Being the face of your brand is no easy feat; it requires you to put yourself on the line, in a very vulnerable position and open to being to be judged by all. The good news is, is that it’s totally doable, it’s not as scary as you think and by using the my tried and tested steps below, you’ll learn to retrain your brain and be completely comfortable with being the face of your brand and what you have to offer.

Getting comfortable with being the face of your brand

Getting crystal clear on what your brand is and isn’t and its core values will help in Getting comfortable with being the face of your brand. Its very easy when you’re starting out to feel uncomfortable about putting yourself out there especially since when you’re first starting out because you’re not really sure what on earth you’re doing.

So, the more digging you do to understand who you are and who you’re here to serve, the more confidence you’ll have when delivering to your audience.

Writing down your core values and creating a customer persona and having them plastered somewhere you can see daily are all steps that will help you get really clear on this.

Take small steps to get comfortable

This is one of the most important things you need to do in order to make progress with putting yourself out there.

Of course, it’s going to freak you out putting yourself out there in full force. Be kind to yourself, start with small steps, ask yourself what you can do today, that would only make you slightly uncomfortable. It might look like posting one selfie and seeing how that sits with you or voicing your opinion in a Facebook group (even if you feel there may be criticism).

All these small steps, contribute to gaining confidence and owning who you are and what you believe in.

People are actually nice

Yes, believe it or not, most people are actually nice and not here to judge and be mean to you. There are some nasty people out there but, for the better part, there are some really incredible people out there too who are waiting to meet you!

The more you put yourself out there, the more you also open yourself up to the good. That means more sales because people can find you, new friendships because you decided to come out of your shell and more confidence with the amazing gift you have to offer the world.

This was one of the biggest shifts for me personally and once I got over it, my client attraction doubled, I got lots of amazing positive feedback (which made me more confident) and I continue to meet people who inspire me every day. The more you put yourself out there, the more you also open yourself up to the good.

You’ll evolve, you don’t need to be perfect right now

Take comfort in knowing that your brand will evolve. We all have to start somewhere and I bet there’s not one entrepreneur you speak to that was completely happy with how their brand looked when they were first starting out.

Each step you take, gives you more clarity towards who and what your brand is about so take comfort knowing that this is a journey and you’ll gain more confidence and clarity as you evolve. BUT, you’ll never get to that point if you don’t make a move so take a leap of faith and just say yes to being vulnerable, yes to the unknown and yes to the exciting future the world has in store for you. Each step you take, gives you more clarity towards who and what your brand is about

Let’s talk about the physical aspect

Remember that feeling when you’re heading out for the evening, you’ve just bought a new outfit you’re in love with and you feel like a million dollars? That feeling is how you should feel about the content you’re putting out there.

Because if the photos that you’re posting of yourself are below average then that’s exactly the kind of energy and message you’ll be sending out. Please, do yourself the favour and invest in the branding and professional shots because it’s worth every penny. Investing into something which you want to do for the rest of your life makes sense right?

If you love your branding and photos, you’ll have the confidence to back it up. If you need to, get creative if you can’t afford it, swap services, save for it, if you need it you will find a way.

Avoid the comparison game

Aah, the deadly comparison game. I can’t tell you how many times I, or someone I know has fallen victim to this. It’s deflating, it creates confusion and can send you into a real spin.

Remind yourself that this is your unique journey, not one person can do it exactly the same and that we’re all at different stages. There is no right or wrong so avoid looking to others and comparing, because you’re only setting  yourself up to fail.

I purposely avoid anyone that I think will influence me (even subconsciously) because I want to be confident with what I’m delivering. I know this is my unique journey to be discovered, so I am happy and have faith that everything will happen in all due time.

There is no right or wrong so avoid looking to others and comparing, because you’re only setting yourself up to fail.

Aylen is a Business Consultant & Mentor at aylendearanza.com. Specializing in fashion, beauty and lifestyle, she works closely with businesses and bloggers to implement Marketing and PR strategies that will put their brand on the map in a big way. Aylen also offers exclusive one-on-one coaching, working together to clear mindset blocks, increase sales and execute strategies that make real changes in your business. She is also the Founder of itsthenow.com; an online destination for female entrepreneurs, featuring how to’s, inspiring interviews and industry news to help you up-level your business. Her work has been featured in The Huffington Post, Holistchic and Ofkin. Check out her instagram.