Everything was new again!

Meet Terra: the pup-pup who taught me that newness is not a weakness.

While this wasn't the first time I've raised a dog from puppyhood, when we adopted her, everything was all new again. New dynamics in the house, new toys, new food, new rules, new routine.

Everything was certainly all new to her, which could be both charming and concerning (the Lab in her wanted to chew everything). When she was at the beginning stages of learning to be a good dog, she got me thinking about what it's like to be new to something.

You might be new in your business. Or you might be at the start of learning a new skill or modality.

You might be working with new clients.

You might be new to managing a team.

Really, no matter how long you've been in business or what kind of business you’re in, there will be so many moments of new throughout the journey.

Being a beginner is uncomfortable.

It can feel overwhelming. It can feel hard.

There's often a stigma associated with being new at something, like you haven't earned your place at the table yet.

You know what else evokes similar feelings of discomfort and unworthiness?

Imposter syndrome.

Yet beginner-ness is different from imposter syndrome.

One is a state of progress. The other is a state of mind.

One is temporary — you're only a beginner until you're not.

The other can be a permanent roadblock… to moving into new levels of newness.

I think it's important to recognize when you're a beginner or you're feeling like an imposter. Neither scenario is ever entirely absent from the human experience, and there might be times you feel both at once.

Twenty years in, I still get a little nervous turning in work to a new client, and I know that's a combo of my imposter monster and the lack of ease I have with established clients.

When you celebrate being a beginner, you can step into the energy and delight of newness.

There’s power in that.

When you recognize your own flavor of not-enough-ness that's at the heart of feeling the imposter, you can harness the vulnerability that creates connection with others.

So, you may be new.

You may not know the next step after this one… yet.

You may need time.

But remember that you are never not qualified to be in service to others.

You are never without intellect and impact.

You are never not worthy.

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If you want to step back into the shoes of beginner-hood or return to the basics (that you very well may be overlooking!), one fun and very useful way to do this is to revisit the first thing that many people see: your website.

In our live workshop series, Copy Camp for Homepages, you’ll learn how to create a heart-centered homepage (or single-page website) that clearly communicates warmth, credibility, and value to your ideal clients.

This is a live 5-day virtual adventure through the wilds of website copy (first and foremost)—plus design and tech—for a powerful homepage that moves your ideal client into action.

Each session will last about an hour. Whether you’re sans website, currently building one but overwhelmed or uninspired, or the website you have is way less cool than twerking on TikTok, Copy Camp for Homepages is for you! Learn more and register here.

Have a comment? Or a specific question about what you just read?

Email me—I really will respond. I love getting email from readers, and I’m happy to give you a quick strategy or tip to make sure you’re rocking your message and your marketing feels fun and productive!