I can already tell from the expensive suits and chic handbags in the room that I’m not supposed to be here.

In my Zara basics and denim jacket, I feel ridiculously out of place.

All around me, well dressed professionals mingle, conversation flows, Simon Sinek quotes exchanged.

Am I in the wrong room?

But just as I consider sneaking out, I catch the eye of the event organizer, who approaches me with a warm smile and says, “You must be our speaker. Claire?”

“Yep, that’s me” I reply.

(Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap – repeating in my head, secretly cursing my ambition that led me to pitch to speak at the event. It all seemed easy peasy, lemon squeezy from the comfort of my home office, egged on by my business coach.)

I am led to the top of the room, and for the next hour, I share my presentation.

People are nodding.

They’re taking notes.

Oh sh*te they’re taking pictures… am I sweating? (I was)

Every word I speak feels like it’s coming from somewhere else. Like I’m a ventriloquist’s dummy. I can hear my own voice.

Does my presentation make sense?

But an hour later, I’m amazed by the connections I’ve made, the kindness of the people who come to speak with me and their interest in the process I shared.

That was about 6 years ago now. Looking back it was just one small hour, but a great big step.

Sometimes life presents us with opportunities that unexpectedly change everything.

In this case, I didn’t have time to second-guess myself. The invitation to pitch popped up in my inbox, I pitched. It was accepted and I had one week to prepare.

If I had had more time, I probably would have overanalyzed it and pulled out. I would never have even attended an event like this unless I was invited to speak.

And nothing would have changed.

It’s easy to overthink things. To postpone them indefinitely. To doubt your place in certain rooms.

If you’re running a business and getting in front of people, online or otherwise, is miles outside of your comfort zone, I hope this message serves as a nudge.

I’m often told by clients and friends, that I’m so natural on camera or presenting to a group, but it took sweaty palms and burning cheeks to get there. It took hiring a coach. It took a step out of my comfort zone and it took a while for the penny to drop… Showing up is an act of service. It’s not about me. It’s about the people I support.

How do I support my clients? By creating a content strategy that gets them in front of ideal clients online. There’s strategy, brainstorming, content co-creation, course correction and coaching.

If you’re intrigued, or you’d like to see how this would look in your business book a call here.

Thanks for reading 🙂

Claire