Stop Planning for the Worst Case Scenario

I didn’t know I was playing small.?

I didn’t know I was planning for the worst case scenario.

Over the past five years of building my business – there have been plenty of times where group events turned into intimate 1:1 conversations. Whether because of challenges in recruiting, the attrition factor or the nature of starting something new...this is part of the rollercoaster ride of entrepreneurship.

There is a delicate balance between getting excited for big possibilities, and setting expectations low for the sake of?self-protection .

When I was invited to do a virtual session on the?Golden Thread of Your Personal Brand?at the Association for Talent Development (ATD) International Conference?this May, I was SUPER excited. I had no idea what to expect, and no one was able to give me any sense of how many people might be 'in the room’.?

I was preparing to give an AMAZING experience on personal branding - no matter the size of the crowd. To protect myself from disappointment of big hopes and expectations, I was visioning 10 - 25 attendees. And I was TOTALLY ok with this. I mean, I’m here to spread the word – no matter how many people are listening – be that one or one thousand. I certainly wasn't daydreaming about possible opportunities that could transpire as a result of that exposure.?

Alas, I was literally four days out from the big day, and I was speaking with a new business partner, Rebecca Gunter ?? , when the truth of my mindset hit me smack in the face.?

Want to know what happened? Head over to my blog post to read the rest of the story.

The Unlock Lab ?

In case you missed it...(episodes drop every Tuesday - for the most part???)

Ep. 22, 23, 24: Managing Your Personal Brand (3-part series)

Ep.25: A Dramatic Career Shift, Pursuing the Dream. An interview w/ Vishwas .

Episode 26: (dropping June 17th): Speaking as a Service and Brand Building Tool

Let me fill you in about California....

Earlier this month I was in Newport Beach, speaking to financial advisors for Raymond James and let me tell you... while it was most definitely June Gloom weather, I was filled to the brim with sunshine!!?

I'm gave two talks - (1)?Goodbye Inner Critics, Banking on Confidence?and (2)?Personal Branding: Your Truth. Your Worth. Your Future.?

Here's my (sort of) rapid fire key takeaways:

• Only 15% of all financial advisors are women. What does this mean? These ladies have grit, tenacity and badass flowing in their VEINS, coupled with beautiful hearts and giving spirits. Look no further than these ladies if you want a ride-or-die advocate looking after your assets.
• People love to see you rock your authentic self and share vulnerably - it gives them permission to see themselves through a new lens. Highly recommend you give it a try and see what magic transpires.?
• Gratitude goes a LONG way, as I learned once again through the incredible response to this?LinkedIn post ?about my friend, Sanjiv Shukla ?who put on this event.??Sometimes we just got to go back to the basics with relationships - which inspired me for an upcoming podcast episode on making relationships work at work (stay tuned).?
• Abundance comes in all forms, and for me, it came in the outpouring of the heart-warming feedback I received for both my?inner critic ?and?personal branding ?talks. If you are feeling scarce these days, remember that you get to enjoy what is, right now in the moment. Abundance / wealth / resource is all around you, and within you most of all.?

Heads Together (Podcast Interview)

Understanding Your Inner Critic

I was a?guest on the Heads Together podcast, where I had a heartfelt conversation with Business Coach, Gill Moakes ICF ACC .

We talked about overcoming inner critics and embracing self-compassion to lead more fulfilling lives. Highly recommend taking a listen?here .

Well dang, I sure had a lot to share this time around. Here's the common thread for me ...?

Plan for the best case scenario.?

You have NOTHING to lose.??

Let me know what happens when you plan(ed) for success. Send me a DM, I'd love to celebrate with you.?

With all my love,

Tosca DiMatteo