I see new marketers all the time freeze up with fear. They'll have a great idea for their business and start to act on it, all excited. Then something happens, something that plants the seed of doubt, and suddenly they're asking, “Who am I to be doing this?”
Maybe they have something great to teach that would help others, or they have a different way of doing things that would solve people's problems. Whatever their idea or their business, that seed of doubt takes root. They get scared. They become self-conscious. And they doubt themselves and their abilities.
This is when I tell them, “It's not about you, it's about your customers. It's about the people you're going to help.”
Imagine you're about to go on stage to present information that will change the lives of your audience. But you're nervous. You think you're not a good presenter. You're focused on how you'll look and how you'll sound and what the audience will think about you.
This is the wrong focus.
If you focus instead on helping those people, if you focus on THEM and not YOU, then you will find it easy to give your message.
I'll give you an example: Just as you're going on stage to make your presentation, someone whispers in your ear, “The building is on fire, we've got to evacuate these people NOW!”
Do you hesitate? Do you wonder what you'll say at the microphone? Do you worry about how you'll look and sound? NO! You rush onto the stage and immediately start directing people to find the nearest exit and go to it now. You tell them to stay calm, to move swiftly, to leave no one behind. If you see smoke coming from the back, you direct people to the front. You say and do whatever it takes to get those people out of there.
And lo and behold, not ONCE during that process did you think about YOURSELF.
Magic indeed.
If you have doubt – If you're worried – If you're scared – Then you're thinking about yourself and you're NOT thinking about your customer.
Remember, it's not about you – it's about them.
Maybe they have something great to teach that would help others, or they have a different way of doing things that would solve people's problems. Whatever their idea or their business, that seed of doubt takes root. They get scared. They become self-conscious. And they doubt themselves and their abilities.
This is when I tell them, “It's not about you, it's about your customers. It's about the people you're going to help.”
Imagine you're about to go on stage to present information that will change the lives of your audience. But you're nervous. You think you're not a good presenter. You're focused on how you'll look and how you'll sound and what the audience will think about you.
This is the wrong focus.
If you focus instead on helping those people, if you focus on THEM and not YOU, then you will find it easy to give your message.
I'll give you an example: Just as you're going on stage to make your presentation, someone whispers in your ear, “The building is on fire, we've got to evacuate these people NOW!”
Do you hesitate? Do you wonder what you'll say at the microphone? Do you worry about how you'll look and sound? NO! You rush onto the stage and immediately start directing people to find the nearest exit and go to it now. You tell them to stay calm, to move swiftly, to leave no one behind. If you see smoke coming from the back, you direct people to the front. You say and do whatever it takes to get those people out of there.
And lo and behold, not ONCE during that process did you think about YOURSELF.
Magic indeed.
If you have doubt – If you're worried – If you're scared – Then you're thinking about yourself and you're NOT thinking about your customer.
Remember, it's not about you – it's about them.
JR Estrada shares practical tips, tools, and resources to help make building income online simpler and more approachable. Through this website, JR provides helpful content and recommendations, including the Plug-In Profit Site, a system designed to help beginners get started online with a website, step-by-step training, and built-in income streams.
Learn more about getting started with Plug-In Profit Site here.
I really appreciated this perspective. It explains in a simple, relatable way how self-doubt can hold people back, especially when they have something valuable to share. The reminder that the focus shouldn’t be on ourselves, but on the people we’re trying to help, really stood out to me. That shift in mindset makes the whole idea of speaking up or putting yourself out there feel much more manageable.
The example about being on stage and needing to help people during an emergency was especially powerful. It clearly shows how, when the goal is helping others, fear and self-consciousness naturally fade into the background. It made the message feel practical, not just motivational.
Overall, this was a helpful and encouraging read. It’s a great reminder that sharing your knowledge or business isn’t about perfection — it’s about making a difference for the people who need what you offer.
You captured the heart of the message perfectly: self-doubt gets loud when we make it about ourselves, but it starts to lose its grip when we shift our focus to helping the people who truly need what we have to offer. I’m especially glad the stage/emergency example connected with you, because that’s exactly the point—when helping others becomes the priority, fear takes a back seat. And yes, you said it beautifully: it’s not about being perfect, it’s about being useful and making a difference. I’m grateful you found it encouraging, and I hope it inspires more people to speak up and share what they know.
“I love this perspective. Sometimes, I catch myself overthinking how I’ll come across instead of focusing on helping people. When I actually shift my attention to what others need, everything feels clearer and more confident. It makes me curious how you stay in that mindset when you’re under pressure or feeling insecure? Definitely something I want to practice more.”
That shift from “How do I look?” to “How can I help?” is such a powerful one, and it really does make everything feel lighter and clearer. When I’m under pressure or feeling insecure, what helps me most is reminding myself that people aren’t looking for perfection—they’re looking for something real and useful, and even a simple honest message can make a big impact. I also try to pause and ask, “What does this person need to hear right now?” because that question pulls me out of my head and back into service. You’re already on the right track just by being aware of it, and the more you practice it, the more natural and confident it becomes.
Hi JR, 4th blog I read now. I get where your coming from. It all feels great in the beginning but as soon as you stop seeing progress and results it can feel like a dead weight around your ankle. In a lot of ways I wonder how I’m still doing this but to be honest I do feel genuine excitement and even without the views and rewards it actually feels nice to hit the publish button and just that is an acheievement. I suppose the best advice I ever heard is to keep going because the only way to really never reach your destination is to give up walking.
Thanks so much for reading and for coming back for a 4th post—I really appreciate that. You said this so well, because that “dead weight around your ankle” feeling is real when results slow down, and a lot of people quit right there. I love your mindset though, especially what you said about still feeling excited and how hitting the publish button is an achievement in itself—because it truly is. That consistency and honesty is what builds something real over time, and your advice about keeping going is gold: the only guaranteed way to never get there is to stop walking. Thanks again for sharing this, and keep publishing—you’re doing better than you think.