This week, I’m excited to share a slightly different episode of the Building Your Brand podcast. I was joined in the studio by two previous guests, Hannah and Lois, for a candid conversation about a topic I don't think is discussed enough: the fear of success.

It turns out this fear has a name – the Jonah Complex – and it can show up in all sorts of sneaky ways, from procrastination to self-sabotage. We delved into what the fear of success looks like for each of us, how it holds us back, and what we can do to start working through it. We touch on everything from the pressure of maintaining success to how our relationships can change and the stories we tell ourselves about what success even means.

This was such an insightful and inspiring chat, and I hope it gets you thinking about your own relationship with success.

  Key Takeaways:

• Define Your Own Success: Success isn't a one-size-fits-all concept. 3It’s crucial to get clear on what success looks and feels like for you personally, rather than chasing a version of success defined by others or society.
• Embrace the Process: The journey towards your goals is just as important as reaching the destination. We often adapt to achievements quickly, so finding joy and value in the day-to-day process is key to long-term fulfilment.
• Challenge Your Internal Stories: We all have narratives in our heads about what success entails – that it’s stressful, that it requires sacrificing time with family, or that it will make people dislike us. It's powerful to question these stories, unpick our judgements of others, and intentionally decide if we're making choices out of fear or true desire.
• Get Comfortable with Discomfort: Pushing towards something new will inevitably feel uncomfortable because it's something you haven't done before. Learning to tolerate this discomfort is essential for growth, and it's different from being mean to yourself. 

  Episode Highlights:

• 03:31: The topic for today's episode is the fear of success, which came about after a conversation between the three of us.
• 08:08: Lois shares her fear of niching down into the wrong thing and how coaching helped her reframe her perspective on success and capacity.
• 11:05: I talk about how my most significant moments of success were defined by the feeling of security they gave me, not the achievement itself.
• 23:20: I discuss the fear of the stress and responsibility that can come with a certain level of success, like being a CEO, and Hannah challenges that assumption.
• 39:18: We discuss what steps we can take away from the conversation to work through our own fears of success.

  About the Guests:

Hannah runs Hi Communications, where she helps small business owners with their marketing. She is also the author of The Best 90 Days Ever.

• Hannah's website: https://www.hicommunications.co.uk/
• Hannah on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hicommunications_/
• Hannah on Building Your Brand: https://buildingyourbrand.net/episode/hannah-isted-book/

Lois is a multidisciplinary artist, designer, and workshop host who helps people discover their creativity and grow in their creative confidence.

• Lois' website: https://www.loisseco.net/
• Lois on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loisseco/
• Lois on Building Your Brand: https://buildingyourbrand.net/episode/lois-seco/

Mentioned in the episode:

• The Episode Where Liz Gets Coached by Theresa Heath-Wareing
• Build Your Brand by Working Less with Rich Webster

I would love to hear what you think of this episode, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @‌lizmmosley or @‌buildingyourbrandpodcast and I hope you enjoy the episode!

This episode was written and recorded by me and produced by Lucy Lucraft (lucylucraft.co.uk)

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a 5* rating and review!