How to Keep Showing Up When Self-Doubt Tells You to Stop
The night before my own event, I almost quit.
It was Spring 2026. The event was CollabCon. I drafted an email to Ryan, my UNTD business partner.
(Quick context if you're new here: CollabCon is a free event I host in my local market for agents who want tactical ways to grow their business.)
I was sitting alone with every self-doubt thought you can imagine. No filter. Actual tears. And so much fear that I wrote the email asking him to run the day without me.
The imposter syndrome was real, and the voice in my head was loud:
Amy, who do you think you are?
Have you seen the caliber of agents on that registration list?
300 people registered, but no one is going to show up.
The industry doesn't need another event anyways.
That last one stung the most.
I'd love to tell you I deleted the email in some big moment of courage. Honestly? I just never hit send.
And I've learned that sometimes that's what showing up looks like the night before. Not feeling brave. Not having a breakthrough. Just not sending the email.
The next morning, I walked into that room anyway. And instead of pretending I had it all together, I opened the event by telling everyone exactly what I just told you. The tears, the doubt, all of it.
And remember the voice that told me no one was going to show up?
That photo at the top of this post is the room. Hundreds of agents.
The doubt wasn't just unhelpful. It was wrong.
Here's what I know for sure now:
Doubt doesn't care what stage you're in.
You can have thousands of followers. You can be a top producer. You can run events and have oodles of 5 star reviews and all the social proof in the world.
Or you can be just getting started. No traction yet. No audience yet. No deals yet.
Or somewhere in between.
The voice shows up either way. And it will whisper the thoughts that make you want to quit, say no, or shrink back.
But the truth is:
The presence of doubt is not proof you should stop.
That's the sentence I needed on Sunday night. So I'll say it again. The presence of doubt is not proof you should stop.
In fact, self doubt is usually proof you're building something that matters. The voice doesn't bother showing up for the things you don't care about.
And in those moments of imposter syndrome, we have two choices. I really believe these choices are what separate average agents and leaders from great ones.
1. Take control of your thoughts, or let them control you.
You can't stop the thoughts from coming. But you do get to decide what you do with them.
The faster you reframe them, the less time they have to defeat you.
Sunday night, I had a moment. (Okay, several. There was a whole drafted email.) But I've been working through my self doubt for years now, and every time, the faster I pivot my thinking, the faster I move forward.
2. Show up, or let doubt determine your results.
I showed up to CollabCon nervous. I was a HOT MESS about that event more times than I can count.
But every time we show up anyways, we teach future doubt that it has no control over us or our results.
So if you're second guessing something you're building right now:
Show up when it's hard.
Show up when it's scary.
Show up before you feel fully ready.
Show up even when you doubt yourself.
And if the email is already drafted? You don't have to delete it. You just don't have to send it.
Because when you keep showing up, you take the control back. And you get to build a brand that no brokerage, no team and no market can ever take away from you.