Here's something most people who meet me now don't believe: I was a shy kid.
Growing up in Philadelphia, I was the quiet one who loved cartoons and video games. Talking to people didn't come easy. What changed me was Little League baseball. Being part of a team, showing up every week, and having people count on me pulled me out of my shell. By high school I was running track and playing baseball, and somewhere along the way I learned I actually loved making people laugh.
I share that because I meet a lot of business owners who feel the way I used to.
"I'm great at the work. I just hate selling."
I hear this all the time. It might be an electrician who does flawless work but freezes when it's time to talk price, or a baker whose cakes are incredible but who can't bring herself to post about them online. They believe in what they do. They just don't believe they're "salespeople."
Here's what I've learned: confidence isn't something you're born with. It's something you build, one rep at a time, just like a kid learning to hit a curveball.
A life measured by impact
Jackie Robinson, who changed baseball and this country, has these words on his tombstone: "A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."
When you reframe selling as telling people how you can help them, it gets easier. You're not bothering anyone. You're offering something you believe will make their life better. That's not selling. That's service.
Keep moving forward
This is Philadelphia, so I'll borrow from Rocky Balboa: "It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."
Every owner gets knocked down. A bad month. A lost customer. A hire that didn't work out. The ones who make it aren't the ones who never get hit. They're the ones who get back up, learn something, and keep going.
You don't have to do it alone
Little League worked for me because I had a team. Business works the same way. Find your people: mentors, peers, other owners who understand what you're going through. That's why I'm building a monthly roundtable for Philadelphia owners, so nobody has to figure this out by themselves.
If you're ready to find your voice in your business, let's talk.