Are you a high achiever who often finds yourself caught in the trap of people-pleasing?

As a fellow business owner, I understand the struggles that come with trying to please everyone while still building a successful brand.

Here are 7 people pleasing tendencies I see in business owners (& in my own journey too):

1. Difficulty defining their target audience: People pleasers may focus more on pleasing everyone than identifying a specific target audience. Creating marketing messages and strategies that resonate with their ideal customers can make it challenging.
2. Fear of being too “salesy”: People pleasers may worry that promoting their business too aggressively or using marketing tactics that feel pushy or manipulative will turn off potential customers. This can lead to hesitation or reluctance to engage in marketing activities, limiting their visibility and growth.
3. Avoidance of self-promotion: People pleasers may feel uncomfortable or guilty about promoting themselves or their business, as they may see self-promotion as bragging or being too “me-focused.” This can lead to missed opportunities to showcase their expertise and connect with potential customers.
4. Difficulty asking for help or referrals: People pleasers may hesitate to ask for help or referrals from others, as they may feel that they are imposing or inconveniencing others. This can limit their ability to grow their network and generate new business.
5. Overcommitting to free or low-paying work: People pleasers may need help to set boundaries around their time and expertise, causing them to take on low-paying or free work to please potential customers. This can lead to burnout and financial strain, limiting their ability to invest in their business.

I’ve gone through all these as I’ve built my own business. My clients are usually high achievers with people-pleasing tendencies, which stops them from showing up online as they should.

Being a high achiever, I didn’t align with the term people pleaser at first. But as I did more and more studying and research, I began to get all the answers I needed.

High Achievers and People Pleasing Tendencies

High achievers who are business owners are not necessarily more prone to being people pleasers. Still, they may be more likely to exhibit certain people-pleasing tendencies due to their drive for success and desire to please others.

High achievers often set high standards for themselves and their businesses, leading to a desire to please everyone, including customers, employees, and investors. This desire to please others can sometimes lead to people-pleasing tendencies, such as overcommitting to work or avoiding difficult conversations, to maintain positive relationships and keep everyone happy.

However, it’s important to note that people-pleasing tendencies can be present in people from all walks of life and career paths and are not exclusive to high achievers who are business owners. People-pleasing tendencies can stem from various factors, such as a fear of rejection or conflict, low self-esteem, or a desire for approval.

Ultimately, it’s essential for all individuals, regardless of their career or personal goals, to be aware of their people-pleasing tendencies and work to overcome them to achieve tremendous success and fulfillment in their personal and professional lives.

Don’t think you’re a business owner with people-pleasing tendencies?

As a video coach, I specialize in helping people to be confident on camera so that they can build the brand of their dreams and attract and impact the audience that they genuinely desire to work with by creating an on-camera presence that they can tap into consistently to build, market and scale their business. 

By learning strategies to overcome your people-pleasing tendencies, you’ll be able to better manage the dynamics in relationships, stand up for yourself with grace and ease and create boundaries that work for everyone.

You will also increase your self-awareness and gain clarity on what matters most so that you can confidently step into an empowered leadership role.

Find yourself doing any or a few of these things. You just might be a creative business owner struggling with people-pleasing tendencies when it comes to creating authentic video content:

1. Are you creating generic or superficial content that lacks personality or a unique perspective?
2. Have you been imitating other successful creators rather than creating content that reflects their voice and style?
3. Do you feel anxious or worried about how you will be perceived by their audience, leading to fear of judgment or rejection?
4. Are you focusing more on pleasing your audience or potential audience rather than being true to themselves and creating content that aligns with their values and vision?
5. Have you struggled to connect with your audience on a deeper level or build trust?

All of these things can lead to low engagement, trouble building an audience filled with people who value you, attracting people willing to pay you for your expertise, building an email list filled with the wrong people, and so much more! In other words, crickets when it comes to your business bank account. 

Remember, you are not alone in your journey to overcome people-pleasing tendencies. By recognizing and addressing these patterns, you can unleash your true potential and attract the audience and opportunities that align with your values and vision.