How to Overcome Fear and Finally Start Your Dream Business (Ep. 9)

Are fear and self-doubt stopping you from starting the business you really want to build?

In this episode of Confidence Unfiltered, Sky Marie Steele breaks down the real reason fear shows up when you’re chasing big dreams—and how to flip the switch and use it as fuel. From imposter syndrome and fear of failure to the sneaky fear of success, we’re getting real about what it takes to move forward.

You’ll learn:

• Why fear is normal in business (and why it's a good sign!)
• The four-step action plan to build confidence and take bold steps
• How to get out of your head and into momentum, even when you're terrified
• How to make fear your fuel, not your barrier

No more waiting for the "perfect time." This is your permission slip to take messy, meaningful action—starting now.

👉 Hit play, take the challenge at the end, and tag @skymareesteele on Instagram to share what you’re finally giving yourself permission to do!

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Transcript

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Welcome to another episode of Confidence Unfiltered, and today we are going to talk about overcoming fear. So here's the thing, most of us might have a dream, a goal, like something that you wanna achieve. For me, it's always been business, but yet we stay stuck and feel terrified. So let's get real. Building a business sounds exciting, right? Like the freedom, the impact, the possibility to create something that is completely your own, but then that little voice inside your head starts, what if I fail? Who am I to actually think that I can start a business? What if nobody actually wants what I have to offer? What if I'm never going to be good enough? It is that fear of failure or that fear of being judged that often keeps us stuck in the what ifs instead of actually taking action. So if you've ever wanted to start or grow your business, but fear has been standing in your way, then this episode is for you. We are going to dive deep into why fear is actually normal and how to use it to your advantage. How to move through your fear when you're starting a business, and practical steps to build confidence and take big, bold fucking action. Because here's the thing, fear, it doesn't have to stop you. It can actually fuel you, but we've gotta learn to flip the switch. So why does fish show up when we wanna build a business? Well, it's easy to think that successful business owners like have it all figured out, but guess what they don't. Fear is actually a natural part of growing a business. Entrepreneurship, literally doing anything new. Every person who has ever built something, whether it be their, from their health, from their business, from a family, from a house, from like whatever it is, from the ground up, they feel fear. Fear simply is a byproduct of taking a risk. It's something that involves stepping out of your comfort zone. And fear literally means I haven't been here before. And here's the truth. You're actually not meant to start a business from a place of perfection or clarity or calm. Confidence actually comes after we take the action to do the thing. There is no growth in your comfort zone, which means there is no growing a business in your comfort zone. But one thing I need, I need you to hear from me is that fear, it doesn't actually mean that you are not capable. It actually means that you are right on track. Every time you feel that fear, it means that you are pushing yourself to grow, and growth is uncomfortable. In actual fact, if you came to me and had a conversation and you weren't feeling the fear, I would actually ask you if you're actually growing anything new anyway. How does fear manifest maybe in business? Well, the fear that we feel when we started business isn't just one thing, and for me it was so many little things. And they showed up in things like imposter syndrome. Like I'm not a business owner and I'm, I'm, maybe, maybe I'm underqualified for this. Like, who am I to think that I could run a psychology practice? And then there's that fear of judgment, like, what are people gonna think? And am I a fraud and is it gonna be as good as other people's? And what is everybody else doing better than me? Like we get caught up in comparison mode. And then that's that fear of failure. What if I launch and then there's crickets like nobody buys. Nobody comes, like, nobody wants to see me or buy something from my business. You know, what if I fail at this? And then the other way that fear manifests is the fear of success. You know, what if I actually do succeed? What if I can't handle this success? What if it changes my life in ways I'm not ready for? What if I grow away from all the people that I love? Like we have so many fears that show up in business that we can find ourself paralyzed and stuck. But if we start seeing all of these fears as actually normal and not an indication that you need to quit, then guess what? You get to fucking start. So why shouldn't you wait for the fear to go away? Well, let's clear something up. There is no perfect moment for anything. When you are starting a business, when you are growing like yourself, your health, whatever it is, fee does not disappear. The minute you wanna grow something, you cannot wait. Fear out. If you are waiting for the fear to go away before you take the plunge, you. We'll be waiting forever. So here's the deal. Confidence is built through action. I know this is on repeat through all of my episodes. I am going to keep saying it. The more action you take, the less power fear actually has over you. The more you take messy action and you don't make it wrong, the more you prove to yourself. That fear does not control you. Every step you take, even when you are terrified, is a step towards creating your business or your dreams. Because remember, the most successful entrepreneurs, they are not fearless. They've literally learned the duality, which is take action despite the fear. So here's my four steps that I use to overcome fear and build my business. So let's get practical. How do you move through the fear and actually build your business? Well, my four step action plan actually starts number one with clarity. Get clear. On why you want to build this business, your why will drive you. When you are clear on your why, fear becomes less powerful. My why is to have people see that being their unique selves by doing things their way, has them more successful in not only life, but business. I want people to get to see that their uniqueness is their fucking superpower. That is my why. Write it down. What does your business mean to you? Is it about freedom? Is it about impact? Is it about creating something meaningful within a community? Your why will drive those moments of fear. They will see you through those moments of doubt and they will hold you steady in these moments of uncertainty. So I want you to write this down. Here is your journal prompt for starting with clarity. What does building this business represent for me and why is it worth overcoming the fearful? So that's your first step in your action plan. Your second step is breaking down the big vision into bite-sized steps. As an A-D-H-D-I can get so overwhelmed because I'm like, oh my God, here's my 10 year plan. And then I'm like, oh my God, there's so many steps. And then I get overwhelmed and like, woo, I can stress myself out and overwhelm myself, and it actually creates more fear. When I get caught up in how many steps might be in the big picture, but guess what? You actually don't need to do everything right now. You just need to take the first step. So break your goals down into small, manageable tasks. Focus on the next right step instead of the entire journey. So instead of thinking I need to launch my entire business and have it done by five o'clock today, I want you to think. Hmm. Today I'll create a basic outline of my business and what I'll offer, right? Momentum builds confidence. Once you complete one small task, you'll feel ready for the next. A house is not fucking built by throwing all the bricks together at the same time. It is literally made. One by one, and you do not see the outcome until you are almost at the finish line. Step three in my action plan. Yep. You are all gonna roll your eyes. I can feel it incoming, feel the fear, and do it anyway. Fear is going to show up no matter what. There is no way around fear, but I want you to do it anyway. Stop waiting till you're a hundred percent confident. Stop waiting till you've figured it out the right way. Stop waiting till you've got all your fucking like ducks in a row. Like if you like me, my ducks are never in a fucking row. Right? Take the action in spite of fear. When I first started my business, I was actually terrified. I actually thought that I wasn't gonna be good enough and that people would judge me. And guess what? The more I showed up. The less fear I felt. Now, that's not to say that fear goes away. What I'm saying is that you get bigger than the fear and your actions have you grow. So here's the fourth one. Surround yourself with support and accountability. You don't actually have to do this alone. I want you to think about like who in your world lifts you up. Has you believe in your vision? Has you feel like they are accountable in a beautiful way? Find your community. And sometimes it's online with other entrepreneurs. Sometimes it's offline. But find somebody who gets your goals. People can only meet you at the level in which they have the level of fear themselves. So find the people who are like the hell yes, people, not the ones that are hell no. Now, this is not to say that you need to go fuck off friendships. It's literally talk to the people about your goal, about your business that you know are gonna support you, that you know are gonna see your fission, but equally they're gonna hold you accountable And be honest when you have support, fear doesn't feel as heavy. Here is your challenge for this week. If you are this business owner who has been listening on this podcast episode and you're like, yeah, yeah, I hear. I want you to take one bold step towards your business. So you might identify one fear that's been holding you back from starting your business. Maybe it's the fear of showing up online, of posting, of going to talk to the accountant about money about. Going to look at that premise that you wanna rent, like whatever it is. I want you to think about like what is one fear that's been holding you back? And I want you to break that fear down. What is the smallest action that you could take to move past it? And maybe if it's on social media and you're scared of showing up, you can prerecord you introducing yourself and then post it motherfucker.'cause I want you to take the step. Even if it scares you. So identify one fear, break it down into a small step, and then fucking do it with the fear. Because remember, fear, it doesn't need you to stop. It's literally a sign that something incredible could happen that you haven't been here before, that something new is about to evolve. So here's my final thoughts for today. The fear you feel isn't. A sign that you're not capable, it's actually a sign that you are stepping into something greater than you ever thought possible. Confidence isn't about getting rid of fear. It is about taking action despite it. This episode is your permission slip to start your business anyway. And as usual, let me know at Sky Marie Steal and Instagram, send me a dm. Let me know what is your fear, what is your struggle, and what is your action. Let me know your successes too. I wanna hear from you. I will talk to you all again in another episode. Have a beautiful day.