I'm not sure how much this shows, but I've always been a big introvert.
I am still this awkward π
In middle school, one of my teachers told me I was "a woman of few words".
Other teachers who had my older extrovert sister in their classes told our parents we were "like night and day - couldn't get one to talk and couldn't get the other to stop".
I kept my head down, avoided attention, and buried myself as far inside my comfort zone as I possibly could.
Now as an adult, I'm trying to crawl out of it π
I've learned that growth starts at the edge of your comfort zone, and you have to put yourself out there & speak up in order to share knowledge & make a positive impact.
One of the ways I've been trying to grow and inspire others is by going on podcasts!
I cannot tell you how unbelievably nervous I was to go on all of them.
I tried to prepare by writing down talking points and practicing how the convos would go in my head and out loud with Chris.
In the first one, my mind literally went blank during the interview and I couldn't remember what we talked about afterward. I even cried after it because I thought I did so awful!
It wasn't as bad as I thought when I listened to it, but I still wasn't happy with my performance. And honestly, I still haven't even listened to my second one because I was so afraid of how I did.
No matter how kind the hosts were or how many DMs I got from bloggers saying they enjoyed my interviews, I couldn't get out of my head.
It was like an endless loop of going on podcasts to try to get better but then thinking I flopped which lowered my confidence even more.
I knew I needed to break this cycle, and the only way to do it was to keep trying!
I was extremely grateful (and nervous) when Amy from Spark Media Concepts reached out to me about going on The Ultimate Blog Podcast a few weeks ago!
This was the first interview I came out of thinking I did okay and feeling slightly more confident!
I thought I'd share what I think helped me improve this time around, in case they'll help you βΊοΈ
1) Instagram Lives
A few months ago I started hosting live Q&As on Instagram! I thought this would be a great low-pressure way to put myself out there and get comfy talking to people in front of an audience. I also love it because it lets me connect with fellow food bloggers and help them share their stories & practice being interviewed! Reach out if you'd like to go live with me sometime π
2) Mindset Shift
Before going on the recent podcast, I shifted my mindset to lower the pressure. I tried not to think about it or anything that I knew would increase my anxiety. When it did come to mind, I told myself it was a casual convo with two people - like when I hop on calls with food bloggers just to get to know them and their blogging journey!
We're all different, so these tips may or may not work for you! But I'm curious, what helps you push out of your comfort zone and gain confidence?
P.S. Tammy Overhoff (another recent Ultimate Blog Podcast guest) is joining our mastermind group to answer questions about digital products on Tuesday! Apply here to join π€
Happy blogging!
-Kayla
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I'm a baking blogger and food blog coach based in Chicago! I've been sharing easy, sweet recipes since 2020. In 2023 I started helping other food bloggers grow their businesses. You can find blogging tips & resources in my weekly food blog newsletter and coaching website!
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