What happened when I shared this part of my story…
A few years ago I was finally able to let go of the shame and embarrassment of growing up with the last name “Butts.”
As an act of self-empowerment in my late ’20s, I gave myself a new last name “Bell,” and then I chose to change it again to my current name when I got married in my late ’30s. So not mentioning my childhood name to new people I met felt so… easy.
And yet… the shame was still there.
The thought of publicly coming out with my “secret” felt super scary, but somehow I knew that doing so would be the key to finally being free.
Shame is interesting. Renowned shame researcher Brene’ Brown says shame is “an “intensely painful feeling or experience of believing that we are flawed and therefore unworthy of love and belonging.”
Because I was teased relentlessly about my name as a kid, I made up the story of Yikes, I must be flawed. There’s something wrong with me! And I took on the false beliefs of unworthiness and “I’m not good enough.”
Those beliefs played right into my business endeavors as I intensely felt the push-pull dynamic of wanting to be fully seen and visible–and then stopping myself or pulling back from really going for it.
But it wasn’t until I was able to publicly come out with this part of my story that I was finally able to trust myself, be fully ME in front of an audience and connect with them in a much more fun, genuine and successful way.
Since then, I’ve attracted WAY more of my soulmate clients and lucrative speaking opportunities, discovered my own original voice, birthed new soul-aligned programs and bodies of work, and more.
Here’s one thing I’ve learned as I approach my 9th year in business:
The entrepreneurial journey is a healing journey.
When we do the inner work to heal our visibility wounds,
our voices are then free to become powerful vessels for transformation and abundance.
As soulful entrepreneurs, healers and coaches, we have the unique opportunity to connect with our own stories and share them with our audience to light the way to “the message in the mess” and how the obstacles we have faced led to opportunity.
Your stories endear you to your soul peeps. They make you memorable. They make you trustworthy. They make you lovable. They make your people want to work with you!
Your stories are at the heart of your marketing, your message, and your brand magic. They are precious pieces of GOLD to be unearthed, nurtured and shared with your audience.
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