How to Stop Faking Your Success as an Entrepreneur?
Updated: Dec 30, 2020
One time I pretended an event was sold out when it really wasn’t. I had even sent an email out saying that there were no more spots left and there was now a waiting list.
I thought that maybe people would see the sense of urgency and react and sign up. Instead, I got nothing.
Oddly, I wasn’t sad or defeated that the event didn’t sell out. Instead, I was embarrassed because I had to lie to the staff that helps me with the event. They replied to that email congratulating me and I had to let them know one-by-one that the email was a lie.
Deep down, I know I had a pride issue at the time. I want my events always to sell out. I want to be seem successful to everyone around me. After all, I’m an entrepreneur and I should be crushing it.
Underneath all the glamour and facade, entrepreneurs are all the same—just clay fashioned into housing for a living soul. Everyone is searching for meaning and purpose in business and shares the same basic human needs. Showmanship is one thing, but we shouldn’t be fooled by our own act. At the heart of it all we are the same as everyone else—no better and no worse. And we need to recognize that fact.
So how do we kick this bad habit of showmanship, pride, and fake facades? What if our entire business model revolves around a fake authority we’ve built, and there’s no turning back?
The bible says
One person pretends to be rich, yet has nothing; another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth. A person’s riches may ransom their life, but the poor cannot respond to threatening rebukes. The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out. Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice. Proverbs 13:7-10 NIV
Here are 3 ways I’ve learned how to kick the habit of showing off and pretending to be someone I’m not.
1. Brag About Others: I’ve switched from trying to sell my services to selling my clients services. I do branding, so I create the logos and websites for people. When I’m done, I simply tell the world what they do, not what I did. This helps me focus on others, and myself.
Attend to the Basics 2. Your body, soul, and mind need working out constantly:
We need to be in the bible daily to take on a Christ-like humility. Here is God on Earth, can do anything he wants, yet shows us that those who are last will be first. I read the Bible to keep me from becoming more of the old me.
3. You’re Doing Better than You Think You Are: Cultivate pleasures and have a realistic appraisal of yourself. God doesn’t read your press clippings. And if He did, He would not be very impressed.
We’re all hard on ourselves. If we really take a step back and look, we’re actually doing amazing things. The problem is that we’re not where our visions have shown us yet, and that can lead to frustration and lies to make yourself act like you’re there already.
Godpreneur Rule: Drawing attention to yourself may be good for business, but the simple life is good for your soul.