Be Brave

Posted on July 10, 2013 by Abbie Widin, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.

I was having a chat with a friend last week. She works for a television station, and has the job of trying to decide which new shows will be made, and which will not be. It’s a big job.

She wants to find another couple of ‘hits’ over the next year.

I asked her how on earth she managed to choose them. There’s certainly no shortage of pitches to her and her team.

There’s so much to understand about making a new show.

Is the concept actually sound, let alone compelling? Will the audience like it? Even if the concept is good, what is the actual finished product going to look like? Are the people working on the show good at what they do? Are they any good at deadlines? Will they be able to find and afford good actors? Even these people with no track record actually manage to pull it off, will they overspend to bring this dream into reality? How does she encourage serendipitous pitches without being overwhelmed?

You can hear that there’s the potential to be overwhelmed by all of the questions.

To be paralysed by the unknown.

It’s a lot of pressure.

You’re only as good as your last hit.

She says that she has a plaque on her desk that says “Be Brave”.

It helps her to remember that risks must be taken and shows must be made. It helps her to keep moving.

It shuts up her inner voice that keeps saying that something goes wrong.
“Be Brave”

It struck me that this was something that we can all do a little more of.

Here’s how I learned to be brave

1. Know what I’m scared of. I’m scared of going bankrupt, not having made any sort of impact in the world, allowing my son near peanuts, and not being found for a month after I’m dead (amongst other things). People will always be scared of something, so don’t feel paralysed by the fear, rather, figure out how to get over it.

2. Know what the impact of the fear is. Let’s focus on my fear of going bankrupt. If I succumb to this fear, I would go and get a job in the corporate world and not take any financial risks such as starting a business (such as this one!). I would have modest dreams for my children and myself. I would be living as risk free as possible.

3. Know what the upside is. If I do very well in my business, and it is aligned to my life purpose and values, then I will have a positive impact in the world and I will have contributed to make the world a better place. I will help more women become financially secure and see their own dreams fulfilled.

4. Know that the downside is not fatal. Realise that going bankrupt is not good, but it’s also not the end of the world. You just get up and start again. It might take a while, but you’ll get there.

5. Understand what you need to be brave. Is it the support from a friend or some critical information that will let you overcome the fear? Some people want inspiration. A good way to find inspiration is to find someone who has successfully done what you want to do, and then reach out and connect with them.

6. Do it anyway. When you first start out in business, you know that there are so many established businesses that already have their offering and client list. When you’re established, you have to watch out for the young & hungry coming up behind you. You have to take a calculated risk and back yourself.

Go forth. Be brave. Don’t give up.