I have been procrastinating writing this post.
Why?
Confession time: I have “issues.” Yeah, I know, who doesn’t, right? But the weird thing about me is that I work in marketing, and yet I am abysmal at marketing my own work.
What’s this all about? I’m honestly still not sure. I know that the kinds of things I have to say are valuable. I know that I provide a much-needed service: showing people how to effectively use social media for their marketing. And I love what I do. Every time I get an email from someone that says “thank you, you made a difference,” it’s the best feeling in the road. But, even in the face of the glowing testimonials and the LinkedIn Endorsements, there is a part of me that is loathe to really embrace success.
It’s partly because of the field I work in. Around every corner of the internet, these days, it seems, is another “social media guru” who is going to sell you the keys to overnight success for a mere $600. I don’t want to be painted with that brush. I don’t want to even be considered to be in the same field as those guys. The “ick” factor is through the roof.
I guess, at the end of the day, there is something about being successful, or making money, that feels, well, dirty.
Which is crazy, right? Why should we not be compensated for our knowledge? If we work our asses off, we’ll be rewarded, right? Those are the rules. Yet, consistently, the only thing standing between me and making money off of that pile of smarts in my brain is myself.
So. What to do?
Just freaking get over myself. Then research, make a plan, and execute it. Fake it ’till I make it. And maybe take some of you guys along with me for support.
Yup. It’s happening.
If any of this resonates with you, you might want to skip over and read this great post by Naomi over at IttyBiz (one of my fave blogs), called How to Take the ICK out of Selling.
If you want to join me on my quest to un-Ickify myself and be part of my support team, sign up here.