Venturing Beyond the Comfort Zone? Look at What's Hiding in Your Wardrobe
I spent years juggling raising my daughter and working with clients online. Most days you would have found me in stretchy pants and an “I hope it’s clean” shirt. My humble makeup bag was left mostly unused. But then, a year ago, I took a big step, putting myself out in the world. Publishing my writing, facilitating groups and coaching locally, I now had a good reason to dress up.
This year, as my business grows, I can see new places I’d like to go, but my confidence is sometimes lagging behind. My friend's wedding in September was the perfect excuse to experiment with a new look. A chance to play, push myself beyond my comfort zone, and find a look that would give me confidence to grow.
Finding a look isn't a high-risk business activity, yet it still managed to put me in a state of overwhelm. I avoided thinking about it until the last minute. What should have been fun was turning into torture. Luckily, I caught it in time and got help.
Running a business is full of experiences that can make you feel overwhelmed, unequipped, or like an impostor. When I started my company, managing the finances made me feel anxious and paralysed. I shared this with my uncle, a successful businessman, and he advised, “What makes you anxious - delegate.” His advice was what I needed to hear at the time. After spending a fortune on accountant fees and making many financial mistakes, I realised I held on to it too long. Now, I wish he’d also said: “I’ll meet you for an hour a week until you’re confident enough to do it yourself.”
When we venture outside our comfort zone, other people's experience can be a gift. But advice is never an instruction, and some of it comes with an expiry date. So try it on first, and ask: does this help me build confidence in myself? Does it fit me and my life?
Original Artwork by Naomi Fein (No AI was used)
One of my hidden talents is being able to draw what I hear in real time. In school, I found that if I doodled what I heard, I remembered the material. If I didn’t, it came in one ear and out the other. Today, I’d probably be diagnosed with ADHD. What I didn’t know then was that, 20 years later, this ability would help me build a business.
One of the great ways to grow your business is by finding mentors who can help you not only with the practicalities, but with imagining yourself reaching places you couldn’t see.
Before starting my company, I used to work in the community sector at a very low daily rate. It was the time of the economic crash, and the community sector budgets dried up. In desperation, I met with Rachel, an old friend of my parents, a former international HR director. I showed her my “graphic recording” work (AKA my doodles), and she was blown away. She told me, “We’re paying top dollar to fly senior managers around the globe for meetings; if only I could have you in the room, you’d help them make sense there and then, and your visual notes can deliver a clearer story to all employees in the different locations.”
I was excited. I could see a path forward. I knew who my clients were, their pain and how I could help. Rachel helped me see my future, and I built a whole business around that vision. A business that earned ten times more than what I made before that conversation.
So if you feel stuck, it might be because you can’t see the way forward, but someone else might. Try scanning your network for people who have a different perspective and ask them:What value can you see in my services? Who are the people I can serve?
Curious about my wedding experiment? I decided to call on two skilful friends for help. One friend helped with the outfit - we discovered a gorgeous African-patterned skirt and a vintage red corduroy jacket hiding in my wardrobe. Another friend did my makeup, enhancing my natural features. Just like Rachel with my doodles, my friends didn't bring me anything new. They helped me see what was already there.
The wedding was beautiful, but when chatting with the other guests, I realised that the makeup just didn't feel like me. Remembering that I set the rules, I removed a couple of layers, found a face I love, and got back into the party feeling lighter. The “makeup failure” charged me with motivation to keep exploring and permission to add a couple of new items to my makeup bag - how exciting!
Photos, makeup and hair by Saeeda Naeem - find her on Instagram
Change can often make us feel overwhelmed and paralysed. A good place to start is to look at what you already have: experience, network, an untapped talent, or the perfect garment hiding in the wardrobe. Plan a small, low-risk experiment. Call on someone who can see what you can't. Still too much? Chunk it even smaller. And don’t let fear of failure stop you. The answer is always - do it.
I use my doodling superpower with my clients. When the chaos in their heads turns into a picture, the path forward often just appears. The stories I share, from my omnivorous career, open doors to new places. I help them slow down, plan small experiments, break them into manageable steps and move through their fears.
If that sounds like something that could help you move forward, email me at naomi@thinkvisual.ie or book a free 15-minute conversation at thinkvisual.ie/letschat.
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