Whether you’re a nurse entrepreneur, or you’re opening up an ice cream shop, one thing is certain: entrepreneurship is frightening. You’re diving into the deep end, and you can either sink or swim–now that’s a scary thought!
But what if we stopped using fear as an excuse, and started using fear as a tool?
I could say that we all have to conquer fear in order to be a successful entrepreneur, but that would be a lie. Fear is a driving force that we must utilize to our advantage to push our business forward.
Fearlessness doesn’t mean that you’re not afraid, it just means that you’re willing to recognize fear and decide to move forward anyway. But are you utilizing fear to your advantage?
Wendy Brofman, founder of ways to fear to your advantage sure is! After opening her own respite care facility on a whim, Wendy understands what it means to be fearful in entrepreneurship and how to move forward in spite of anxiety.
Here are a few ways you can use fear to your advantage in entrepreneurship:
- Emotional Intelligence
Being aware of fear and trying to control your response to it, is an indication of strong emotional intelligence. Recognizing intruding thoughts can help you push forward and offset responses to negative emotions.
- Support
Feeling fearful in entrepreneurship isn’t a new concept. By seeking support from other professionals who’ve paved the way before you, you can mitigate your fears and learn from the mistakes of your peers.
- Problem-Solving
Fear pushes you to be a better problem solver. Your anxieties allow you to assess your business and improve upon areas of weakness.
- Learning
You can use fear as motivation to keep learning and growing. By increasing your own capabilities you can put fear on the back burner and reinforce confidence in your craft.
You have the power to use fear to your advantage, so what are you waiting for? Take the reins back and get control of fear, so you can be the successful entrepreneur that you were always meant to be!
To listen to my podcast episode with Wendy Brofman, click here