Why Thinking of Myself as a CEO is Changing the Game of My Online Business as an HSP Woman
For three years, I’ve been running my own online business.
And yet, until recently, I would have never, not in a million years, thought of myself as a CEO of my business.
A researcher? Yes.
A perfectionist? Absolutely.
A chronic over-thinker who calculates step 5.4 before even starting step 1.1? Yep, that’s me.
But a CEO? That felt like a title reserved for women in blazers who confidently lead boardroom meetings. Women who weren’t still clinging to their old academic identity like a security blanket, as I was.
I recently came to realize that not embodying the “proper” identity has been significantly hindering my Online Business. I kept operating from the “researcher” mindset, the one that demands everything to be perfect and fail-proof before taking action. But running your own business? That requires a completely different mindset.
I tried writing down on sticky notes affirmations like “I am a successful entrepreneur”, “I am a writer”. But the reality is that just reading them made no actual difference since I had no way to truly embody it. You do not change your identity by reading a “stupid” affirmation on a sticky note, you need to attach actions to the identity you want to embody.
Easier said than done, right?
The Question That Helped Me Move Into A New Identity
These days, when I feel resistance (and believe me, there are days when resistance is constantly lingering), I ask myself one simple question:
What would the CEO version of me do now?
This single question has become my compass. It moves me from paralysis to action.
But here’s what’s important: the CEO version of me isn’t a superwoman that accomplishes every single task on her to-do list. She has the “above vision” to grant rest when needed. She knows that sustainable success requires knowing when to push and when to pause.
What Does Your CEO Version Look Like?
Let me paint you a picture of my CEO self, because getting specific about this has been quite important.
My CEO version is confident. She has no fear talking to strangers (aka potential clients via Zoom). She’s fully concentrated on the person talking to her (just like she would be in real life), and she’s not self-conscious the way she usually is on video calls.
She dresses for her work day at home as if she’s going out into the real world. I actually invested money in a couple of comfortable, but classy clothes that make me feel good about myself while working. Enough with those faded sweatsuits!
Just yesterday, I saw a woman on YouTube with the most amazing (at least to me) nail polish. A very light pink. So classy. And I reminded myself how I used to like coloring my nails. But then I gave it up because “it’s extremely smelly”,”it takes time”, and “it’s full of chemicals”.
But then I realized that I would constantly see those classy nails while I am typing. And that could easily become a very tangible association with my CEO identity.
There was just one minor problem to solve though: I can’t have two contrasting identities working against each other at the same time. I am someone who values natural products and avoids harsh chemicals as much as possible, so the typical full of chemical nail polish creates an internal conflict. The solution? Find a less toxic nail polish in the color I like and associate it with my CEO version. That way, both identities can align.
These small sensory details matter more than we think. They’re not vanity, they help you embody your new identity.
Is The CEO Version Of Yourself A SuperWoman? No, It’s Not.
Last Monday I woke up feeling anxious. There are different ways I usually experience anxiety, but the one that bothers me most is feeling my throat restricting.
I started my morning pages practice. I wrote my usual page. But still, the throat was restricted. (And I have to say, usually just one page does the trick for me, but clearly this was no ordinary day.)
So I continued writing, hoping to get whatever was stuck in my head onto the pages and ease my throat. Still nothing worked.
Then I looked at my calendar and checked if I had ANYTHING even remotely urgent that had to be done that day. Nothing. Perfect.
I decided to go out for a walk in silence, in the woods. The knot was still there. Then I tried a walking meditation, and something started to move a little. But by the time I came back home and I sat at my desk to work, here it was again, that damn knot in my throat.
I asked myself as the CEO version of myself: Do you need extra rest? To a regular person this question might feel odd, but for us HSP (Highly Sensitive People) it’s essential to protect our energy and set aside ample time to deeply rest.
The answer to this question was NO, I felt so rested during the weekend. Such a peaceful weekend. There’s definitely no need for extra rest.
I asked my CEO version how to proceed, and we (I) agreed on starting by tackling just ONE minor THING on the to-list. This will both grant me that amazing sensation of ticking something off, and will also inevitably spark momentum to continue working (unless rest is really needed).
So if I still feel the throat so tight afterward, I will take the rest of the day off, no matter if I already rested a lot during the weekend. But, if by the time I finish this mini task the throat doesn’t bother me anymore, I choose another task on my to-do list.
That’s what a CEO does. She makes strategic decisions. She experiments. She doesn’t force herself to follow a rigid plan when her body is telling her something else.
How to Break Free From Your Old Identity And Embody Your CEO Self
If you’re ready to shift from your old identity into your CEO self and become a successful business owner, here are two steps to start working on:
1. Define Your CEO Identity in Details (Write down in details what a “successful version of you” would entail):
What does she think?
How does she behave?
How does she move?
How does she dress?
What’s one sensory detail that embodies her? (A specific nail color? A particular scent in her workspace? A specific dress?)
2. Before you spiral into overthinking or paralysis, ask yourself this powerful question:
“What would the CEO version of me do now?”
I advise you to write this question on a sticky note and place it where you’ll see it throughout your workday, until it becomes second nature to ask yourself the question whenever it’s needed.
✍️ This Week’s Journaling Prompts
What old professional identity am I still clinging to that no longer serves my current business? (Researcher? Employee? Student?) What would it feel like to fully release it?
If I fully embodied my CEO self, what is one thing that would definitely change about how I work?
I’m still learning to embody my CEO identity daily. Some days it works so well, other days I fall back into old patterns. But the simple act of asking myself “What would the CEO version of me do?” has moved me more towards my business goals than any “perfect” plan ever did.
What do you think of this process of embodying your CEO identity? Will you try it? Let me know in the comments!
Much Love,
Cristina