How to Stay Confident in Business During a Tough Year: Stand Out by Being Authentically You

Wow.

I don’t know about you, but it tossed my confidence around like a salad.

Ironically, it was my best revenue year ever. And yet, it was also one of the most mentally challenging years I’ve had as a business owner.

From launch to launch, I found myself wondering:

• Are people buying?

• Are they not buying?

• Is it the economy?

• Is it me?

• Do I pivot?

• Do I burn this whole thing down?

If you felt even a flicker of that this year, this episode is for you.

Today we’re talking about how to stay steady in a shaky season, how to reconnect with your truth as a business owner, and how to avoid the trap of trying to sound like, look like, or act like your competition.

Consider this your permission slip to stop comparing and start rising.

The 2025 Rollercoaster: You Were Not Alone

Let’s normalize what so many founders experienced this year:

• Unexpected dips

• Slower seasons

• Inconsistent engagement

• Launches that didn’t land the same way

• Conflicting noise online about “no one is buying”

Some people were shouting that the sky was falling.
Others said everything was fine.

Meanwhile, many of us were sitting in the middle thinking,
“Should I pivot? Or is this just a normal fluctuation?”

Here’s what happened inside my business.

The first two launches of Business Visibility Made Easy were solid. We hit our usual numbers. Nothing dramatic, but nothing alarming either.

Then I experimented with lower-cost live workshops. They sold well. Encouraging, but still uncertain territory.

Then October hit.

That launch came in ten students short of our base goal.

And that is where my confidence wobbled.

Was this the “people aren’t buying” narrative finally knocking on my door? Had list building and lead generation somehow run their course? Did I need to change everything?

As a coach who has worked with hundreds of businesses, I know growth is rarely a straight upward line. Most businesses have off seasons. Off years. Plateaus.

So why would mine be exempt?

I had to remind myself:

• A tough launch does not define your business.

• A weird season does not define your value.

• A dip in revenue does not define your worthiness.

And neither does yours.

Why Our Confidence Gets Shaken

When business feels shaky, these thoughts tend to creep in:

Fear of Falling Behind

You look around and think everyone else is accelerating while you are stuck.

Market Shift Anxiety

Is what everyone is saying accurate? Is this a trend? A recession? A normal fluctuation?

Social Media Comparison Spirals

For the love, please do not see someone post about making $10,000 in 30 minutes and assume something is wrong with you.

We do not know:

• Their profit margins

• Their expenses

• Their ethics

• Their refund rates

Revenue screenshots are not the full story.

“I Should Be Further Along By Now” Pressure

I remember building my business while working full time and feeling like I was slogging through waist-deep mud while everyone else skipped past me like gazelles carrying bags of money.

That visual still makes me laugh.

But here is the truth:

You are running your own race.
At your own pace.
And you will reach your goals if you do not quit.

When Effort Doesn’t Match Visibility

You feel like you are doing everything.
And yet your list stalls.
Leads slow down.
Engagement dips.

That mismatch can mess with your head fast.

The Dangerous Trap: Trying to Be More Like Your Competition

Let me be honest.

I have had the thought:
“Maybe I need to be more polished.”
“Maybe I need to be more serious.”
“Maybe being my goofy Southern self makes people question my capability.”

But here’s what I know:

Yes, I am a goofball.
Yes, I make up words.
And yes, I am extremely serious about your growth.

When we start thinking,
“They must know something I don’t,”
we are stepping into a trap.

The truth?

No one has it all figured out.

Trying to mimic someone else is not sustainable. And it is not magnetic. When you are not authentic, the energy is off. People can feel it.

And people buy connection.

Truth Bomb: The Most Magnetic Thing You Can Be Is Yourself

Write this down:

The most magnetic thing you can be is yourself.

Your voice is your differentiator.
Your quirks create connection.
Your personality drives conversion.

Clients choose connection over perfection.

My mom always says, “Perfection is boring.”

Your people are not following you for trends.
They are following you for your leadership.
Your ideas.
Your way of guiding them.

No one else can replicate that.

How to Reclaim Your Confidence in a Tough Season

If you are in a shaky month, season, or year, here are practical steps to help you come back to yourself.

1. Audit What Is Actually Working

Feelings are not facts.
Numbers are.

Look at:

• Conversion rates

• Open rates

• Sales patterns

• Lead sources

You might find more stability than your emotions are telling you.

2. Revisit Past Wins

Read your testimonials.
Scroll through client messages.
Revisit results you have helped create.

You have evidence.
Do not ignore it.

3. Ground Yourself in Your Mission

What is authentic to you?
What do you actually believe about business growth?

Anchor there.

4. Return to Conversations, Not Content Hamster Wheels

Get off the performative treadmill.

Instead:

• Start real DMs

• Build collaborations

• Engage in communities

• Have honest conversations

Relationships fuel resilience.

5. Set Micro-Goals

Do not stare at the entire mountain.

Pick 2 to 3 clear actions.
Complete them.
Build momentum.

Motion builds confidence.

6. Limit the Noise

There is an argument for every strategy in the online space.

Be discerning about:

• Who you listen to

• Who you study

• Who influences your decisions

Not all advice deserves access to your brain.

7. Practice Gratitude Intentionally

This is why I ask my clients for a win every single time we meet.

You must train your brain to see wins.
And you must let yourself feel them.

Gratitude stabilizes perspective.

Let’s Recap

• One tough season does not equal failure.

• Visibility comes from consistency, not perfection.

• Your authenticity is your competitive advantage.

• Resilience is what separates sustainable businesses from short-lived ones.

When it gets hard, resilient entrepreneurs keep going.

We vent.
We cry.
We kick rocks.
And then we decide to keep trucking.

You Do Not Have to Do This Alone

Entrepreneurship is hard.

Some days everyone is buying.
Other days, it feels like no one knows your name.

You are not alone.

That is why community matters.

If you want support, connection, and real conversations with other business owners, join my free Facebook group, BACE. You can promote your offers anytime and participate in our free networking events. The link is in the show notes.

And if you are feeling shaky right now, I created a less-than-60-second exercise to help you rewire your brain for success. Go to tracybeavers.com/repeat to grab it.