3D Transitions and the Real Imposter In Socially Conscious Business By Louise O’Reilly “I FEEL LIKE A FAKE. A FRAUD. A PHONEY” THESE ARE COMMON THOUGHTS WE HAVE HAD SWIRL THROUGH OUR HEADS ABOUT BUSINESS.
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very second we are transitioning further from a masculine, 2-dimensional way of doing business (this is who I am and this is what I sell), into a feminine, 3-dimensional way of doing business (this is who I am, this what I sell, and this is what I stand for). People are becoming more and more conscious of the way they consume and to whom they give their money to. Social impact is now a deciding factor when purchasing products and services. And we as entrepreneur’s are inevitably transitioning into that 3-dimensional way of business if we desire the continuation of our business. The beautiful thing about it is, the transition into the 3D business model isn’t driven by the change in the way people are buying, but in fact, because business owners feel a call from within to be a part of creating change. To start innovating a world that’s more socially and environmentally conscious. The change in consumer purchasing is merely the nudge needed to make a stand on those local and global issues. Returning back to those thoughts of self-doubt I open this conversation with, the addition of that 3rd dimension of business also has some possible obstacles in business that I’d like to make you aware of. So, those feelings of being a fake, or being afraid that someone, at any
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moment, may unmask you and the facade you’ve been putting up in your business… it’s not real. You are skilled, you are knowledgeable and you are amazing in every way. That little voice that pops in to tell you otherwise is sometimes known as imposter syndrome, where you feel like an imposter or you don’t belong in that space. It can drain you of joy, of fun, of motivation, and of the want to be seen or heard. This is a big problem in business. The interesting thing about this happiness-sucker, is it doesn’t just show up in your business as a blanket thought of self-doubt. It can creep its way into every dimension of our business. In dimension 1, it makes you question who you are, your worth, your confidence, self-esteem, and your authenticity. In dimension 2, it taunts you with the thoughts of inadequacy of your skill, your gift, and your knowledge in business. You start to question, your products, your services, your marketing and your ability to deliver your products and services to your clients. Then we have dimension 3. And because this dimension is something relatively new in the world of small to medium business, it brings a whole new level of the imposter phenomenon. Especially when it comes to businesses choosing
to become allies in social issues about the equality and inclusion of marginalised and oppressed groups of people. Going from a space where you know who you are and you are knowledgeable in your field and moving into a new dimension of business where you may not know where you fit into the conversation, where you aren’t sure what is and isn’t appropriate to say, and you’re acutely aware that you can’t draw on your own personal life experiences means there’s a massive space within you and your business that the imposter syndrome can wreak havoc in. It can add to your fears of not knowing what to do or say to make a stand on social issues, it can increase your fear of causing offence, and it can make you fear you’ll be judged as being tokenistic or performative. On top of that, it can also compound your self-doubt in dimensions 1 and 2. At this point, you’re probably thinking, this 3rd dimension of business is too overwhelming. And I would agree with you if I didn’t have the final piece to the 3rd dimension of business and that’s a vision. I have a vision of a world where everyone is respected, valued, loved and heard. Where our sameness
