Start with Confidence

In his book See You At The Top, Zig Ziglar presented several ideas about building a healthy self-image. One of those ideas, found on pp. 83-84 of the 25th Anniversary Edition is:

“Start any new venture with a phase or portion you are confident you can handle…Start in an area where you know you can succeed.”

After that, the general idea is to go step-by-step upward from success to success.

This idea struck me so I had to reflect on it. That’s when I asked the question:

What aspect of my business am I most confident in?

And as I sat with that question, my unconscious mind searched through its records, quickly sorting through all of my business skills, resources, and experiences before landing on one idea.

The area of my business where I am most confident is connecting with and holding space for my clients.

I could do marketing, I could build a website, I could do copywriting, I could do a number of different things, but the space where I shine the most is being there for people. It’s always been this way.

As a teenager, I had many friends. They’d call me up, or I would call them, and we would talk for hours. Sometimes that led them to vulnerable conversations. And without judgment, I listened. If they wanted help, I’d offer my perspective. And now, thirty years later, I realize I was coaching without knowing it was coaching. I was doing hypnosis without knowing I was doing it.

So if Zig is right, and I think he is, the best place for me to start is by meeting people right where they are, without judgment, and holding space for them to do the work they need to do.

Now, it’s your turn. Wherever you are at in your entrepreneurial journey, especially if you’re in the beginning stages, where do you shine? What is your greatest confidence about what you do?