Uncertainty has a way of showing up uninvited, doesn’t it?
2 weeks ago, it arrived in full force and kicked me in the gut.
It happened when the quote I requested for a VIP Meta funnel service came through from a coach I’ve admired and long followed.
I’ve also worked with her as part of a circle of other entrepreneurs to learn about successful ads building.
Anyway, as I was saying, the price of her VIP service was well, top of the mountain kind of high.
I should let you know that I live in the Caribbean where the exchange rate, $ for $, puts me at a disadvantage for this kind of service.
Also, this was going to be a pretty big spend, my largest since the pandemic.
And that was 5 years ago.
Of course my mind raced with doubt, fear and questions:
What if this doesn’t work?
What if I’m not ready?
What if I fail?
But this is not my first risk taking rodeo as a female founder.
As a small biz owner I’ve got plenty under my belt.
And I’ve found over the years that embracing uncertainty isn’t about having all the answers at once.
But let me get back to the decision on that significant spend I had to make, and how one single question changed everything for me.
I’ll also share a bit about how I moved from doubt to surety and got unstuck.
And yes, while this is a personal story I also know that uncertainty never discriminates.
It shows up for all of us—whether we’re making a first investment or fiftieth and/or trying to decide on something we’re not yet confident about.
The Stories We Tell Ourselves About Uncertainty
Ok, so I dit it.
I signed the contract for one of the biggest spends in my business in the past five years.
I’ve since made a whole lot of peace with my decision but let me tell you, the fear I felt before attaching my signature was real.
I had a full enchilada of emotions served to me on a plate.
Sleepless nights.
Overthinking.
Worry.
My decision required that I tapped into my savings.
That’s not something to take lightly at all.
And I didn’t.
The Question That Changed Everything
Instead, I reached out to my mentor and he asked me a singular question:
❛❛What’s the worst that can happen, Judette?❞
So I did the risk calculations, which has something to do with math, but also a lot to do with my gut.
I thought about what I had to gain:
- A scaleable, sustainable monetary model for a critical part of my business funnels and and ability to scale to 50 K launches
- 8 weeks of personalised coaching
- The build out of one of my funnel systems by an expert
- Expert support during one of my biggest launches
On the other side of my spread sheet, I wrote down all the possible losses.
- Flat out failure,
- Loss of my investment .
- The coaching and build outs could be mediocre, at best.
When it came down to it, the question was still: “Could I afford to lose my investment and be ok with it?
When I looked at my spreadsheet again, what I could win far outweighed what I could lose.
I signed the contract with confidence. Sent it off with a pray and then let it all go.
Every fear, every doubt was released to the wind.
But there was something else too.
Something I noticed during that rollercoaster week.
Uncertainty loves to whisper stories in your ear.
“You’re not ready,”
“This isn’t the right time,”
“What if you fail?”
They all sound convincing. But I learned those stories are just stories. They’re not facts.
Take my decision for example.
The story I was telling myself was, “What if I lose?”
But the reality was, even if it didn’t work out, I’d survive. I’d learn. I’d grow. I’d win.
And that’s the thing about overcoming fear in business.
It’s not about knowing the outcome.
It’s about trusting yourself to handle whatever comes.
You’re Not Alone In Your Uncertainty and Doubt
I also observed during the week leading up to the signing that EVERY coaching service request I received in my Inbox were all rooted in doubt or uncertainty.
The emails began like this:
- → I’m not sure if I’m making the right call.
- → I feel like I’m not ready for this.
- → Should I trust my instincts or play it safe?
- → Am I capable of pulling this off? And a gazillion other variations of doubt and fear.
As I read the Q’s, the process of how I overcame my own uncertainty stuck with me…
…I wondered what I could do to change the conversation and acknowledge that uncertainty is normal.
Not knowing is ok.
That sometimes we have no idea whether to do the work, take the risk or how to get past fear.
But we do it anyway, sometimes later rather than sooner, but we do it.
The Secret Codes We Share In Daily Life
Uncertainty is part of our everyday experience.
For me, it happens at 6 a.m., 3 X week, when I have to wake up at 5:00 and head to the gym.
Is it safe to head out hat hour?
Am I compromising my sleep hygiene?
But when I hit the treadmill and look at the person next to me.
We give each other little smirks, suggesting this sucks, but we’re doing it anyway.
Maybe it happens to you when you send off a proposal to a new client after spending all weekend putting in the work…
You breathe in hope and exhale a prayer as you hit “send.”
From Code To Growth
My shared smirk, that breath you take… it’s CODE.
It’s a secret language for people who’ll do hard things to get results.
It’s a validation for making the uncertain feel less like a threat and more like a stepping stone.
It’s about saying out loud, “Indecision is part of everyone’s journey,” so we can stop feeling like we’re the only ones who don’t have it all figured out.
It’s a reminder that sometimes, the best thing you can do is show up—even when it’s uncomfortable.
And that’s what risk-taking as an entrepreneur is all about: It’s uncomfortable and filled with grey matter.
But it’s also where growth happens.
Change Is Good When Building a Sustainable Business:
This is why I’m changing things up a bit.
You see, uncertainty doesn’t just show up in the big moments—the investments, the pivots, the leaps of faith.
It’s in the everyday decisions, too.
Like when I sit down to write these emails and wonder,
Should I share this parts of my story that’s a bit messy and hard?
Will it resonate?
Will it matter?
For a long time, I kept those parts close to my chest.
But I’ve realized when we hide the uncertainty, we make it bigger than it is.
When we share it, we take away its power.
Opening Up
So, I’m opening up on this blog about things that scare and excite me.
From planning my longest digital nomad journey (yes, I’m terrified of flying these Trumpian days ), to leading an all-women accountability circle (and learning as much from them as they are from me), and sharing the real deal about my investments (and whether they’ve paid off).
It’s about showing you the actions I take, the decisions I make, and the results—good or bad.
I believe that when we share the sometimes hard, many times uncertain parts of our journeys, we give each other permission to keep going.
We remind each other that courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s taking the next step anyway.
I guess I want us to get comfortable with the uncomfortable, take the risks that scare us, and talk about it, so others can learn.
And I don’t care how perfect life looks, all of us are figuring it out as we go.
And that’s more than okay.
5 Tips for Overcoming Uncertainty in Business
Uncertainty doesn’t have to hold you back.
Based on the work I did, the questions I asked to eventually sign my largest business spend in 5 years,
I came up with a simple framework—the 5 C’s—to help you navigate your uncertainty with confidence:
1. Clarify Your Goals
Uncertainty often feels overwhelming because we’re not clear on what we’re working toward. Taking time to define your goals—both short-term and long-term is important.
I cant begin to tell you the rabbit hole I went into after my mentor asked: “What’s the worse that can happen?”
It’s such a valid question to ask yourself and also:
What do you want to achieve with your decision?
How does this align with your bigger vision?
When you have clarity, uncertainty becomes less about fear and more about strategy.
2. Calculate the Risks
Doubt thrives in the unknown.
To get clarity look at drawing up a a cost-benefit analysis.
For me that was a simple spread sheet listing of pros, cons and all the costs.
Some simple questions I asked:
What’s the best-case scenario?
What’s the worst-case scenario?
Can I recover if things don’t go as planned?
By quantifying risks, you can turn uncertainty into a manageable equation.
3. Connect with Mentors
You don’t have to navigate uncertainty alone. I have a mentor.
You may have a coach, trusted peers, sage family members who’ve been there, done that.
Connect with your inner circle.
A single question, like “What’s the worst that can happen?” from a mentor, can shift your perspective and give you the confidence to move forward.
4. Commit to Action
Uncertainty can paralyse but action is the antidote.
I always advise my students to start small if they need to—
Break a decision into manageable steps. For example in the case I worked through with you, I:
Reviewed all documents associated with my spend
Rethought my annual budget
Met with both my mentor and accountant
Had both review the contract
Met with the coach before signing and negotiated new terms that I found was a best for my business
Signed the contract with updated terms
Never forget that action builds momentum, and momentum builds confidence.
5. Celebrate Small Wins
Uncertainty doesn’t disappear overnight, but celebrating small wins along the way can keep you motivated.
Did you make a tough decision?
Celebrate it.
Did you take a risk, even if it didn’t pan out? Celebrate the courage it took.
These small victories will remind you that you’re capable of navigating uncertainty… in the safest way possible
