The Nitty-Gritty:

* Why attorney Victoria R. Clark decided to leap into her own solo law practice just 5 years out from law school* How she’s focused on working through her weaknesses and supporting her business with each new challenge* What happened when she realized that her prices were keeping her stuck and overworking* Why she believes increased confidence is the key to overcoming every obstacle she’s faced with her business

Starting a business takes a real leap of faith.

I don’t think anyone starts a business expecting to feel fully confident in what they’re doing. So we end up being fairly prepared to feel unsure and a bit anxious at the beginning.

As the saying goes, you feel the fear and you do it anyway.

Throughout this series on confidence, I’ve wanted to look beyond getting started and look at what happens when our confidence falters long after that predictable startup period.

What happens when a new opportunity, a new goal, or a new idea causes our insecurity to come flooding back?

How do we deal with it, find new confidence, and move forward?

My guest today is Victoria R. Clark, the founder and managing attorney of Clark Law in Washington, DC.

When Victoria got in touch with me, she told me that it wasn’t just getting started that required a new level of confidence. She had to find a new level of confidence every time she wanted to show up and level up.

She told me that anything from introducing herself at a networking event to pricing her services to adding new areas of her practice required her to dig deep.

And here’s the thing, talking to Victoria, you’d never know her confidence wavers.

She’s self-assured. She’s present. She’s willing to put herself out there and show up for herself in intimidating spaces.

Like Katie Linder and I talked about, though, there’s always that tricky balance between the confident public persona and lingering, hidden self-doubt.

So I wanted to hear how Victoria has dealt with it—and is dealing with it. I think Victoria’s story might just sound pretty familiar to your own.

Victoria and I talk about why she decided to start her own law practice in the first place, how she became more confident talking about herself, and how she took a new approach to what she can control on a daily basis. We also chat about how aspects of the business have evolved as she’s gotten more confident in what she’s doing.

This candid conversation with Victoria is part of a whole series we’re doing here at What Works on confidence. We want to shed light on how small business owners continue to find confidence, long after they’ve taken the leap to get started.

You’ve already heard stories about raising your prices, landing huge clients, and changing up your habits—and there are more coming. When we’re not posting new conversations here on the podcast, we’re sharing personal essays and reflections from What Works Network members on how they find the confidence to take the next step.

To get the full series delivered to your inbox—and check out what we’ve already released—click here.

Now, let’s find out What Works for Victoria Clark!