Feeling Like an Outsider? This Mindset Shift Could Change Everything for Your Business

This past week, my husband and I were invited to a wedding. At first, I felt a bit uneasy about attending. I didn’t know the bride or the groom personally, and I worried I might seem out of place, intruding on a moment I wasn’t directly connected to. I didn’t want to be the outsider peering into someone else’s celebration. After a few nudges from friends, I decided to go—with a plan to leave early if I felt too awkward.

But something unexpected happened. The wedding was spectacular! More than that, it became an opportunity to learn about another culture, to discover the fascinating similarities we share and the beautiful ways we are unique. I found joy in meeting the bride and groom's family, especially the grandparents, and celebrating with them. What started with hesitation ended with connection, and I left feeling grateful for the experience.

You may be wondering why I’m sharing this story in a blog about business. What does this have to do with entrepreneurship? The truth is, my experience at that wedding revealed something powerful about the ways we hold ourselves back in business—and in life.

How often do we convince ourselves that we don’t belong? How often do we pass on opportunities, avoid taking risks, or step back from something new because we believe we aren’t connected enough, prepared enough, or "enough" to show up?

The Belief That Holds Us Back In that moment of hesitating to attend the wedding, I was acting on a belief many of us carry in different ways. It’s the subtle voice that says, “You don’t belong here. You’re an outsider.” This belief shows up in our business lives all the time. We feel unqualified to attend networking events, so we miss out on valuable connections. We hesitate to reach out to someone we admire because we feel like an imposter. We delay launching a new product because we worry it won’t be received, that we won’t be seen.

We spend so much time searching for proof that we don’t belong, that we forget to ask ourselves: What if I do?

How "Not Belonging" Impacts Our Business When we internalize the feeling of not belonging, it affects how we show up in our business. We become smaller versions of ourselves. Instead of confidently stepping into opportunities, we shrink back. Instead of owning our expertise, we second-guess ourselves. Instead of being bold enough to disrupt, we play it safe—and as a result, our growth stagnates.

We hold ourselves back from collaboration, creativity, and courage. In this state, we miss out on the serendipity of meeting new people who could become clients, partners, or mentors. We deny ourselves the chance to expand our horizons because we’re too focused on the stories that tell us we don’t belong.

Challenging the Subconscious Programming This sense of not belonging isn’t always our fault. It can stem from deep-rooted cultural conditioning, societal programming, or past experiences where we’ve been made to feel like outsiders. Yet, the challenge for us as entrepreneurs—and as individuals—is to rise above these limiting beliefs. We must identify them and ask ourselves whether they are serving us or holding us back from reaching our full potential.

What subconscious beliefs are you carrying that shape the way you show up in your business? Is there a fear of rejection, a fear of not fitting in, or a fear of failure that is stopping you from taking the next step? It’s worth asking, because those beliefs might just be the invisible barriers keeping you from success.

The Power of Showing Up Just like I took a chance and went to the wedding, stepping into places where we think we don’t belong often leads to growth and unexpected success. The people I met at the wedding left an impact on me—and I would have missed out if I had listened to the voice that said, “Don’t go.”

In business, the same applies. Show up to that event. Take the call. Submit the proposal. Launch the product. The more we put ourselves out there, the more we realize we do belong—and we belong everywhere our purpose takes us.

The Ripple Effect When we start to shift our mindset from "I don’t belong" to "I deserve to be here," we open up possibilities. We start seeing the ripple effects of our courage in our business and personal lives. We attract opportunities, build stronger connections, and have more meaningful experiences.

Remember: You are the key to your business's success. Don’t let the feeling of not belonging keep you from unlocking that potential.

So the next time you hesitate to step into a space where you feel unsure, remind yourself: You belong. And the moment you claim that, the world will open up for you in ways you never imagined.

Just like that wedding turned out to be a beautiful experience, so too can every opportunity you thought wasn’t meant for you. All you have to do is show up.