Breaking Through Visibility Blocks

By Ilana Jankowitz.

Visibility blocks are one of the most common obstacles business owners face when sharing their gifts with the world. Sometimes the resistance is so strong that many question the value of being visible at all!

When I think about this, statements that I've heard from a couple of prominent coaches spring to mind…

"The world needs that special gift that only you have" – Marie Forleo

And this one I love from Ali Brown…

"You're going to often find that to step into your biggest opportunity, you will be asked to move through your biggest fear or insecurity."

Thought-provoking statements, aren't they? What comes up for you when you read them?

Why do you need to be visible?

So many business owners fall into the mindset trap of thinking that visibility isn't all that important. I mean, surely you can just send out a newsletter once a month or do a pretty post on Insta or LinkedIn, and it's job done?!

My answer to that is – NO!

And I'll tell you why.

Because no matter who you are, I firmly believe that you have something to offer the world and a unique perspective to bring to others about whatever it is that interests you. And to get that message out there to the masses, you must be visible in multiple ways.

What stops us from being more visible?

The long and short of it is – fear!

It's scary putting yourself out there. I can't tell you the number of times I've put off doing videos or starting groups. Even when I know, they're wanted and will be a positive thing for my clients and business.

Being visible can feel even more challenging if you're anything like me and naturally inclined to be an introvert. I'd personally instead just do other stuff.

But often, the other "stuff" is just busyness that isn't moving your business forward. The priority for every business must be with making money; otherwise, you're very busy running a hobby!

For your business to make money, you must be visible. People need to know where to find you, what you do and how you can help them.

One quick, free, and easy way to do this is by going Live! Oh dear, I can almost hear you cringing and shouting, "Nooooo!!" at me! But what's stopping you from utilising this hugely impactful and far-reaching resource?

I'd hazard a guess that it's…

• Fear of being judged
• Lack of self-confidence
• Low self-esteem
• Convincing yourself no one wants to listen to you
• Worrying whether people will like how you look

The list goes on!

Self-judgement is a visibility killer!

Self-judgement is rife no matter what your age or background. Recently one of my younger clients told me that she's not on Instagram because there are too many people to compare herself to, and then she judges herself!

I genuinely believe that when we stop judging ourselves, we'll stop judging others. The change must come from within us first. I can't stress enough how vital it is to be authentically you in every area of your life. And not just for a day, but all the time!

Cast your mind back to the Marie Forleo statement at the beginning of this blog. The world needs your special gift. So, write a blog post with a strong opinion. Share your personal story so that people can get to know the real you. Comment on someone else's post, but just be kind/respectful.

We all need and deserve to be seen. To be acknowledged. And to show up for ourselves and other people in the world who, whether you realise it or not, are waiting and needing to hear what you have to say – it's selfish not to!

Breaking through the visibility block

The first step with breaking through any block is simply deciding that you're going to move through it and then committing to the actions needed. Let's take my resistance to getting in front of a camera as an example.

When I realised that I was doing my business and clients a disservice by not confronting my fear and self-judgement, I decided enough was enough!

Judgemental thoughts about how I look and show up still come up. But now, I acknowledge them for what they are (just thoughts) and show up authentically anyway. Am I always perfect and polished – no! But I am always myself, and that's the whole point!

The reality is if you have visibility issues, they need to be addressed and not left to fester. A great thing to do is write down what you'd love to change about yourself if money was no object. Then take baby steps to adjust just one thing at a time.

For example, I shared with my group recently that I hated my glasses. So, rather than just carrying on living with them, I took myself off to the opticians and ordered new cool ones. Visibility obstacle removed (literally)!

Remember, the best way to create lasting change is to take small, consistent steps. Plan out how you're going to increase your visibility, and then implement your plan just one step at a time.

You've got this!

If you want to face your visibility blocks and show up with your unique perspective, start by taking my Money Quiz and book in for a free consultation.

 Ilana Jankowitz is a certified Money Coach born and raised in South Africa and currently residing in Zurich. Her work is all about identifying behavioural patterns around money, transforming negative thinking and moving from a self-destructive mindset to one that is positive and inspiring.

She is passionate about helping women to break free from self-doubt, low self-esteem and lack of self-confidence and move towards financial liberation and she can help you too with her free money quiz.  You can read all about Ilana and her work here or on any of my social pages Facebook | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube