778: Scared to Put Yourself Out There? 5 Easy Ways to Start

0:01Okay, I have been on this ruthless pursuit to purge any clothes that I'm not actually wearing. Like if I haven't reached for it in months, it's got to go. I am trying to be really intentional about what I bring into my closet right now, which means I am only buying pieces that I know I will actually wear and use. Revolve just gets it though. I'm literally wearing my brown Autry sneakers from there right now and my new suede purse. It fits my laptop in it. So it's basically a fancy shoulder bag that works for everything. I love finding pieces like that. Things that look good, but also work hard for my actual life.

0:35Their holiday shop is live right now with all the good stuff. Sparkly party dresses, cozy sets, cute gifts, everything you need for whatever is on your calendar. And it's all in one place, which makes shopping feel way less overwhelming. Whether it's a weekend away, a big night out or a holiday party, your dream wardrobe is just one click away. Head to revolve.com forward slash gold digger, shop my edit and take 15 % off your first order with the code gold digger. Fast two day shipping, easy returns. it's literally the only place you need to shop from. That's revolve.com forward slash gold digger to shop by favorites and get 15 % off your first order with the code gold digger offer available for a limited time.

1:15So happy shopping. If you are terrified to show up or to even hint at anything or to introduce what it is that you are working on, ask for feedback, like invite your audience to be a part of your journey by asking them for their input or feedback on certain aspects of your product or service. Hey, my name is Jenna Kutcher and I am obsessed with all things business, marketing numbers, and helping you to navigate both the messy and the magical seasons of this thing called life. I'm a small town mama who took a$300 camera, grew a successful photo biz, and now I work from home and run a seven figure online business.

1:52I teach you the tried and true secrets to building a career you adore. Shy away from the real talk? No way. Money, hardship, growth, loss, and marketing are all topics we discuss here. Think of this as your one-stop shop for happy hour with a gal pal mixed with business school. Pull up a seat, make sure you're cozy and get ready to be challenged and encouraged while you learn. This is the Gold Digger podcast. There is a great chance that you're listening to this podcast and you might be someone who has never publicly shared your dream, the project that you're working on, or the business that you want to start.

2:25Putting ourselves out there can be so scary, but I will argue that it is necessary for your success. Sharing yourself and what you're working on or dreaming about allows you to leave breadcrumbs on the path to help people understand who you are, what you do, and why you're doing it and why they should be willing to invest in it. It's true that people buy from those they know, like, and trust. And the best way to invite others to get to know you is through the content you create and the way that you show up. Now, I'm sure deep down, you probably already know that, but it might not feel that simple.

3:01Like what if talking about yourself or your dreams or your business doesn't come naturally for you? I know that feeling all too well. There have been seasons in my entrepreneurial journey where I was either way too scared to put myself out there, or I genuinely didn't think I had anything interesting to say. I wasn't ready to share yet. The project didn't feel done. I didn't feel ready to launch. I knew I had to post and show up, but I wasn't always sure on where to begin. If you find yourself struggling to tell your story and sharing who you are and what you do, I'm going to share five super easy ways you can start posting today to build awareness of your business or the one you're going to create and to boost your engagement and connection.

3:40By embracing these steps, you're going to gain the confidence in letting your voice be heard and start building meaningful connections with your audience too. Without further ado, let's dive on in. Finding a service solution that helps you better connect with customers and keep them happy can feel impossible. Like trying to remember the name of that girl you just met at a networking event. Was it Mia or Leah? Or could it be Sophia? Yeah, that kind of impossible. HubSpot's all new service hub can help. Well, with the service solution part, at least, it brings service and success together on one powerful platform for the first time ever.

4:19Between an AI-powered help desk and an AI chatbot that handles frontline tickets fast, you can scale support and drive retention and revenue. Plus, it comes with a customer success workspace that helps reps anticipate customer needs. With a full 360 view of every customer, your go-to-market team can keep a pulse on accounts before ever trying to upsell or cross-sell. And you know what that means? Better service and happier customers at every stage of their journey. Visit hubspot.com slash service to do more for your customers today. That's hubspot.com slash service. I want to just start this episode by acknowledging that putting ourselves out there feels risky.

5:02And there are so many people that are listening right now that you have an amazing idea. You have a business in the works. You have a side hustle that wants to start. You have a passion in your life. You have a curiosity that you're exploring and you will not share it with the world or with even the few hundred people that follow you. And I get it. It is scary to put yourself out there. But the thing that kills me more than you risking being judged is you dying without actually doing the things you were put on this planet to do. I know that sounds really big and crazy, but the truth is, is that so many people are afraid to simply begin.

5:44They forget that when you start to share, confidence comes. And when confidence comes, you continue to let people in. And when you let people in, people are given this opportunity to love you. I have grown up on the internet. Basically, It feels that way. My business was born on the internet over a decade ago. I have been through so many different cycles of fear and showing up anyway, so that I can not only grow my business, but so that I can live a big life. And the reason why this episode is so important to me, it sounds so silly, so simple, like five easy ways you can start showing up. Great.

6:25The real call to action here is that you need to take action. If you are someone who listens to this show and you collect insight and information and inspiration, but you don't implement, let today be the episode that inspires you into action because nobody is winning through you playing small. I want you to start sharing your story, your dreams, the things that come easily to you, the things that you're working on, the things that you're learning. Other people benefit when you do that. And it also gives your dream a chance to grow. So don't let this be an episode that you consume, but you don't create after it.

7:09I am creating this with the ultimate goal of you taking this information and running with it. And I promise you, it is so much easier than you're making it out to be. So when we talk about showing up, I want for you to know that you are not unique in the fear of showing up is scary. Putting ourselves out there is scary. But the truth is, is that if we don't put ourselves out there, we are not fully utilizing our abilities to truly impact the world. We are playing small. And so my hope today is to make this as approachable as possible so that as you listen to this episode, in fact, here's something you could do right now to start growing your comfort muscle in this area is take a screenshot of you listening to this episode and post it on the Internet and just tell people you're tuning in.

8:04And hey, guess what? They might be seeing some more content from you because you're so inspired. Easy peasy, right? Right. So one of the first things that I want for you to think about, if you are someone who is paralyzed in sharing what you're working on or what you want to be working on, is letting people behind the scenes. One of the things that I think is happening all over social media, and there's even data to back it up, is that people are kind of going back to the roots and those initial desires of social media connecting and peeling back the curtain. Now, over the years, we've created different systems with social media and all these different things that are amazing and so helpful.

8:42But in that, I think a lot of people have lost that humanness that we're craving. I was recently with a bunch of other entrepreneurs and one of the girls could not believe that I am the person creating my content. I am the only person logged into my account responding to DMs. She couldn't believe that. She couldn't believe that. And I was like, I have to stay connected to this piece because this is me. Like it's not just my brand. It's me as a human. And so when we think about behind the scenes, people love to see the human side of your business. Show them the messy desk. Show them the brainstorming session.

9:18Show them what you're learning. Show them the book you're reading. Show them what you're making for breakfast. I know it sounds silly, but we all know that authenticity builds trust and connection. I truly think that I have the following that I do in the community that I do because I have shown up authentically in all the seasons. I showed up in the startup season. I showed up in our season of loss. I've showed up in our season of growth. I've shown up in seasons of burnout. And it provides this place where you can be the human that you want to be without having to have it all together. In fact, having it all together is so unrelatable.

9:58People want to see that they can look at your work, your life, your content, and say, me too, or I'm so glad I'm not alone. So how can you start letting people behind the scenes? Start talking about your curiosity. If there is something that you have this idea on, and you're like, maybe this could be my business, or maybe I could start a side hustle. It doesn't even have to be angled that you're going to monetize it at some point or start a business, but share how you're leaning into that curiosity, whether again, it's books you're reading or podcasts you're listening to like this one, or people you're learning from.

10:34One of the curiosities I have that I have zero plans to monetize is sourdough bread and just letting people in on that. And it was so funny because when I was with a bunch of friends, we talked about sourdough bread a ton and they wouldn't have even known about that aspect of my life if I hadn't shared it online. Now, another way to do this, and this might be like the best way to inch your way into growing that muscle of comfort around content is sharing other people's content. It doesn't even have to be your own content. It can be other people's content that can anchor the direction you're going or kind of shift the tides of what you're talking about.

11:11You could share other people's quotes. You could share their graphics. You could repost their reels or their memes. You could share all of this in your stories or even on your feed, but it can help kind of, again, turn the tides on what you're working on or what you're working towards or share what you're finding valuable. Again, it just kind of helps change the conversation in a direction and kind of helps you dip your toe in without even having to create anything. So if you're stuck and you're like, Hey, you know, this health podcast is super interesting. Here's what I'm learning on it. Share a clip from that podcast and type in a little bit about why you're sharing that.

11:48Now it's so funny because I love Facebook memories. I don't even really post on Facebook anymore, but I love Facebook memories on my personal page because I am constantly seeing posts of when I was starting my business. And when I was becoming a photographer, I literally would do posts. I've had multiple of these where whenever I bought a new camera or a new lens, I would take a picture of it and be like, welcome to the family Nikon D300. and I would do posts of like, I just want to take pictures for a living. Let me take your picture. Cool. These were literal statuses I was sharing before I ever had an LLC, before I'd ever made a dollar.

12:26And it was almost just like, I was just putting it out into the universe and letting people know. Same thing. I remember a few years into my photography business, I posted about how I wanted to travel for weddings and I like just put it out into the ether. Like, wouldn't it be so fun to shoot a wedding on a beach. And I find myself in Puerto Rico or scaling a mountain in Seattle. And so again, like it's not even just manifestation. There's so much action behind it, but putting it out there is this amazing way to let people into your hopes, your wants, your dreams, your curiosities, but also to just consistently be reminding people like, Hey, there's something here, or there might be something here, or I'm pursuing something here.

13:08I often think about like the behind the scenes process and a more recent example would be when I launched my book, How Are You Really? And I think one of the smartest things I did is like the book itself would be something to talk about, right? That's the offer. But I let people into the process of writing the book. So I even remember when I started my Google doc titled, I'm going to write a book. That night I like posted a blurry photo on Instagram with a screenshot of the Google doc of like working on something new. And then every step of the way from getting the cover design to getting the first draft of the book, to editing the manuscript, to launch day, like I was able to share so much even around that content that I was letting people behind the scenes so that they not only cared about the book, but they understood the process that went into it.

13:55So do not negate the power of letting people into your life. And I promise you The things that you think are so boring are the things that are the most relatable aspects of you in your life, the things that people will connect with. If anyone has been here for a long time, you'll probably remember when I would share about Mac and Cheese Monday. And my goal was that anytime somebody walked in a grocery store down the pasta aisle and they saw macaroni and cheese, they thought of Jenna Kutcher. And I think I was very successful in that. And so don't be afraid to share some of those things that make you interesting.

14:31but might feel boring because again, people are going to connect to that and it's going to just be these little reminders of you and who you are and what you're doing. Okay. It is officially that time of year. And if you run a business, you know, the holiday rush is no joke. I've done more Black Fridays than I can count at this point. And let me tell you orders at 2am inventory updates, refreshing my site, hoping it can keep up. It never stops being intense. That is exactly why I use Shopify. It keeps everything running smoothly when things get their craziest. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world and 10 % of all e-commerce in the US, from household names to entrepreneurs who will be participating in their first Black Friday Cyber Monday this year.

15:19They've got ready-to-use templates, AI tools, and support available 24-7 so that selling stays simple even during the peak madness. And ShopPay's quick checkout, well, it's a game changer. It means way fewer abandoned carts and way more happy customers. This Black Friday, join the thousands of new entrepreneurs hearing for the first time with Shopify. Sign up for your free trial today at shopify.com slash gold digger. That's shopify.com slash gold digger. Go to shopify.com slash gold digger and make this Black Friday one to remember. Okay, I have been on this ruthless pursuit to purge any clothes that I'm not actually wearing.

16:00Like, if I haven't reached for it in months, it's gotta go. I am trying to be really intentional about what I bring into my closet right now, which means I am only buying pieces that I know I will actually wear and use. Revolve just gets it though. I'm literally wearing my brown Autry sneakers from there right now, and my new suede purse, it fits my laptop in it. So it's basically a fancy shoulder bag that works for everything. I love finding pieces like that. Things that look good, but also work hard for my actual life. Their holiday shop is live right now with all the good stuff. Sparkly party dresses, cozy sets, cute gifts, everything you need for whatever is on your calendar.

16:38And it's all in one place, which makes shopping feel way less overwhelming. Whether it's a weekend away, a big night out, or a holiday party, your dream wardrobe is just one click away. Head to revolve.com forward slash gold digger, shop my edit and take 15 % off your first order with the code gold digger. Fast two-day shipping, easy returns. It's literally the only place you need to shop from. That's revolve.com forward slash gold digger to shop my favorites and get 15 % off your first order with the code gold digger. Offer available for a limited time. So happy shopping. Another very easy way to start showing up, even if you don't have it all figured out, even if you don't have everything perfect, is to start sharing your why or your own transformation.

17:24Tell the story behind your idea or your product or your offer or your business. Like what inspired you to create it? What problem does it solve? What was the passion? What was the motivation behind it that might resonate really deeply with your audience and compel them to support you. One thing that I think sucks about today's culture is that we want the before and the after, and there's no space for the middle. And I think that a lot of newer entrepreneurs and newer creators see people that have these, you know, regs to riches stories that are super inspiring, but they're like, I'm going to wait until I get to the riches part before I share the regs part when they're in it.

18:07And it's so fascinating to me because I believe that like the riches are never going to come until you learn to sit in and with and share the regs. Like, that's like my hot take. Like, I know you want to wait until it's perfect and you have it all figured out and it's beautiful and it's ready to go. And now you can say, well, like, look at how far I've come. But the truth is, is that if you're not willing to start where you are and show up exactly where you are, you're not going to grow. It's not going to happen. So share your why in the transformation now. Tell people what it is about you. What is your origin story?

18:45You might be living your origin story right now. Even before you have an LLC or a sales page or anything to sell, anchor in your why. And guess what? It's going to change and it's going to pivot and doesn't have to be perfect. Go on chat GVT and have it help you anchor in your why. Tell them what you want to do and why you want to do it and why it matters to you. And let ChatGPT help you anchor in a strong why. But the more that you start to share and help people understand why it is that you're doing what you're doing or why you want to build a business, the more that they are brought into the fold, even if they don't need what you're selling, the more that they are going to lean in and listen, the more that they're curious and compelled.

19:28And so you want to think about what is my why or what is my transformation or transformation that I've been able to get someone else and figure out how to share that journey. Not just the before and after, but like let people into the messy middle. Again, the behind the scenes is so powerful. And so I think this is so amazing because what's happening these days is that people are like, okay, once I have the audience that I have, then I'll start talking about the things that matter to me. you're not going to get the audience that you want without sharing those things, without really anchoring in your values and your why.

20:05If you have not listened to my recent interview earlier this month with Ashlyn Carter, she is my conversion copywriter. Be sure to check it out. I'm going to link it in the show notes in the show description for you. But in our conversation, she talks about how the only true monopoly that we have in our businesses is our story, that no matter what product or service we provide or business we build, our uniqueness is what makes us stand out from all of the competition. This is why it is so important to share our why and how we've transformed our lives or how we've built our businesses. This might just be the thing that causes someone to choose you over someone else.

20:46And so again, you want to think about why am I doing this? Or what is the transformation that I've experienced that has led me to want to offer this to other people, whether it's a product, a service, a digital course, whatever that is. Again, for an example here with my book, I didn't just think about selling the book. The book is the offer, right? And I could have done a few posts on just buy my book, buy my book. But I created so much content around the book itself. I shared the story about how I said, I'm never going to write a book. And then I decided to write it. I talked about the writing process.

21:23I talked about editing the manuscript when my baby was 10 days old. I showed being in New York city with my family. When the book came out, I interviewed people who were a part of the process. The actual thing for sale was a book, but we were able to create so much content that was valuable around the book that helped share the why the transformation so that people understood why I took the time and spent the energy and money on writing the dang book. And let me tell you, I truly believe that that made more people want to buy my book because they started to see, whoa, she cared about this so much.

21:58This is how she did this process. This is what it looks like. I can imagine her writing this. And by the way, if you don't have my book yet, go to the show notes. I've got it waiting for you. How are you really? You're going to love it. Okay. Number three. So number one was behind the scene sneak peeks. Number two was share your why and the transformation. Now, number three is if you are terrified to show up or to even hint at anything or to introduce what it is that you are working on, ask for feedback, like invite your audience to be a part of your journey by asking them for their input or feedback on certain aspects of your product or service.

22:35Not only does this engage your audience, but it also makes them feel super valued and involved in the creation process itself. The other day, it was so funny. I was on Instagram and I saw somebody do a poll to have their audience help them name their next podcast episode. It was like podcast episode dropping tomorrow. What should we name it? And in the poll, there are four different options. And I am 99 % sure they had already decided on their own name, but I thought this was a brilliant move because not only did it help people kind of provide their feedback, but it was almost like this gentle reminder of, Hey, we have an episode coming out and here's what it's going to be about.

23:13And inside of the options, you could kind of get the gist of it. And they made it so juicy that it was like, Hey, I got to make sure I circle back and listen to this episode. And so there are so many different ways that you can invite people into the fold as you are creating, as you are starting to share, as you are putting yourself out there, where again, you can ask people for feedback. Like, did you know that the gold digger podcast was named by one of you? I literally pulled my audience nearly eight years ago for help naming this podcast. And it's kind of funny because back in the day at a watercolor art print shop, many of you probably didn't even know that.

23:53And I had created this graphic that said a gold digger and it was in gold script. It was my handwriting and someone had remembered it and they had thrown that in the hat on social media for what I should name my podcast. And that is how the Gold Digger podcast was named was from audience feedback, which by the way, gave me an excuse to tell people, Hey, I have a podcast coming out. Do you want to be a part of this process? What should I name it? Now, another way that I've seen creators doing this recently is by creating private broadcast channels on Instagram when they're in the midst of creating their next product or their service.

24:28And this is a place for like their diehard fans, like the do or die people to be a part of their creation process. They can help choose a logo or packaging or labels or flavors or designs or titles, whatever it may be. It's a really great way to like pull the diehard audience and like really hit those people. And so there's so many different ways that you can ask for feedback. You can literally ask people in the flesh real life, but I think that feedback can be positioned in a way that it is not only content, but it's providing valuable insight for you. When people participate in the development and the growth of what it is that you're creating, they feel way more invested in it and likely to take action.

25:09So again, even if your dream business is simply an idea right now, start doing polls. Ask people, do you like this or this? Have you ever thought about this? What are your thoughts on this? Have you watched this video? So I'm digging into this again. There's so many different ways that you can just simply start showing up. And what I wanna remind you is that every single time that you post any of this content, whether it is behind the scenes, whether it is your why or your transformation, whether it's asking for feedback, you are leaving little breadcrumbs, little nudges of like, hey guys, remember, it's me.

25:45This is what I'm working on. This is what I do. And it's just these little breadcrumbs on the path to purchasing. I promise you that. Number four is offering value. So you want to provide valuable content related to your niche, your industry, your expertise. This could be in the form of tips, tutorials, or insights that set you up as an expert and establish you as a trusted authority in your field. When you consistently deliver value, you are going to attract and retain a very loyal following. It's time for Cyber Monday, Dell technology's biggest sale of the year. You'll find the lowest prices of the year on select Dell PCs like the Dell 16 plus with Intel Core ultra processors.