by Carol Sankar| Featured Contributor
As I continue my journey with documenting the journey of women in business and their willingness to desire more, yet fear of asking for more, the question remains: What is Fear?
Recently, I asked the question of a select few women who are in business over 2 years, yet not attracting the capital they need to in order to grow. I was shocked that the overwhelming response was fear. The fear of thinking their business is “too small.” The fear of “rejection.” The fear of not knowing what to ask for… just fear.
For a moment, I realized that all women have fears; it is our coping mechanism which protects us from disappointment. Think of it this way, you cannot be rejected if you do not take the risk, therefore, not asking is the same as having fear. The safety element of being cushioned by support rather than challenged to take a risk and ask can be a big hindrance for women seeking to develop high growth businesses.
The fear of asking for $1M rather than $1,000 is where we need to shift the perspective of women who often associate their personal worth with their business valuation. Let me remind you that they are not the same. The value of your business is not related to your personal value. However, if you never ask for the correct value that will allow you to build a highly competitive business model, our value as women will be limited.
It is time to get past the fear. Imagine if you were given one opportunity to be placed in a room with a $10M investment fund seeking new and innovative ideas to invest in today and you had 5 minutes to make it happen, what is your pitch? The thing I learned along my journey is to practice the points of high impact. Next, there is no such thing as choreographed success; some things just happen. And last, be confident when you ask for what you are worth.
It is not the lack of resources, it is the fear of asking. As women, we have to allow confidence to be our greatest attribute rather than our greatest setback. Stop over-thinking it, just show up and ask! There is an urgent calling for women to build high growth businesses, and many who cannot wait for our arrival.
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Carol Sankar is an internationally renowned business consultant & real estate investment expert who focuses on strategic implementation strategies to assist today’s high-achieving and high level business owners become successful. Mrs. Sankars’ business and wealth tips have been featured in publications in Finland, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom and the USVI. Her international client-base range from aspiring entrepreneurs to seasoned veterans who are seeking new and innovative methods to up-level their businesses.
Carol Sankar | www.carolsankar.com
Carol Sankar is an internationally renowned business consultant & real estate investment expert who focuses on strategic implementation strategies to assist today’s high-achieving and high level business owners become successful. Mrs. Sankars’ business and wealth tips have been featured in publications in Finland, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom and the USVI. Her international client-base range from aspiring entrepreneurs to seasoned veterans who are seeking new and innovative methods to up-level their businesses.
Carol hosts a variety of training workshops, live and virtual events world-wide on a variety of topics relating to success, marketing and entrepreneurship. She has been featured in numerous magazines, radio shows, articles and webinars; including a recent features in Madame Noire, LearnVest, EBONY Magazine, The Steve Harvey Show, CNNMoney.com, Daily Worth and Essence Magazine.
4 Replies to “The Fear of Asking for Women by @CarolSankar”
Makeda
Great post, Carol. Thank you so much for sharing.
Colleen Cameron
Carol, I cannot begin to tell you how much your articles have helped me gain confidence to approach my business projects differently. Pls continue to educate, inspire and empower us fledgling entrepreneurs,we got this!
Shayla Smart
The fear of not asking vs. asking is real. Feeling as though you deserve it starts with the mind. For a lot of women we have been taught that there is a certain way of doing things and a certain expectancy of how your life should go. The way some are taught about money from an early age has a huge impact on our ability to ask for anything more than what is given to us.
I appreciate Carol for continuing to teach and speak on this topic as it creates awareness and addresses the elephant in many rooms. This is a great start to giving women the ability to come to the table with more confidence and a bigger ask.
Kryssie Fortune
Fears have held me back all my life. It was only after a near death experience that I started writing. A sort of now or never thing, I suppose. Thankfully Loose iD liked it. I’d second Carol in everything she says. Time to stop holding back and go for it.
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