156. Stop Making Yourself Smaller with Cara Steinmann

We hear from all the business coaches and growth strategists about the importance of niching down in order to grow. It makes sense…The more narrow our offering and ideal clients, the easier it is for others to refer us.   But this week’s guest, Cara Steinmann, doesn’t think we should niche down but rather “niche up.” That doesn’t mean you build out a bigger client base, it means that you know your limiting beliefs, understand how you’ve compromised your core values in the past, know how you want to impact the world, and more. And once you know this, you can start to present yourself in a different way, specializing and being really specific about what you do and who you do it for.   As neurodivergent business owners, we’re not too much, and we shouldn’t have to try to make ourselves smaller. We can and should be ourselves, however big that is.   Of course, as two ADHD business owners talking on the podcast, it took us a while into the conversation to get to this topic. But there’s so much that Cara and I align on that we addressed, including why women get diagnosed with ADHD so much later than men, why connecting and networking isn’t a numbers game, why being authentically you is so important, and ditching the patriarchal narrative.   Be sure to tune in! There’s sure to be a part two with Cara.   About Cara Steinmann: Cara Steinmann is a business development strategist who works with purpose-driven women entrepreneurs to help them build strategic partnerships that open doors to new opportunities. She uses her background in psychology and behavioral science to connect the right people, creating mutually beneficial relationships and entrepreneurial allies.  Links and Resources: Cara’s website Connect with Cara on LinkedIn Episode 150: Learning and Growth in 150 Episodes Biz Chix Podcast Time Stamps:   [1:00] - The importance of intentionally connect to others [4:06] - Who is Cara Steinmann [4:38] - Networking needs a rebrand [6:04] - Two reasons you’re struggling with connecting and networking [7:15] - Don’t hire someone to engage for you on LinkedIn [7:42] - Connecting isn’t a numbers game; it’s a quality person game [8:57] - Plenty of awesome people out there;  give a shit [10:49] - Focus on quality [12:52] - ADHD diagnoses in early 40s [18:32] - Have self-acceptance; you don’t have to work how the world “typically” works [20:53] - The more you appreciate how different you are, the more you’ll appreciate diversity in general [22:22] - Conscious competence  and unconscious competence [23:32] - Cara doesn’t believe in competition [25:47] - When you’re authentic and feel seen, others can reflect back a kinder version of ourselves [26:32] - The numbers game is deeper relationships [28:25] - People want to be seen for themselves, not who they are trying to portray [30:55] - Cara hates the term “niching down” [31:52] - What niching up is [34:14] - Get curious about everything [34:50] - Peeling away layers of patriarchal conditioning [36:00] - Use curiosity and wondering  [37:09] - Curiosity as a false weakness; questioners are important [38:42] - As women, we need to question everything [41:10] - You can’t do effective biz development unless you’ve niched up and are clear on what you do, who you do it for, and why it matters [45:14] - You can’t put boundaries in place if you don’t know what you value