This podcast is taken from our monthly community event inside the Female Indie Musician Community where we focus on a theme and provide motivation and mindset tips. This month’s theme is self-promotion. Beth & Cayla discuss how to overcome fear, imposter syndrome, perfectionism, procrastination, and limiting beliefs that keep you from getting your music to the people who need to hear it.

We all struggle with self-promotion in different ways. Among the struggles we encounter are talking about yourself, not wanting to put yourself out there, fear of offending people, not knowing what works best, fear of putting yourself out in social media.

Causes of Fear of Self-Promotion:

1. Imposter syndrome
Fearing that you will be discovered as a fraud.
2. Fear of failure
This is related to perfectionism. Fear of making mistakes.
3. Fear of success
Fear of not being in control and fear of the unknown.
4. Trust issues caused by trauma
5. Procrastination
Form of self-sabotage (Procrastination, Perfectionism, Self-Medicating)

Self-promotion is really about building relationships. As Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. People will never forget how you made them feel.”

You need to reach a point where you believe that you have something unique and special to offer that nobody else can offer people. If you don’t know what that is, that is a part of your self-discovery. If it’s been hard and difficult, it doesn’t need to be like that the rest of your life. If you can use that to help people, that’s powerful.

You need to realize that you are talented, intelligent and capable. You need to stop telling your mind things are not true. Start being true to yourself. Tell yourself, “I’m no better or worse than the person I need to impress. We are both human beings.”

5 Mindsets About Self-Promotion That You Need to Get Rid Off:

1. Lose the “If I build it, they will come” mindset.
Cayla spent all her money on creating the album but none on marketing. You must have a strategic plan that is attached to an end and even money to go with it.
2. Lose the “I’m bothering people, I’m only a used car salesman” thing.
Focus on what you are bringing to the table.
3. Lose the “It’s all about me” mindset.
Think instead, “What am I giving to my audience?”
4. Lose the “Collaborate with people so I can get somewhere” mindset.
Think instead about how can I serve you rather than what can they do for me and what can they do for my audience. Think that your collaborations are for people, not for yourself.
5. Lose the “I’m too ____” mindset.
We all struggle with thinking that we’re too this or we’re too that. Again, focus on what you bring to the table. There’s a market for everybody. We all have a place.

Remember that we all have our own mindset struggles and we don’t need to be stuck because of that. You do not have to wallow in it and you have to move forward. It’s a mindset and it’s not a part of your being. It can be changed with action on your part.

Beth joined the Keynote with Tiamo DeVitorri and she still felt stuck. She is now working with her friend with Heart Path Story Coaching to find out what her trauma is. You can work on yourself by going through therapy or reading books such as Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown and To Be Told: Know Your Story, Shape Your Future by Dan B. Allender.

To deal with struggles on self-promotion, you should learn how to accept yourself and your situation and at the same time, stop your negative mindset and take control by focusing not on yourself but on your audience.

Links mentioned in this episode:
Heart Path Story Coaching