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If you've ever felt that, not in your stomach when someone suggests, hey, you should do video content, or if you've ever practiced what you want to say like 20 times, but then when you hit record, you freeze, or your mind goes blank, or maybe you might have watched yourself back and thought, Who is that awkward person on camera that can't possibly be me? Then this episode is for you, because today we're going to transform that camera anxiety into camera confidence, and I'm going to take you through how I went from being literally on the verge of tears inside my videos to where I'm comfortable appearing on camera. So stay tuned. Ready to break free from the solopreneur struggle. This is the ease and impact thriving as a solopreneur Podcast. I'm Frankie Jay, a surfer, a mum and an eight year solopreneur. Myself. Join me as I peel back the layers to a thriving online business without the guru hype or the burnout. I'm going to show you the proven strategies and tools that I use so you can build a sustainable digital business without sacrificing your well being. Let's get you thriving as a solopreneur.
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Welcome back to ease and impact your weekly dose of practical advice for the solo business journey. I'm your host, Frankie Jay, and today, we are tackling something that can really hold back a lot of entrepreneurs and coaches from being more visible in their business, and that's camera anxiety. But before we dive in, if you are finding value in these episodes, then please hit follow or subscribe. Wherever it is you're listening, you're not just setting yourself up to be updated, but you're setting yourself up to get solutions delivered to you weekly about how to move forward in your business. Now I want you to imagine something for a moment. What would your business look like if showing up on camera felt as natural as having a conversation with a friend picture how many more people you could reach, or how much more authentically you could connect, or even how much more impact you could make if this one obstacle was removed from your path. And here's some good news for you, your business success, it doesn't depend on having the perfect lighting setup or the most expensive camera. It doesn't even require you to be naturally charismatic on video. What it does require is your authentic presence, and that's something that you already possess. You just need to unlock it. And by the end of this episode, you will have a practical toolkit for transforming your relationship with the camera. And as that transformation occurs, something really cool happens. Your audience starts to grow. Your connections deepen your impact online multiplies all from conquering this one challenge that has been holding you back. Let me tell you a quick story. When I started my business as the smartphone video coach, I was absolutely terrified about being on camera. I'm not even exaggerating, I had this picture where I'm literally pinching my hand off camera to distract from the fear that I was feeling
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and in my first YouTube video, yes, that video is still out there somewhere. If you look closely, my eyes are glistening because I am literally fighting back tears. Now, why am I sharing this somewhat embarrassing story? Because if I can overcome that level of camera anxiety to build a successful business where I'm comfortable on camera, then I know with absolute certainty that you can too. So let's dive into the five strategies that made this transformation possible for me and for countless clients that I've worked with. First is inner prep. So the inner work for appearing on camera is just as crucial as the technical prep, especially if fear or anxiety is that annoying companion that always shows up when that record button is pressed. One technique that can work really well is using positive affirmations. Now stay with me, because there is a bit more to it than that, but when you tell yourself I am at ease in front of the camera, or I communicate clearly on video, you're essentially reprogramming your nervous system's response. Think about it this way, your brain doesn't know the difference between what has been vividly imagined and what's real. So when you consistently feed it new beliefs, it begins accepting these as a new reality. But here's the thing that most people get wrong. They try to just create affirmations without addressing the deeper limiting beliefs that are contradicting them. That's why it's so important to do belief change work, and there's a six step belief change process that I use with myself and clients. So some of the core elements of this, so that you can start working on this today, is first, to uncover what's really holding you back, finding then arguments to back up a new belief. So these will be based on past experiences, and then finding ways that you can constantly embody this new belief and this that might be affirmations. So for example, if there's a part of you that believes people will judge me if I don't look perfect on camera, no amount.
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Of surface level affirmation will override that. We need to dialog with that new belief, understand where it comes from, and consciously choose a new belief that will serve your goals. Now, when you do this inner work properly, showing up on camera, can transform from something you dread to something you might actually look forward to. And I mean, isn't that worth the effort in doing that first step, the inner work. Now the next step might seem superficial at first, but it's actually rooted in powerful psychology. What you wear on camera can dramatically affect how you feel and you perform. But here's the mistake that most people make, myself included, is they think they need to dress up in clothes in a particular way, or ones that don't feel like them. So they put on what they think a professional should wear, and then they wonder why they come across all stiff and uncomfortable. Because I know this, because I did it, the secret is to choose clothes that make you feel confident and authentic for me, that's often jeans and a T shirt, because when I dress authentically, I show up authentically. So ask yourself, what outfit makes me feel most like myself while also respecting my audience, because when you feel comfortable in your own skin, that comfort, it radiates through the screen and builds trust with your viewers, and Isn't it interesting how most successful content creators often have a consistent style that becomes almost part of their brand identity. It's not so much an accident, it's just it's a strategic choice that supports their confidence on camera. Now we come to what should be the easiest part, but people often ask, Well, how do I do that? And that's authenticity, and this obviously is the best way to connect with your right people.
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Now here's a bit of a shift that changed things for me, and that was to stop viewing the camera as this intimidating, electronic eye that's kind of judging my every move, and to see it more as a window through where I'm connecting with a single person that could be my ideal client. It could be a close friend or family member, or just someone who needs exactly what I can help them with in that moment.
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You can also think of this as having a conversation on FaceTime, but just not being able to see the person. And when you make this mental shift, your body language naturally relaxes, your facial expressions become more genuine, and your words flow more easily. In short, you stop performing, and you just start connecting. And here's the really beautiful thing, the more you focus on being helpful to that one imaginary person, the less self conscious you become.
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Your focus shifts from How do I look to how can I serve? Try this exercise before hitting record. Take a moment to visualize or imagine that specific person that you're talking to. What have they come to you with today? You know what? What is it they need to hear? How would you talk to them if they were sitting right across from you? Then bring that energy to the video. Now, strategy number four is a really cool one if you're a fidgeter or just to help calm some extra nerves. And that's because it's a really practical one, and that's to use props now, props can serve a few purposes on camera. They give your hands something to do, especially if you're a bit of a fidgeter. They provide a visual interest for your audience. They can also help remind you of what your next bit in your topic is that you're doing talk about and perhaps most importantly, they can take the attention off you, which can be quite relieving if you're particularly anxious on camera. Now, for example, if you're explaining a concept that has three parts, having three physical objects to hold up, can help make your explanation a little clearer, but it can also give you something to focus on besides being nervous, the final strategy is often overlooked or thought of as I don't need to do that, but it really shouldn't, and that's celebrating your even the smallest of victories along the way. Every journey begins with a single step, and the path to being more confident on camera is no different. So did you record a video without redoing it 20 times, then celebrate that. Did you look directly into the camera more than you usually do? That's worth acknowledging. Did you get a positive comment from a viewer? Yes, that's awesome.
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So these celebrations, they actually serve a neurological process. They release dopamine, which reinforces all the neural pathways associated with that behavior, making it easier to repeat that in the future. Think about it this way, every time you positively acknowledge your progress, you're essentially telling your brain, hey, this camera thing, it isn't a threat at all. It actually is something that.
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Brings rewards, and over time, you're going to reshape your relationship with video creation. Maybe what you could even do is create a specific ritual for celebrating your video wins. So whether that's treating yourself to something special or simply taking a moment to acknowledge how far you've come compared to where you've started. Now I want to acknowledge something important. These five strategies, the inner prep, the dressing, to be confident, the authenticity, using props, even celebrating victories, they all work together. It's not about picking one and just ignoring the rest. It's about integrating all of them into your video creation program process. And here's what I've noticed with myself and the clients who implement these elements, the transformation, it really happens overnight. Instead, it's a gradual evolution, as it were, where each video becomes a little easier, a little more natural, until one day you realize that it's actually not that hard anymore. We might even have enjoyed creating that piece of content. Wouldn't that be a welcome change from the anxiety that you might be feeling when you go on camera? Now, the beautiful thing about becoming more confident on camera is it doesn't just impact your content creation. It almost ripples through your entire business and even into your personal life. And so we when you conquer this fear, it helps you in any area that you have to present yourself. And I guess that's where the real growth begins for us entrepreneurs, isn't it? It's not necessarily in the subscriber counts or the view metrics, but it's in who we become through the process. So before we wrap up today, I want to remind you that this journey to becoming more confident on camera is exactly that it's a journey. Be patient with yourself, be kind to yourself, and remember that every expert you admire who seems completely natural on camera likely stood exactly where you are. Now, if you have any questions on implementing these strategies, or even if you'd like to share your own confidence journey, then, please don't hesitate to drop a comment wherever it is. You're listening to this podcast. I read every single one, and your questions offer inspire future episodes. So thank you again for sharing this time with me today until next week. Keep showing up, keep being authentically you, and keep creating that impact with ease.
