Saturday, January 21, 2012

"Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?"

There was a point in time when I almost wasn't CEO of my own start-up!  I was contemplating letting a guy I barely knew run my company because he seemed to have more experience.  I wasn't sure where these thoughts of "I can't do this" were coming from but they were heavy and full of fear-based thinking.  Luckily, they didn't last long.

I had coffee one day with my CPA.  We both graduated from USM with our Master's in Spiritual Psychology and so he serves, as all graduates from that University do, as a great coach at just the right time.  I told him I was thinking about letting Mr. F run my company and he just stared at me.  He was in shock that I would literally abandon my baby like this and I thought that maybe I was doing the right thing.  I mean I hadn't been a mom before, what did I know?!

He asked me one question that changed the direction of my career and my journey (although I believe I would have eventually woken up from my lack of confidence at some point).  He said:  Kate - do you think the President of the United States knows how to be the President of the United States before he becomes that?

I was dumbfounded.  How brilliant was this question?!  I realized that MEN get it - they know how to take leaps of faith, risks, and to push themeslves to be amazing even when they have no idea what they are doing.  I was going to give my first chance at being CEO of my vision to a man!  What was I thinking?!  I am the right person for the job.  I am capable, I am worthy, I am magnificent and brilliant!!!  As Marianne Williamson would say - "who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world."  Amen soul sister is what I have to say to her brilliant quote about the fear of success!

And yet its also about confidence, isn't it?!  How do we do something we haven't done before?  Hey - how did we pee in the potty or walk for the first time?!  We tried it and we practiced and then it became second nature.  I can be a CEO.  In fact, most of you can be - certainly women entrepeneurs that jump ship from corporate and have a dream and vision to launch - can do it! 

My new mantra - I CAN, I WILL, I AM, - FROM A PLACE OF LOVE!!!

Join me in saying that out loud!  Don't you feel better?  Now go get 'em tiger!
-Kate Neligan
The Synergistic Entrepreneur
CEO & Founder of Mindful Media Entertainment & Synergy TV

Check out this great article on women's confidence when it comes to the workplace.  Its enlightening!
http://blogs.hbr.org/glickman/2012/01/confidence-is-a-numbers-game.html

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