75: My Brain Mistook a Webinar for a Hungry Lion

This week's solo episode comes to you from the launch lull... that strange, uneasy stretch between opening the cart on a launch and closing it, when everything is scheduled, there is nothing left to do but wait and the doubts creep in. Have I done enough? Should I have pushed out more content? Is there something else I should be doing right now? This is only my fourth launch, so I am treating every attempt as a test, collecting data on what has and hasn't worked rather than expecting overnight results. But sitting in this particular lull prompted me to reflect back to where it all began: the two years it took me to settle on what I wanted to teach, the seven months it took to launch this podcast and the very first webinar I ever delivered to two photographers in a Zoom room, after which I genuinely needed a shower to wash the anxiety away! This monologue is about the stories we tell ourselves that keep us feeling like imposters, the battle with a brain that is only trying to keep us safe and why ready is a decision rather than a feeling. Shout out to Teresa Heath-Wareing for her encouragement and support without which I wouldn't be launching anything! You can listen in to my conversation with Teresa in episode 28. In this episode, I reflect on: ✨ The uneasy reality of the launch lull and why treating each launch as a test rather than a verdict has made the process easier to sit with ✨ Why launching this podcast felt more possible than launching a photography course, and the realisation that being unquestionably a mum with a business was enough qualification to begin ✨ The brutal, deeply rooted stories that delayed the launch of Print Over Pixels for nearly two years, including the belief that the market was too saturated and everyone else was cleverer, more experienced and more confident ✨ The relief of finally landing on a subject that felt genuinely aligned, partly because nobody else in the UK seemed to be talking about it ✨ The first ever live webinar, delivered to just two photographers, and why it triggered a level of anxiety that ended in a much needed shower afterwards ✨ Why the brain treats new, vulnerable action like genuine danger, and what it means to override that instinct and do the thing anyway ✨ The realisation four launches later that the same webinar no longer feels dangerous, and what that reveals about how quickly we can expand our own comfort zone if we are willing to push against it ✨ Why motherhood, entrepreneurship and personal growth are so tightly intertwined, and how nurturing a business alongside a family often means confronting parts of yourself you would rather not look at ✨ The decision that no one else's permission is required to take up space, and why that belief might be the most important thing to carry into any new, frightening endeavour Takeaway for Mums in Business: "Ready is not a feeling, it's a decision. You don't need permission from anybody else to take up space. The only person who needs to give you their approval is you." About The Host: I’m Victoria Phipps – a Mum of two, analogue family photographer, personal brand photographer, educator, charity co-founder, marketer and now podcaster! 🎙️ I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis! I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams. Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website for full show notes. I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoriaphippsmbe or @mummeansbusinesspodcast. If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!