Small Business Growth Strategies

Fear surfaces at pivotal moments in our lives: when we fall in love, when we make a major career decision, when we have children, and when something bad happens to someone we love. When fear is present, we have a choice: we can let it make us weak and hold us back, or we can find a way to use it as fuel to move forward.

When I quit my Silicon Valley job in 2003, fear was inevitable. I was entering into unchartered territory and abandoning the “security” of a paycheck (I have a whole different perspective on that paycheck-security thing now, but that’s another story). I worked through that fear by preparing for the journey, studying, and plotting out the road ahead. I would not let the fear overrule my desire to create a better life for myself. The entrepreneurial ride has been unlike any other I have experienced. I can’t imagine what my life would look like if I had let fear keep me stuck in a place where happiness was missing.

Motherhood was another paralyzing fear for me. Some women know from early on that they were born to be mothers, but I wasn’t so sure. I put it off and put it off until I was finally ready to face the possibilities. Then I had a miscarriage and it rocked my world. What I learned from that experience was that all of my fears about being a good mom and the changes that motherhood would bring were unfounded and a giant waste of energy.

Fear forces us to dig deep inside to find the answers, and sometimes we forget that the answers are always there. Today I have a vibrant three-year-old son, and his presence in this world makes me feel like my heart is running circles around my body. Motherhood is laced with vulnerability, and has given me a new appreciation for life. It saddens me to think that I could have let fear prevent me from becoming a mother. Instead I had to trust my own abilities and instincts. Instinct never lets me down and it always trumps fear.

It turns out that fear can be an asset. In business, fear shows up when the best opportunities arise. I’ve written several books, and each requires a big leap of faith. When you put a little piece of yourself out in the world for all to see, it’s nothing short of terrifying. But at the heart of every great opportunity I’ve encountered—writing, speaking, consulting, being a mom and a wife—fear has been present.

So I say bring it on! If an opportunity makes my knees weak, then I know I’m on to something good. Fear brings challenge, and I thrive on challenge. Fear means that I’m about to learn something new about myself. Fear is an asset to embrace.

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written by Stephanie Chandler