If You Think Everyone Else Has It Figured Out, Think Again

By Tricia Scott.

I don't know about you, but I've spent a good chunk of my life feeling utterly ridiculous. Not in a cute, quirky way, but more in a "what the hell am I even doing?" kind of way.

When I first set out to start a business, I had no idea what I was doing, but I figured it wouldn't be that hard, right?

Wrong.

Oh, so very wrong.

LOL.

I spent more time worrying that I was the only one who didn't know the answers and trying to look like I knew what I was doing than I did actually working it all out. I would sit at night, staring at my laptop, thinking, why isn't anyone else finding this as hard as me?

That's when I started blogging in a humorous way (to cover for my sheer embarrassment) on an obscure blogging platform on the 100th page of Google about how freaking hard this business stuff was and chronicling the mistakes I was making, 

It was cathartic, freeing, even, to get it off my chest. What I didn't expect were replies to the blog.

The horrors!

People were actually reading it, and I felt like I might die from shame. Seriously.

I remember opening the email that heralded 'you have a comment on your blog' and feeling like I'd swallowed a house brick. I wanted to slam the laptop lid shut and stuff it under the bed, you know, so it couldn't see me, but the absolute masochist that I am clicked on the link and, to my surprise, found a reply from a start-up in Washington, USA saying, 'THANK YOU! No one is talking about this, and it's sooooo hard!!' She then went on to list five things she had felt ridiculous about that week.

And I felt better. A lot better.

What if I wasn't the only one? What if this was actually really hard, and no one wanted to admit it?

I went to bed to sleep on it, and then the next day... there was another similar reply.

And then another.

I didn't realise it then, but that was the start of The Female CEO. The tiniest seed of confirmation that perhaps we all felt a little ridiculous sometimes, and maybe, just maybe, that was okay to admit, even if it were just to each other.

And then I realised something else.

For years, that fear of looking foolish held me back. I skipped going back to dance classes because I didn't want to look like an uncoordinated giraffe next to the seasoned ballet performers. I avoided game nights because I wasn't sure of the rules. Aerial yoga? Not a chance—I would be tied in knots in seconds. Instead of trying, I told myself I just "wasn't that kind of person."

But I was that person. And so are you. The only difference between someone who tries and someone who doesn't? The willingness to look a little ridiculous.

So, I started embracing the cringe. I threw myself into new projects at work, even if they scared me (and they always did). I wrote more honest blogs about my experiences, studied business coaching, and started a Facebook group for start-ups. And guess what? It didn't kill me. In fact, it led me here, to a business that supports women just like me—who are figuring it out as they go.

If there's one thing I want you to take from this, it's this: don't let the fear of looking ridiculous keep you from doing things that could bring you joy.

Try the thing. Take the class. Start the business. Who cares if you're not good at it right away? Nobody starts as an expert. And honestly? Some of the best moments in life come from laughing hysterically at myself along the way.

There will always be something else to learn, and we will never have it all figured out, but that's totally okay because you can come here and find others just like you who are willing to share their experiences. It's one of the reasons I cannot wait to unveil our new community space!

So, go ahead and be bold. Embrace the fact that you are learning and be willing to feel a little ridiculous on the journey. Trust me, its worth it, and you never know where it might take you.

I believe in you (always).

👉🏼If you want to receive a Biz Love Letter directly to your inbox every week, I email our Hello CEO mailing list every Monday. To join, head to The Homepage and sign up!

 Tricia Scott is a passionate startup business mentor and the Founder and Editor of The Female CEO - Create Evolve Overcome, a platform and digital magazine holding the space to showcase female entrepreneurs from all over the world. 

The Female CEO is gaining global recognition daily and Tricia is able to bring her own level of expertise as a start-up mentor and multi-company director to her very exclusive table along with her team of brilliant Guest Editors and Contributors. You'll usually find her with her MacBook in one hand and a coffee or a glass of something fizzy in the other. Reach out anytime!