Stop being so damn nice! As a woman in business, you have to constantly fight for your seat at the table.
The misconception that women are “too sensitive” for business is BS! In fact, we are stronger and more resilient BECAUSE of our natural instincts.
Let’s get one thing straight… today’s dose of the Maximize Newsletter is NOT telling you to stop being you. You can lead with kindness… you can be as damn sensitive or emotionless as you want. My goal is to show you that you can lead with kindness without “people-pleasing”.
People-pleasing can be defined as acting in a way that seeks approval from others OR acting in a way that spares the feelings of others.
Be as nice as you want, but do it for YOU and YOUR BUSINESS. Don’t be nice to spare other’s feelings or out of fear of not being liked.
People-pleasing is toxic to your business in two major ways:
- It hinders you from making the money you should be making!
Underearning is the biggest consequence of people-pleasing. Spending time working around difficult client requests and responding to everyone’s emails means you aren’t making the money you should. - You will burnout easier.
People-pleasing means you are doing things for others, not yourself. The important task-items you need to get done are not getting done. You will become overwhelmed by trying to make everyone happy and grow your business.
How to stop people-pleasing… steps to take when making business decisions.
- Value your time equally to that of clients.
Repeat after me: The days of last-minute meetings and wrapping up client projects are OVER. Set your schedule and stick to it. DO NOT move around personal obligations for professional ones. Your personal time is EQUALLY as valuable as your client time. Set hours for yourself and honor it. - Be clear and honest with your clients.
Immediately let prospective clients know your boundaries. What hours are you available? What is your typical turnaround time? What deadlines do you have?
Establish this in the beginning by putting it in your engagement letter so there is no confusion around your working transactions. Your clients will thank you! Admitting that you are human and letting your clients know your boundaries will make them more comfortable with you because of your ability to communicate authentically.
- Limit your selfish or guilty feelings.
It can feel weird putting yourself before your work. It can feel weird to go sit on the couch to Netflix n Chill at 6pm even though your laptop is sitting right there ready to be opened. Just because you have free time, doesn’t mean it needs to be filled with work!
- Come up with polite refusals.
I have a hard time saying no to people. But no problem, I have a solution for that. I keep a couple of email templates and examples on hand for when I need to say no without creating any drama behind the no.
Once you write the emails, re-use them! Keep them saved in google docs or trello. Use language you already created so you can stop putting off sending that no! Say no quickly, politely, and keep it pushing.
This is just the first week of becoming an unwavering business badass! Next week we will break down the woes of pricing.
Every day during this 3-week series I will be posting extra content and exclusive tips on my instagram! Make sure you are following and engaging with me. I talk back 🙂
