Ep. 2 - Monday morning quarterback

Don’t yell from the bleachers if you’re not on the field.

The ‘armchair quarterback’. This is one of my favorite concepts. It really puts my thoughts into perspective whenever I am feeling anxious or judged about releasing a piece of content, negotiating contract terms, or overhauling marketing efforts.

I have to admit, one year ago I was that armchair quarterback. I had a hint of judgement when people would post self-promotion pieces on social media. I would have that feeling of ‘who do they think they are?’ Looking back on this I often wonder why. Why did I have that judgement? I now realize that a lot of it stemmed from the fact that I wished (badly) that I could have the courage to do it myself. But I never did it. I never took action. I was always sitting in the grandstands. I was watching everyone else play the game. Then, when someone would lose I would be like ‘ah, told you so!’ It was extremely toxic.

Getting on the field

When I first started Elevate Financial Group (EFG), I was extremely nervous. It took me two months to make my website public, two months to change my LinkedIn profile to ‘Founder’. And, it took me three months to make my first post on LinkedIn. Looking back on it, it honestly blows me away. What was I so afraid of? Judgement? Well, now I know, it doesn’t matter. When you’re on the field no one can say anything. And those people that are already on the field will never, ever, lay judgement because they know how hard the game is. They understand the stress, anxiety, and hard work to get there.

The idea for this newsletter stemmed from a mentor. Basically, he noted that I need to get out there more. Share thoughts, use different channels to drive traffic to my business, and ultimately build a brand that is separate from EFG. And guess what, even though I have come a long way, it still took me TWO weeks to post my first article. I had it all ready to go, and continued to delay the release. Why? Again, it was this feeling of judgement. The feeling of - am I good enough for this? When I shared this battle with him he calmly explained - ‘just get out of your own way’. Simple, direct, and so true. It all comes down to me. I have to take the action. I have to play the game.

Blocking out the noise

I pitched at a fairly high-level growing up. And sometimes this would land me in hostile environments (i.e. small-town USA where they take their baseball very seriously). People were yelling at me - fans, parents, coaches, the opposing team - it came from all angles. But I never lost sight of my plan. I executed calmly and efficiently.

You know the best thing to do to a yelling parent (i.e., someone passing judgement)? Strike their kid out (do your job). What I mean by this is be so disciplined in your approach, so confident in your ability, and so smooth with your action that it looks like you’ve done it thousands of times. And then after that, move on to the next. Methodically and purpose-driven, not letting them occupy any space in your mind.

Don’t let the noise get to you. The comments from the bleachers mean nothing - they will never mean anything. This is because until they get on the field they will never understand, and that's okay. There is a new-found respect on the field.

Closing Comments

If fear of embarrassment and failure are stopping you from getting on the ‘field' just remember that people playing the game will never judge you. And those that judge from afar, from the stands, don’t hold any weight.

I wish I learned this earlier in my career. I have been wanting to write, create my own business, and escape the 9 - 5 for years. But it took a pandemic and years of Resistance, for me to finally wake-up and take action. Without action nothing will happen. Take the leap.

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