Anne Veck is familiar with feelings of imposter syndrome, and that’s despite being a multi-award-winning hairdresser and founder of an award-winning sustainability initiative (Salon RE: Source). You may know those creeping feelings of self-doubt that surface regularly regardless of success and the fear that you’ll be exposed as a fraud. Luckily, Anne has launched the ‘Have no Fear’ manifesto which encourages a positive mindset to eliminate thoughts of failure or inadequacy. Focus on small and simple changes that can impact the future.
Have no Fear by Anne Veck
Anne says: “I think we all self-sabotage. We’ve all referred to ourselves as ‘just a hairdresser’ when we are so much more than that. I want you to start tackling those feelings of self-doubt to realise your full potential and go after your dreams – with confidence!’
‘A few years back, I was approached by a big brand to deliver education on curly and coily hair. Despite having worked in a salon and on shoots with textured hair and winning awards for my Afro hair work, I turned the job down. I didn’t feel “good enough” to work with such a prestigious company. I suffer hugely from imposter syndrome – but I have learnt ways to manage it. I hope these will be helpful to others experiencing similar feelings of self-doubt.’
When it all started
Anne first spoke out on the subject for International Women’s Day in March, expanding on her thoughts for the hairdressing audience: ‘I can’t believe I’m alone as a female hairdresser feeling this way’. ‘Have no Fear’ asks stylists to examine how they speak to and think about themselves and deploys tactics to help reverse negative thoughts to move towards a more positive way of living.
Mindset is everything
‘Mindset is everything,’ Anne says. ‘It will affect everything you do at work, home, with your partner. It will affect how others perceive you and whether you can or can’t do something.
Anne: ‘If you don’t believe in yourself, you are limiting what you can achieve. It’s negative, it’s restrictive, and subconsciously, you will be looking for any sign to prove yourself right, so you can say to yourself “I told you so.”‘ Anne explains that growing older has helped her to stop ‘torturing’ herself and to understand that it’s ok not to be an expert in everything. You can learn any skills. How good you become at it depends on how hard you practice and how much you believe you can do it.’
Anne shares eight steps to increase self-confidence:
1.Recognise imposter feelings when they emerge. Awareness is the first key step to change, so ensure you track these thoughts: what are they and when do they occur?
2.Question your thoughts. Are they rational? Does it make sense to see yourself as a fraud, given everything you know?
3. Break the silence. I now talk about these feelings much more openly and have realised that I’m not alone in experiencing self-doubt.
4.Concentrate on the positive. Be a ‘yes person’. Embrace challenges, see them as an opportunity to grow – but whatever the task, always prepare.
5.Forgive your mistakes. They happen. I don’t beat myself up too much when I make a mistake, instead trying to learn something from the experience. And don’t forget to reward yourself for getting the big things right!
6. Stop comparing yourself with others. Use social media moderately. If you try to portray an image on social media that doesn’t match your real ‘you’ it will only make your feelings of being a fraud worse.
7. Rewrite the rules and decide on the script. I’m conscious of the conversation going on in my head, so when I start thinking “everyone here is brilliant… and I’m not” I switch it to “everyone here is brilliant – I’m really going to learn a lot!”
Refuse to let it hold you back. No matter how much you feel like you don’t belong, don’t let that stop you from pursuing your goals. Keep going and refuse to be stopped. Sometime the stories we tell ourselves are not our own. It’s baggage from our childhood, or what happened at school, what our parents wanted us to be. It could be an event which happened once but we have a tendency to hold on to it.
8.Don’t let the past define you for the rest of your life. When I was 13, a teacher told me that I was a waste of time and that I would never speak English properly. If I had believed what I was being told, I certainly would not have achieved all that I have today.
Success doesn’t happen overnight
While each of these steps can help you become more confident, Anne also reminds us that success doesn’t happen overnight. ‘I guarantee that the people you look up to worked their socks off to be where they are – and to stay there,’ says Anne.
To achieve and maintain success, Anne advises constantly reassessing yourself, keeping up with changes and moving with the times. As an experienced educator, Anne is also an advocate for stepping out of your comfort zone to learn something new; whether it’s a new technique or area of expertise, or simply enhancing and perfecting your existing skills.
‘When I decided to launch Anne Veck Education, I heard that little voice saying, “There are plenty of people already doing education and they’re much better than you!” But then I rationalised: I have years of experience, which must count for something. I’m still getting shortlisted for awards too, so I must be doing something right! So, I decided to ignore the little voice and just go for it! And I’m so pleased I did!’
Want more?
Anne Veck is super focused on sustainability. Her award-winning chain of eco-friendly salons, was awarded Carbon Footprint Standard C02 Neutral certification. To learn more click HERE
Anne was also a guest on the Respectfully podcast with Keith Mellen, her husband and business partner. If you want to listen, click HERE.
To explore Midnight Blue by Anne Veck, click HERE
For more of the latest industry news, click HERE.
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