The Lies I told myself

Dear reader,

let me start with asking you a few questions;

What lies are you telling yourself that other people don't see?

What do other people see in you that you still can't see in yourself?

Because you're wiser now, you've grown and learned along the way You're not the same person you were five years ago, and yet...

Somehow those old stories keep following us. So annoying, right?

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Actually, it all became clear on my way back from Marbella. I was in the car, driving to the airport, thinking about BYOU.

I knew exactly where I wanted to go as I saw the vision and the future for BYOU, but i couldnt see where to begin as I felt completely stuck... Not because I dont have ideas, i have many!!

But all the thoughts in my head had created this huge cloud, and I couldn't see through it anymore, all because of the stories I kept telling myself. Over and over again without being "aware" of them.

Our brains are incredible. We don't experience the world exactly as it is. We experience it through everything we've learned, through old experiences, old disappointments and old beliefs.

Most of our daily behavior happens on autopilot, and many founders struggle with something called impostor syndrome at some point in their journey.

Lately, I've caught myself thinking things like...

I need more experience.

Nobody is waiting for BYOU " anymore" .

I need investors first.

Other founders know what they're doing.

I have to prove myself more, more more...

The funny thing is... Okay maybe not that funny but let me be truly honest with you..

None of those thoughts came out of nowhere. When I really started thinking about it, I realized I'd heard versions of those stories long before I ever became a founder.

The very first time was when a close family member told me it wasn't realistic for me to study child therapy at the Dutch Academy for Psychotherapy. I'd only just finished my MBO level 4 education as a social worker, so why would I suddenly be able to complete a Post HBO and university-level study?

But I did it anyway and I finished the study!! 🎉

Why would I be capable of starting my own practice as such a young age?

Why do you sell yourself online Danique? Are those videos you create not too much?

Comments like that leave fingerprints in my subconscious. But here's what I realized... Those stories were handed to me... They were never mine!

Because when I look at my life, the evidence tells a completely different story.

When BYOU started growing so fast in 2024, I still had those same thoughts, but we didn't wait until we felt ready. We simply did it anyway!

We built an incredible team of people who truly believed in the vision of BYOU. We grew so fast that we had sales managers, team managers and customer support managers. People were talking about BYOU. People loved the podcast. And even then, I remember thinking...

"Who do you think you are calling it The BYOU Global Thought Leader Podcast?"

It's funny, isn't it? The company kept growing. But so did the voice in my head. That's when I realized confidence doesn't magically appear after success.

You build confidence while you're doubting.

I want to take BYOU back to the people, to interview & connect with them.

Because maybe it's actually a little selfish. hiding because of my own fears means I'm also hiding that help from others.

The moment I shift my focus from myself to the person standing in front of me, shifts the entire conversation.

Not creating Content but creating Connection

To end the founder letter with the last question;

Will that voice ever completely disappear?

I honestly don't think so. But I do think it becomes quieter. Because every time we take action, we give our brain new evidence that the old story isn't true anymore...

Every scary step, is another piece of evidence. So if there's one thing I hope you take away from this Founder Letter, it's this.

The next time your head is full of stories telling you you're not ready... Don't wait for the voice to disappear. Don't wait until you feel confident. Just tell yourself...

I do it anyway!

See you in the next Founder Letter.

Danique Motzheim