gifts to help others.
In case you’re wondering, I’m going to be recording the first episode of our new podcast this week and my goal is to launch on March 1st.
