“Heather, you’re a shareholder now. Figure it out.”
I had asked a former mentor for his thoughts on a deal, and he didn't like that I no longer worked for him.
Just because he responded rudely didn't make him wrong. I did need to start acting like a shareholder.
But how? What, exactly, did that mean?
It's not like you get training entitled "What to do now that you're a shareholder".
Even if they did give training like that, I doubt it would have helped much. I had to learn how to BE a shareholder on my own.
Messily.
I’ve never liked the phrase “Fake it until you make it.”
Your brain knows “faking” isn’t real. That is why it’s so hard - impossible, even - for most of us to follow this advice.
So…
How do you start acting like you belong before you feel like you actually belong?
Enter: courage.
Courage is about being willing to feel vulnerable. So that you can take ownership (of your decisions and your results).
One messy step at a time.
The thing I’ve learned over my 51+ years, Friend?
No one has everything figured out. But everything is figure-outable (to borrow a phrase from entrepreneur Marie Forleo).
What to do?
Trust in yourself and your abilities.
Have a support system (and seek out their support + advice, often).
Be open to feedback.
Most importantly, accept that you're imperfect (and it's okay for things to be messy).
This will allow you to go all-in, do your best, and not hold yourself back. Which is what acting like you belong is really about.
XO,
Heather
P.S. One area where this applies when you start building your law practice. Listen to today’s podcast to learn how to go from a billing-first attorney to business builder here.
