A lot of designers lately are suffering from a fear of things that don’t exist… and it’s getting in their way.
Fear can make you stop your progress but here’s the secret:
The scary parts of the business is where magic lives and growth happen.
Fear is actually what you want to step towards instead of away from it and it shows up in a variety of ways.
For example, not opening accounts with those high-end vendors you really want to work with until you have “the right client”.
This is a case of “if you build it and they will come”. By taking the ‘big’ steps towards your ideal business, combined with some aggressive marketing, you’ll get the business you want!
Another expression of fear is declining a job because you don’t feel competent to do it.
Now, the way you get better at designing is by doing jobs that are a little bigger than you’ve ever done before.
Taking on this kind of ‘scary’ job is the key to up-leveling because you’ll always be able to do it moving forward!
Sometimes you don’t bill your actual time out of fear.
You let it all build up too long before invoicing, which makes the total “too big”, and decide that they won’t pay that much… and reduce the total.
Truth: You don’t have to give yourself a demotion when sending invoices.
Let the client decide whether or not they want to pay you, and then deal with the (potential) issues later…if you even have to at all!
Another example of fear is finding a fabulous piece for a client, but decide it costs too much and you decide not to share it with them.
You know what? It may seem outrageous to you but it may not be to your clients.
Let the client decide for themselves instead of letting your fears about money get in your way!
And the biggie of all fears is not being able to squarely look a client in the eye and say, “What you want is going to cost $200,000 and my fee to make sure it’s absolutely gorgeous and that you absolutely love it is $29,000. Shall we get started now?”
Fear is natural and you need to acknowledge it.
Learn how to separate yourself from your fear by asking yourself:
- What would happen if I did this?
- What is the absolute best possible result?
- What would the absolute worst?
I invite you to act with courage the next time you’re faced in a situation where the outcome is greater (and more important) to you than fear.
And the way you can express courage is by saying yes; just say yes to yourself and it will all unfold the way you want.
If you’re ready to say yes and break through the fears holding you back, then let’s talk!
Schedule a complimentary Strategy Session with an IDBA Coach to discover how to turn your fear into the fuel for moving forward in your life and business!
Until I talk to you again, design something beautiful and get paid what you’re worth. Bye now.