Struggling with procrastination, perfectionism, or second-guessing every move in your business? Discover how to stop letting fear call the shots and start leading with confidence in this empowering deep dive on overcoming fear in business!

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In today’s episode, I’m sharing an essential conversation about something that affects every entrepreneur at some point—fear.

Whether it’s procrastination, perfectionism, or the fear of rejection, these hidden patterns can quietly sabotage your business growth.

I know because I’ve been there. Relaunching this podcast was nerve-wracking for me, even with over a decade of podcasting experience.

And that’s exactly why I’m passionate about this topic. It’s time to uncover the sneaky ways fear shows up in your business and learn how to move past it, so you can step into the CEO role with confidence and clarity.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, overthought every decision, or hesitated to put yourself out there, this one’s for you.

How Fear Shows Up in Your Business

When we think about fear in business, we often imagine something dramatic—like cold sweats before a big pitch or the heart-pounding anxiety of hitting “publish” on a new offer.

But fear isn’t always that obvious. It can sneak in through everyday behaviors like:

• Procrastination: Putting off key tasks, like launching a program or sending a simple email, can be a subtle sign that fear is holding you back.

• Perfectionism: Setting impossibly high standards and hesitating to share your work until it’s “perfect” delays your progress and keeps your ideas from reaching those who need them.

• Over-researching: Gathering endless information and “waiting” for the perfect time to act can be fear disguising itself as logic.

• Busy Work: Focusing on low-impact tasks (like tweaking Canva graphics or endlessly improving your program deliverables) instead of the needle-moving actions like selling or marketing.

The truth? Fear slows you down, blocks your growth, and can even make you resent your business. But it doesn’t have to stay that way.

Why Overcoming Fear Is Critical for Business Growth

You can have all the best strategies in the world, but if fear is driving your decisions, you’ll struggle to implement them.

Fear leads to second-guessing, undercharging, overdelivering, and staying small—none of which help you grow the sustainable, nourishing business you deserve.

As CEOs, self-trust is our superpower. When you trust yourself to take action (even when it feels scary), you create momentum. And that momentum fuels growth.

I’ve seen it in my own journey: the times my business grew the fastest were when I moved decisively, trusted my instincts, and took imperfect action.

Yes, even when fear was along for the ride.

Top Quotes from This Episode on Overcoming Fear in Business

Here are some of the most powerful moments from this episode of The Nourished CEO Podcast:

• “Procrastination is when you know you should be doing something, but you’re putting it off. That’s fear in disguise.”

• “Perfectionism is fear dressed up as high standards—it’s the belief that if we just get it perfect enough, we won’t be criticized.”

• “Confidence isn’t a personality trait. It’s built through repetition, aligned action, and reframing your inner dialogue.”

• “The business owners I look up to aren’t perfectionists—they move fast, they’re a little messy, but they get things done.”

• “Fear leads to overthinking, overgiving, and undercharging. If you want to grow your business, you have to recognize where fear is running the show.”

• “Your business will grow the fastest when you stop overthinking and start trusting yourself.”

How to Build Confidence and Move Past Fear

Here’s the thing: waiting to feel confident before you take action is a trap. Confidence comes from doing the thing, not from thinking about doing the thing.

Here’s how you can start building that confidence muscle:

1. Take aligned action: Trust your gut. If something feels right, do it—even if it’s scary.

2. Put in the reps: The more you do something, the easier it becomes. Consistency breeds confidence.

3. Reframe your inner dialogue: Catch those negative thoughts and shift them into empowering beliefs.

For me, relaunching this podcast was one of those fear-driven procrastination points. But showing up, even when it felt messy, reminded me how important it is to lead by example. The more I record, the easier it gets.

Ready to Stop Letting Fear Run Your Business?

Take a moment to reflect: Where is fear holding you back in your business?

Whether it’s that program you’ve been putting off launching, the email list you’ve been too nervous to grow, or the prices you know need raising—what’s that thing that’s been on your mind for months (or years)?

Here’s your permission slip to take action on it. Even if it feels uncomfortable. Even if fear is tagging along.

If you need a little more encouragement, tune into the full episode of The Nourished CEO Podcast for more personal stories, tips, and mindset shifts to help you kick fear to the curb and start showing up like the CEO you are.

Loved this? Let’s connect!

If this resonated with you, I’d love to hear from you! DM me on Instagram @lauraschoenfeldrd and let me know what fear you’re ready to move past.

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