I think self-doubt is something we all run into at different stages of life. For some, it’s a passing thought. For others, it sticks around and shows up in the most inconvenient places, like when you’re about to speak up, hit publish, or share your work with the world. Most of the time, it’s manageable, but when it starts draining your energy and confidence, that’s when it holds you back.
And if you’re someone creating content or putting yourself on camera, you know exactly how loud that voice of doubt can get.
The block that held me back
I’ll be honest with you, I’ve struggled to create consistent content. Not because I didn’t have ideas, but because every time I sat down to record, I didn’t feel good enough or felt like nobody would listen to what I had to say.
Sometimes I wonder if it came from my childhood stutter, or from moments where I felt unseen. Maybe it’s just old habits of doubt that stuck. Even now, when I face the camera, I still hear those thoughts- What if I stutter?, what if I forget what I wanted to say?, what if people think I don’t know what I’m talking about?
Have you ever felt that too? That urge to hit delete because it doesn’t feel ‘perfect’?
What I’ve learned over the years is that people aren’t judging us nearly as harshly as we judge ourselves.
We think every stumble or pause is a disaster. But to others, it’s just human. Those quirks are often what make you relatable.
I used to bury my stutter, thinking it was something to fix. But the more I tried to hide it, the less authentic I felt. Accepting those imperfections has been freeing. Because real connection doesn’t come from perfection, it comes from honesty.
Another thing that held me back was the hustle mindset of content creation.
Everywhere you look, the advice is, you’ve only got 3 seconds to hook people! You need to clap, shout, or shock them to keep them watching!
And while there’s some truth in grabbing attention, living in that rushed, performative mode made me resent content altogether. It stopped being about sharing value and started being about performing for algorithms.
So I decided to change my approach.
Instead of fighting the camera, I began treating it like a conversation with a friend. I reminded myself, it’s okay to pause, breathe, take my time.
When I acted on stage and TV, one of the lessons I learned was to let the audience come to you. Somewhere along the way, I forgot that. I let the pressure of fast content push me into rushing. Now, I’m slowing down again. And it feels lighter, more natural, more me.
What this means for you
If you’ve ever held back from creating because of impostor syndrome, perfectionism, or fear of being judged, I get it. I’ve been there.
But I want you to know that you don’t have to be perfect to be worth listening to. You just have to show up. Share what you know. Speak your truth.
Your audience doesn’t need polished. They need real.
If this resonated with you, I share more tips on creating authentic content, presenting with confidence, and selling in a way that feels natural, on my YouTube channel. Come hang out there. I drop a new video every week.
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