When Self-Doubt Stalls Your Equine Business Growth
- 18 minutes ago
- 5 min read
Welcome to the show notes! Remember, this is a brief summary from the How to Market Your Horse Business podcast. You'll want to listen to the entire episode for all the good stuff!
Have you ever been in the middle of launching something new in your equine business and suddenly thought, “Is this really what I should be doing?”
“Are people actually going to pay for this?”
“Am I the right person to do this?”
Maybe you’ve been invited to present at an equine expo, host a clinic, or be a podcast guest. Instead of feeling excited, you start questioning whether they meant to ask someone else.
Or maybe things just aren’t going the way you expected. Sales and leads are down, or growth feels slower or harder than you hoped.
And then that familiar voice starts creeping in: “Can I actually do this?”
Self-doubt is something many entrepreneurs face in the journey of equine business growth. I’d venture to say all, actually. And that includes myself.
Why Equine Entrepreneurship Makes Self-doubt Feel So Personal
There is something unique about entrepreneurship that makes every rise and every fall of the business feel like a personal reflection of you.
It’s very different than being an employee.
When you’re building your own business, it’s easy to move from asking, “What could I have done differently?” to, “What’s wrong with me?”
Or even question your life choice of becoming an entrepreneur.
We take things personally, even when we know better, which is why self-doubt can be such a challenge.
This isn’t to say that every time you experience doubt, you should just ignore it and push forward.
Sometimes self-doubt is actually a signal to pause and look at the data.
Maybe there actually is something in your business that needs attention.
The goal is not to pretend doubt doesn’t exist. My goal is for you to learn how to evaluate it and determine what it is actually telling you.
The Danger of Letting Self-doubt Simmer
The problem comes when we let those thoughts sit there without addressing them.
When you let self-doubt simmer, you start to believe the doubting thoughts.
Then, it shows up in your business:
* Your energy
* How you sell
* How you talk about yourself and your business
* The emails you write
* The content you create
And if you don’t believe in what you’re offering, your potential customers are less likely to believe in it, too.
That’s when self-doubt starts to stall your growth.
So how do we build and grow from a place of confidence when self-doubt keeps knocking on the door?
4 Practical Ways to Combat Self-doubt as You Grow Your Equine Business
1. Evaluate the Voice
We all have an inner voice. Some people call it a narrator. I’ve even heard someone suggest giving that voice a name so you can actually have a conversation with it.
The important thing is learning to stop and evaluate it.
You have to determine: Is this true? Or, is this just a thought I’m allowing myself to believe?
One framework I love for this comes from Jennifer Rothschild. It’s called the three R’s:
Recognize
First, recognize what is actually happening.
What am I thinking? Is this thought helpful? Is it encouraging? Is it true?
Refuse
If it isn’t true, refuse to continue letting that thought take up space.
Don’t allow yourself to keep sitting in it.
Replace
Replace it with what is true. Instead of continuing to believe the negative thought, intentionally remind yourself of the truth.
2. Practice Daily Declarations
You don’t have to wait until self-doubt shows up to remind yourself what is true.
Daily declarations are about intentionally saying the things that are true about yourself, your business, your qualifications, and the impact you’re making.
This isn’t about finding your value only through external results.
It’s about reminding yourself who you are, what you’re called to do, and the impact you’re making.
What are the things that are true about your business? What is the vision you have?
What is the mission behind the work you’re doing?
Who are you becoming?
Those are the things you can remind yourself of daily.
3. Journal Through the Doubt
I’ll be honest, journaling is a practice I’m still learning. It’s because I know how valuable it can be.
Journaling gives you space to slow down and actually process what is happening.
It helps you move the thoughts out of your head and onto paper so you can evaluate them.
Some journaling prompts to help you:
* How am I feeling?
* What is the story I am telling myself about my abilities and what this situation means about me?
* What am I saying to myself, and how does it make me feel?
* What is actually true about these things?
* What are three fears holding me back?
* What is one small action I can take to challenge each fear?
4. Get Support
Success is not built in a silo.
One of the best ways to work through self-doubt is to have trusted people around you.
Sometimes that looks like coaching. Sometimes it looks like a friend or another entrepreneur who understands what you’re walking through.
They’re the one to say, “Wait — did you realize what you just said about yourself?” Is that actually true?”
Having people who can help you sort through those thoughts is incredibly valuable.
Remember: All of these things require intentionality. They won’t happen by accident.
And often, they have to happen before you feel confident.
As Marie Forleo says, “Clarity comes from engagement, not thought.”
You don’t have to wait until you feel completely confident before you take the next step.
Whether you’re creating content, launching an offer, hosting a clinic, teaching at an expo, or stepping into a new opportunity, you can do the work of addressing the self-doubt while continuing to move forward.
My encouragement for you today is to choose one thing from this episode that you’re going to implement.
Of course, you'll want to listen to the full episode to dig into each of the insights shared and discover how you can apply each one in your horse business!
Links Mentioned In This Episode
✨ FREE The Equine Entrepreneur’s Roadmap to Grow a Sustainable Business Without Burning Out
Take the Reins: 1:1 Business Coaching for Equine Entrepreneurs: Craft and implement a clear strategy for your brand messaging, website, social media, and email marketing in my 1:1 coaching container.
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