Sometimes you meet someone and their confidence just radiates out of them. They seem self-assured, expressive, comfortable in themselves – like nothing could shake them. Do you want to know the secret to that kind of unstoppable confidence, asks internationally acclaimed confidence coach, Erika Cramer.

That type of confidence isn’t something people are born with. It’s earned. It’s like a muscle – one that can be strengthened over time. Which brings me to the best part: anyone can develop this type of confidence, including you!

Here’s the thing about confidence: it’s crucial to your business success. A recent study showed that 55 per cent of women second-guess their decision to start a business, and almost 90 per cent of women-owned businesses generate less than $100,000 per year.

These stats are proof of the fact that a lack of confidence gets in the way of us going for what we truly want. When we find ourselves with low confidence, a number of things happen …

We don’t back ourselves.

We don’t put ourselves out there fully.

We don’t ask for what we want – or what we deserve.

We don’t truly believe we’ve ‘got what it takes’, so we play small.

We don’t take risks.

And most importantly, we don’t show up in our businesses like we desire to.

If we want to create a thriving business, we need to create confidence in ourselves because confidence in yourself equals confidence in your business.

 4 tips to get in touch with your confidence

1. Get in touch with why you do what you do

The higher purpose of why your business exists can be your driving force to help you stand confidently. When you think about why you started your business what comes to mind? Most times when we build businesses, we desire to be of service and solve problems. When you don’t show up and stand in your confidence, it means you can’t impact your prospective customers and current clients.

My advice? Tune into the feeling you get when you are helping and serving your clients. Let that drive you to take the necessary actions you need to grow and expand your business. Make a list of the impact you currently make or have the ability to make. Ask yourself: “What would the confident version of me do?”

Lastly, think about what it costs you (and your clients) when you don’t show up confidently? It costs you your financial freedom, your purpose, your ability to add value – and it costs your clients the ability to be supported by your product or service. In my business when I don’t show up or I play small, my clients don’t get the breakthrough they need, they don’t get to work through their anxiety, they don’t get to create confidence and live the life they dreamed of. It’s a huge cost for both parties.

2. Write out all the decisions you need to make, but have been avoiding

When we let our fear stop us, we experience a number of things that get in the way of our success: analysis paralysis, impostor syndrome, self sabotage … the list goes on.

These are all the things that we allow to get in the way of us going for what we want. Instead of the usual sabotage, make a list of the big decisions you’ve been putting off (usually the scary ones you avoid). If you can allow yourself to make this list, you can then put a plan in place to start making these decisions. The sooner you get your head out of the sand, the sooner you can move forward!

 3. Commit to taking (small) action steps

The key here is small. Confident people take action. They do the scary stuff – not because they’re not terrified, but because they know they’ll survive and learn from the scary stuff and at the end of the day, they know it needs to be done.

They know it doesn’t feel good at first, but they give it a go anyway, knowing that taking small steps towards the big decisions is what it takes to get things moving.

4. Be willing to get uncomfortable

Growth doesn’t sit in comfort. Growth sits squarely in the middle of discomfort – it happens when the wheels fall off. Think about the last time you faced a massive challenge in your business. Perhaps cashflow dried up, or your income was massively impacted by COVID-19. In those moments, you learn so much more about yourself and your ability to pivot, problem-solve and thrive than you do when business is good.

Getting up when you fall is all part of the process when creating confidence. Remember: there are always going to be roadblocks and challenges. The most successful businesswomen aren’t the ones who avoid them, but are those who don’t let the challenges stand in their way. They get back up again, and again … and again!

When we truly embody self-confidence we go for our dreams. We make decisions that matter, we create courage and we take the important actions that will help us get what we want in life, and in business.