Whose permission are you waiting for to start your escape?
“I don’t think I am old enough to call myself an expert yet,” my client said.
I paused for a minute.
“Who exactly is the person conferring expert status on you, and why do you need it?” I replied.
Most of the aspiring entrepreneurs I talk to have anxiety about hanging out their shingle for the first time. They worry that they don’t have enough experience, enough training or enough street credibility to start a business.
This makes sense. Because the only way to gain experience and exposure and street cred is to start your business. But if you haven’t started it, you won’t have the experience. Do you see the deadly loop?
Here are a few ways to stop waiting for someone to give you permission to put your plans into action:
Focus relentlessly on impact
You may not have 10,000 coaching hours under your belt, but can you commit to doing everything in your power to deliver stellar results for your new client? You probably care a lot more about your specific credentials than he does. What he cares about is that you solve his pressing problem. Who cares if your degree doesn’t come from Harvard or you just started your business? Stop worrying about you and just worry about your client.
Prime your mentor network
When I first started consulting, I had my former boss on speed dial. I was leading an executive retreat in New Orleans, and after the first day, I knew I had to make some changes to the next day’s design. But I had no idea what to do. So I called Barb, my former VP, and explained the situation. In two minutes, she gave me an elegant solution, gleaned from 25 years as a seasoned executive. And I fixed the design, had killer results, and a satisfied client at the end of the project. Does it matter that I didn’t have the answer myself? Absolutely not. What was important is that I knew how to get it.
Choose new role models
I admire Seth Godin and Daniel Pink and Kathy Sierra as much as the rest of you. But is it really fair to compare yourself to people who have huge bodies of work, multiple books and legions of fans? Look for others who started their ventures with similar conditions as you (young, or lacking experience, or without resources, or with great personal challenges) and who gave themselves permission to do it anyway. I get strength from Shama Kabani, a 25-year old marketing whiz who grew her digital marketing agency from one to 25 in a few short years. Shama never apologized for her age or considered it a factor barring her from success. The same goes for Brian Wong, one of the youngest entrepreneurs to get venture funding, or Ramit Sethi, who built his successful blog into a NYT bestselling book and personal finance business. Daymond John didn’t care that he had no experience, funding or status in the design community when he launched FuBu. He knew his market, and transformed his $40 investment into a billion-dollar brand.
Official permission granted
If you still feel you need official permission to get started, please use this form letter to craft a note to yourself, from yourself:
Dear Me:
By the authority vested in me, and only me, I hereby grant you permission to (fill in the blank) (start your business), (launch your website), (write your book), (begin your nonprofit), (go for the big job).
I understand you do not currently have all the skills, resources or experience to launch this new venture. Fear not, for the only way to gain them is to start today, without hesitation, and without regret.
And if, in your pursuit to change the world for the better, create jobs, change minds or solve problems, you do not meet your goals, I offer this disclaimer:
Welcome to the human race.
In complete confidence of your ability to kick ass,
-Me
