On my morning walk recently I saw a fancy sports car in a neighbor’s driveway. Its bumper sticker said: The older I get, the faster I was.

I filter pretty much everything I see, hear and do through the senses of an entrepreneur so I thought about how that applied to me and my clients. Since I’ve completely closed down the art part of my business, I can say with full confidence that it was an enormous success–always profitable, highly publicized, nationally recognized with tons of customers. The truth is, while I was in it, I NEVER referred to myself as a success.

Other people held me up as a successful entrepreneur, but I didn’t feel it in my bones. Now, looking back, I absolutely do.

This gives me tremendous compassion and understanding for where my clients are today, especially those whose art or craft (writing, photography, design, etc.) are their products. I read once that Burt Bacharach (if you’re under 35 you may have to google him) felt like an impostor. That gave me a sense of normalcy–if an Oscar-winning, best-selling composer and lyricist could feel that way, it must not be that unusual.

My own remedy and what I recommend is positive self-talk, affirmations and surrounding yourself with upbeat support systems in every area of your life and business.