During the early years of my image consulting business, a producer for a nationally syndicated television show invited me to appear on the show as an “expert”. I was excited and accepted the invite. However, I started to second-guess myself and began to fear being on the show. .
I began to wonder whether I was ready for the big league as I had only been in business for about a month. At the time, I didn’t even have a paying client yet! I reasoned that I wasn’t qualified. Afraid of humiliating myself, I called the producer and told her that personal issues prevented me from attending the show. .
I sabotaged my success! The thing about it, as I watched the show I was to be on; I was able to succinctly answer every question that was asked of my replacement. I realized I made the one of the worst mistakes in career. I did a disservice to my business and to myself. The free national exposure would have been wonderful for my business. Because I underestimated myself, I missed a great opportunity.
In talking to others, I’ve found that at some point, everyone has felt like an imposter. And, research has shown that women tend to underestimate their skills. I have met many persons who have also experienced missed opportunities due to negative thoughts and self-doubt.
