Have you ever let an opportunity slip through your hands?
After a successful series of delivering business development workshops in the Caribbean, one of the attendees – a business owner who ran a successful practice – asked me If I could return and coach their teams and members of an Association – over 18 months. It was a big opportunity.
I returned to London with the promise of sending my proposal imminently.
The potential revenue would be transformative, but the scale and scope of the project were terrifying. She observed how I delivered the workshops and the keynote for the Chamber and Business Association, and it was clear she had complete confidence in my capability to deliver; the problem was I didn’t.
I was afraid of failing and did not know how to price the project or whether I could deliver it successfully.
These were all self-limiting beliefs.
How do you handle an opportunity outside your comfort zone and stop yourself from feeling like an imposter and pressing the sabotage button, which is what I did?
I procrastinated in sending a credible proposal, and the project was postponed.
Looking back, this is what the experienced me would have advised:
1) Seek counsel – a coach or mentor who can guide you– I tried to do it alone.
2) Grow and cultivate a network of a few individuals who can support you when
opportunities come – that is important.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve had an opportunity or submitted proposals on my own and wished there was a safe space to turn and talk it through. That said, you need to be building these relationships in advance.
