TL;DR: If you're waiting to feel ready before you launch, you could be waiting a long time. Confidence shows up after you start… through small, slightly uncomfortable steps like updating your LinkedIn profile, posting once a week and telling five people what you're doing. You might just have to do it scared.
There's an idea in the back of your mind that won't let up.
Maybe it's a consultancy. Maybe it's a business built around the thing you've been getting really good at for 10, 15, 20 years. Maybe you're still in the full-time job, or you stepped away for a while and now you're ready to come back… on your own terms.
And you're waiting. Waiting until you feel ready. Until you have the website, the logo, the perfect plan. Until it doesn't feel so scary.
I want to tell you something I tell my clients all the time: you might have to do it scared.
The question that started it for me
A few years ago I was in between jobs and honestly not sure what I was going to do next. I was sitting with one of my best friends, and she asked me, "If you could do anything, what would you do?"
I didn't have to think about it. I said I'd be a cheerleader for women who want to launch something. I'd help them launch businesses around the things they're super passionate about, and I'd be the voice behind the scenes telling them yes, you can.
At the time, that felt SO far away. I didn't have a business. I didn't have a plan.
But I really believe in putting things out into the universe… and then also taking steps toward them. So I said it out loud. And then I started taking small steps. I helped friends build websites for the things they were launching, on a volunteer basis. I was their sounding board when they were getting started. Little by little, that turned into the work I do now.
Confidence comes after you start, not before
Here's what nobody tells you: you don't get confident and then put yourself out there. You put yourself out there, and the confidence shows up later.
A little bit of scared is healthy. It means this matters to you. If there's a fire in you that just won't let up, the fear probably isn't going away on its own. At some point you decide to go anyway.
"If you have this dream and fire and passion inside of you that's just not letting up and you want to launch this thing out in the world, you might have to do it scared."
And if you don't have enough confidence yet? Borrow some of mine. That's honestly a big part of what I do. I'll stand behind you and say yes, this is a valid idea. Yes, you have the experience. Yes, you have more expertise than you even know that you have.
The biggest hesitation I hear (by far) is some version of, "I just don't have anything to say. Why would anyone want to hear from me?" And my answer is always the same. If you're launching a consultancy and you want to be a service provider to other people, you have plenty to say. You've just been saying it in meetings and on client calls for years, so it doesn't feel special to you anymore.
One of my clients put it better than I ever could. When she started showing up on LinkedIn a year ago, she worried people would think her message was silly, or that she didn't look polished enough, or that she'd say something wrong. A year later, she told me it isn't just confidence she gained. It's conviction. She has clients. She knows her work works. She just doesn't worry about it the way she used to.
What it actually looks like
It's smaller than you think. You don't need a big launch. You need a few small, slightly uncomfortable steps in the right order.
- Update your LinkedIn profile so it shows who you are and what you know. You're not just an employee of someone else's business anymore. You're a person with expertise.
- Post once a week for four weeks. One simple text post. I call it flexing your posting muscle. It gets easier every single time.
- Tell one real story. A client moment, a lesson learned, a problem you solved.
- Tell five people what you're doing. Out loud. That's usually the scariest part, and it matters most.
It doesn't have to be perfect. Honestly, people are more forgiving right now than ever. With so much polished, AI-generated content out there, they want the real you, stumbles and all.
What happens next
Once you start, the ball starts rolling.
People start reaching out and asking about what you do. You get the confidence to start reaching out yourself. You land those first clients, and you learn from them. There'll be clients you loved and clients you didn't, work you liked and work you didn't, and that's okay. You're working through it in real time. That's how you figure out what your business actually is.
I know it's tempting to want it all perfectly laid out on paper first, with a clear path and a tidy plan. But I say this all the time:
"You just have to learn by doing."
Find those first clients, do the work, learn from it. Get the next batch of clients, do different work, learn from that too. And where you end up might look totally different from where you thought you were headed… which is honestly part of what makes this so exciting.
Ask what makes you come alive
There's a line from Howard Thurman I come back to all the time: don't ask what the world needs, ask what makes you come alive. Because what the world needs is more people who have come alive.
I really, truly believe that. If more of us followed our hearts and did the work that lights us up, this whole world would be a happier and better place.
So if there's something you've been carrying around in the back of your mind, consider this your sign. You don't need everything in place. You just need to do the right things first.
And you might have to do it scared. I'll be cheering you on either way.
Frequently asked questions
How do I get the confidence to start my own business?
Usually by starting before you feel ready. Confidence grows from evidence: a post you published, a conversation that went well, a first client. Pick one small step this week and let the confidence catch up.
Is it normal to feel scared when launching a business?
Completely. A little fear usually means the idea matters to you. Most people who launch something feel it. They just decide to go anyway.
What's the first step to launching a consulting business?
Get clear on who you help and what you help them with, update your LinkedIn profile to say so, and start telling people what you're doing. The website, logo and business cards can come later.
How often should I post on LinkedIn when I'm just starting out?
Once a week is plenty. Start with one simple text post a week for four weeks. Consistency matters more than volume, and it gets easier every time.
Ready for your first step? My free Out Loud challenge gives you one small step a day for five days. Start the challenge →