Fear is one of the most common, yet unspoken, companions of new business owners. And in this conversation with Agatha Brewer, we explored how that fear shows up—physically, mentally, emotionally, and how to move through it with compassion and understanding.
Agatha brings together 15 years of marketing experience with a deep coaching background, and what makes her insights so powerful is how grounded they are in personal experience. Her journey into coaching was sparked by healing her own chronic invisible illness, which led her to neuroplasticity and the work of rewiring subconscious beliefs. When she started her business, a whole new layer of fears came to the surface—and it was in meeting those with awareness that her current work began to take shape.
This piece holds those insights. It’s about naming the fears that rise, recognising them for what they are, and learning how to walk forward anyway, with care, with presence, and with self-trust.
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Fear Isn’t Failure. It’s Biology
One of the most important things Agatha shared was this: fear doesn’t mean something’s wrong. In fact, fear is a natural part of how our brains try to protect us. Through her training in neuroplasticity, she learned how deeply wired fear is in our nervous system, and how, for some of us, those wires have been firing far more than they need to.
Two core fears tend to drive so many of the challenges in early business:
- The fear of not being safe, where the brain is constantly scanning for danger, even when none is present
- The fear of being rejected, where putting ourselves out there feels like risking our place in the tribe
These fears are deeply human. They’re not signs you’re weak or unprepared. They’re signs that your brain is doing what it was trained to do. And the more you notice them, the more power you have to choose a different response.
Agatha also spoke about how these fears become amplified when we start something new. In business, that could mean launching an offer, speaking on a podcast, or sharing your work publicly. It can feel like your whole system is shouting “danger!” even when your heart is saying yes.
Building a Business While Rewiring Your Identity
Starting a business isn’t just about learning systems or strategies, it’s about becoming someone new. And Agatha explained this with such clarity: when you move from employee to entrepreneur, or from behind-the-scenes to visible, you’re shifting your identity. And your nervous system notices.
You’re not just learning how to sell or market, you’re learning how to be seen differently. How to speak differently. How to trust yourself in new ways.
That shift often brings resistance. And it’s not because you’re not meant for it. It’s because you’re challenging the version of yourself that once felt safe in the old role.
Agatha reminded us that identity change is powerful, but also disorienting. So the best thing you can do is meet yourself with grace. Let it take time. Let it be uncomfortable. And know that each stretch is part of the becoming.
Gentle Strategies for Easing the Fear
When fear shows up, you don’t have to fight it. You can learn to work with it. Agatha shared practical tips that speak to both the body and the mind:
- Accept that fear is trying to protect you, but remind yourself you are safe, even if your body feels activated
- Use breathing techniques, like placing your hands on your chest and abdomen, to ground your energy
- Distract your nervous system before big visibility moments, watch something funny, shake your body, shift the energy
- Choose marketing strategies that suit your natural energy type, if you’re introverted, don’t push yourself into visibility strategies that feel completely out of alignment
- Start small, do the low-stakes version of something first, like speaking on a smaller podcast or writing on your own blog, and build up from there
Every time you do something new, you’re retraining your brain to know it’s safe. And that kind of nervous system trust builds slowly, but it builds.
Preparing Yourself from a Place of Care
One of the most helpful shifts Agatha made was in how she prepared for public speaking and client work. Early on, she created notes and outlines not to stick to rigidly, but to know they were there. That allowed her to be more present in the moment, and to relax into the conversation.
Preparation doesn’t mean perfection. It means giving your system the safety to show up.
Whether you’re preparing for a client session, a visibility opportunity, or a big project, it helps to anchor into material you genuinely care about. Speak from your heart. Talk about things that light you up. That energy translates more than you think.
And if you do go off-track, having even a simple outline nearby can help you recalibrate gently.
Final Reflections
You don’t have to wait until you’re fearless to begin. Fear will come and go. But with the right tools, awareness, and support, you can move through it without letting it control your path.
Agatha’s journey is a reminder that mindset work isn’t separate from business. It is the foundation. And building a business while healing your nervous system is not only possible, it’s powerful.
Let yourself move slowly. Let your strategy honour your personality. Let your growth be steady, spacious, and true.
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