Building Trust Through Vulnerability

Have you ever hesitated to share your worries, fears, or imposter syndrome with someone, fearing they might perceive you as a fraud? Hi, it's me.

Recently, I had a call with Jenny from Jentle Coaching, and after the conversation, imposter syndrome began to creep in. During our talk, I felt the genuine connection that Jenny's business strives to create—a space where people feel seen, heard, and supported. But as soon as we hung up, that familiar voice of doubt started whispering, "Did you reveal too much? Does she now think you're a fraud?" The lingering fear of being exposed as inadequate or unworthy resurfaced, despite the positive and supportive experience I had just encountered.

This feeling is common, and I've worked with many clients who share similar internal narratives. Many of us fear being exposed, worrying that our vulnerabilities might tarnish our image and credibility. But what if we shifted this perception? What if, instead of hiding in shame, we embraced our imperfections as our greatest asset?

At first, vulnerability as a strength might seem counterintuitive, but it holds a powerful truth. When we open up and share our struggles, we showcase our authenticity and humanity. It makes us more relatable, approachable, and genuine to others. In fact, our vulnerabilities have the potential to foster deeper connections and build trust with those around us.

Everyone faces challenges and insecurities; it's a part of being human. Embracing our vulnerabilities gives us permission to be imperfect, letting go of the need to present a flawless facade. This authenticity allows others to see us for who we truly are, flaws and all, and that can be incredibly liberating.

I have a personal story I’d love to share that hilariously illustrates this concept.

I had this call and wrote this blog on a Monday. That night while I was getting ready for bed, I decided it would be really fun to offer a promotion for my Signature Strategy Session. 

The next day (Tuesday) I was pulling the ideas together and working on organizing the details in between Zoom meetings. Towards the end of the day I felt frustrated that I hadn’t gotten the information to where I wanted it to be. I had a narrative in my mind that no one would say yes to this opportunity until it was all nicely packaged up. 

And then I realized I was falling into the perfectionism trap again and I needed to get out of my own way. Without waiting for everything to be perfectly packaged, I reached out to two people in my network who I felt could benefit from the service.

This is the message I sent to one of them:

“Hi! I’ve been inspired recently - by my conversation with you and another one that I had - to run a fun little promotion for the month of August.  

I am offering $50 off one Signature Strategy Session or Buy 2 Sessions and get the 3rd Free. This means the single session is $200 and the bundle of 3 is $500. 

For the bundle, the first one needs to be booked in August and the other two can be used anytime before the end of the year.

I was going to wait until I had the information all pulled together and packaged neatly, but I just kept feeling the pull to share with you right now. 

There is zero pressure or expectation here, I just wanted to share in case it feels good and supportive for you.”

Within 10 minutes of receiving this message, she responded and said she wanted to do the 3 session package. 

The other woman I sent this to said yes to the single session. 

I was obviously over the moon - so excited that I got to support them both in this way. 

It wasn’t until a few days later when I’m sending a voice memo to another friend that I realized how perfect the timing of all of this was.

I had that call. 

I had the epiphany.

I wrote this blog.

I stepped into the embodied practice of what I was preaching.

The women who took me up on the offer had seen both the struggles and successes in my journey as a business owner. They trusted me because of the raw honesty I brought to our interactions. I recognized (in my life - not in theory) how embracing vulnerability strengthens connections, builds trust, and makes me more relatable to others.

So now I have concrete proof of this. Your warmest audience members are going to be the ones who know you. They are going to be your biggest fans and supporters. They may not buy from you every time or they may say yes to anything you put out into the world. The key here is they genuinely want to see you succeed and they’re excited to see you uplevel your business. 

I would encourage you to keep this in mind the next time you feel the urge to hide behind your perfectly constructed mask. Share your challenges with authenticity and watch as it strengthens connections, builds trust, and makes you more relatable to others.

Let's break free from the fear of being exposed and celebrate our imperfections. Together, we can forge meaningful connections grounded in authenticity, paving the way for personal and professional growth.