Why You're Scared of Getting in the Press

No one asked for your opinion, Karen.

Being a celebrity, an authority and a noted figure in your field sounds great... until people have something to say. We've all seen the incredible accomplishments of those we admire (or wish we could be) splashed across the pages of our favorite magazines and websites... But then we see the comments. The scary part of being in the Press, and the number one reason most people will never make it big in their industry... FEAR.

Fear of being put under a microscope and torn apart. Hey, I get it. I've been there. It can be paralyzing. The difference between those who make it and those who don't is staring that fear in the face and going into battle anyway, because you are so convicted about who you are, and the message you have to get out, that you're willing to go to war to share it.

While I understand your concerns about the press, it's important to remember that there are a lot of other ways to get coverage for your work. There is no reason why you can't make every single media outlet your friend.

This is the internet and getting noticed isn't an issue, but getting the right kine of attention will always be a challenge. Here's how to overcome your fear of getting into the Press.

It's a lot of pressure.

There is a lot of pressure to perform, to be perfect, and to be interesting. Even if you have put out something great or interesting in the past, you have to do it again or else they are going to lose interest and go chase someone new. The pressure of producing “newsworthy” content never stops.

We've talked about this before: Things move faster than ever today. Because things move so fast, no one really likes repeating themselves — which means that you're not just competing against your competitors; you're also competing against yourself from yesterday!

They're going to talk about you anyway, so you might as well have something to say about it.

Anecdote: Once, a reporter from the New York Times told me that “everyone has a story.” For a long time, I thought only people who were famous had stories. That was until I realized how often we're telling stories every day.

Maybe you think you don't deserve to share your story... Maybe you feel that it's not "enough," but remember that by sharing your story you're creating impact and opportunities for other people. By sharing your story you're creating community, connecting people with services and adding value to their lives. So really... not sharing your story is more selfish than wanting to get into the Press and celebritize your brand. It is your responsibility to take your message to the streets and get what you have to offer in front of your ideal audience.

It's been my experience that people are curious about their neighbor's hobbies, or friends' new businesses, even strangers on an airplane. As an entrepreneur and business owner, it's your job to tell people about your company when they ask you questions like these:

• What do you do?

• How did you get started in business?

• What piqued your interest in this particular industry?

Don't forget to be authentic and simply be yourself. One of the greatest compliments someone can receive is to hear, "wow you're the same in person as you are on Instagram."

I was recently interviewed by Jason Duncan for his podcast and he said to me after only just meeting me the night before our interview, "You light up a room with your personality on Instagram, but after spending a very long evening over dinner and drinks last night, it's like you are the guy that's the same guy on Instagram, the same guy!"

It can lead to great things.

Change your mindset to be open to new opportunities. It can lead to new connections, new projects, new business deals and even help you find fans. If your goal is to just get clicks, shares and likes that's fine. But if you're looking for more than that, it's important you respond positively when a reporter reaches out.

That also means responding in a timely manner so don't wait until your inbox has 80 unread messages before you respond to a reporter.

You'll learn more from the negative attention than you will from the positive.

Yeah, you’re going to get negative feedback. And that’s okay. You’re going to learn so much more about what not to do from the people who are criticizing you than you will from the people who are praising you. Failure is a part of success, and learning from failure is essential to personal growth. Negative feedback can be a good thing - it's about how you respond to criticism that makes all the difference.

There's no reward without risk.

Nobody likes risk. We feel better when we're in our comfort zone, which is why the status quo is so tempting.

But if you want to grow your business and yourself, there's no way around it: You have to take risks.

You're going to have to approach people who could be a great referral partner for you even though they are intimidating or influential or busy or all of the above.

You're going to have to give a presentation even though you don't feel ready yet and you're worried about sounding stupid (or at least not as smart as you'd like).

You're going to have to talk about your business even though that feels like bragging, which is awkward for most of us.

We know this because, frankly . . . we've been there ourselves.

These experiences are uncomfortable at first (to say the least), but they get easier over time. Like anything else, practice helps! And with every step forward out of your comfort zone, things become more manageable moving forward.

Your reputation as you grown (and especially as you become more seen in your space) is everything. Relationships are currency. In a recent podcast interview I talked about this very thing: "The people you have around you can either make you fly, or make you die. Always be mindful of the way you treat people. Consistency is key."

Having a dedicated team on your side makes going into battle to share your story so much more manageable. Choose who you surround yourself with, and who you allow to do your Press and PR strategy, wisely.

Look for testimonials, proof of work, and likability. People want to work with people they like.

When you put yourself out there you're going to look vulnerable... but don't let that stop you.

It's important to learn from your mistakes. Becoming a better entrepreneur is about failing, learning from it and trying again. To continue to fear criticism for fear of looking vulnerable means you'll miss out on learning how to do things better in the future.

You should be prepared for criticism anyway! You need to have a thick skin if you're going to put yourself out there and endure negative comments without letting them get to you. The more time you spend online, the more you'll see that there are haters everywhere— Prepare yourself for their inevitable appearance when you're mentioned in an article or blog post.

And finally, some positive feedback can also be very constructive, especially if they point out specific things they like about what you did, or how they use it in their lives. These kinds of constructive criticisms may inspire you with new ideas or give you food for thought as far as how other people view issues around your industry are concerned.

If you're not being criticized you're not polarizing enough. You're not striking a chord with people. You want to tap into people's emotions, get them thinking and make them feel something. When you can make people feel you can hold their attention.

Step out of your day-to-day reality and embody the person you want to become. You've worked IN the business long enough; It's time to take the legacy you've created, blow it up and start working ON the business. Contact us HERE to get started on a Press strategy that will make you number one in your niche.