Who is Juliette Cadot?
"A 30 year old entrepreneur, who after 3 and a half years of micro-business, is setting up her company to support the development of my offers and my turnover. I am an expert in communication strategy, project management and content creation."
What is an anxious entrepreneur?
"A person like me, who not only has a plan A... but also a plan B and C. Just in case. It's a person who suffers from anxiety, but still has the advantage that it doesn't paralyse them... especially when it comes to undertaking!"
Anxious since when?
"I think always. I've always been an anxious person but it was exacerbated after I was 21, when I experienced a very difficult death in my family. I lost this person from an accident and so I always have this sword of Damocles over my head of 'it doesn't just happen to other people'.I'm afraid of various things happening."
Anxiety and entrepreneurship: a brake?
"Not at all, which is strange. I think it has to do with the fact that even though I am anxious, I know what I am capable of. I prefer to rely on myself rather than depend on someone (i.e. a boss) to secure my future. If anxiety is part of my personality, entrepreneurship and independence are integral to it too."
Didn't that push you towards stability?
"Basically it did, but, and I'll talk about this in my newsletter, I started as a freelancer a bit out of obligation. Even though I had always wanted to be an entrepreneur, it was finding myself up against the wall (without a job) that gave me the kick in the butt I needed."
Did it give you any trouble?
"No, never. I have this very dichotomous side to me where at the same time I'm very anxious, and at the same time a "yes woman" so I take opportunities... It's afterwards that I stress about doing it wrong! But it's always gone well."
Did that give you an advantage?
"I think, on the fact that I always secure my backs. I always have a back up, I always think about the future. It's exhausting, I'm never in the moment, but at least I always have a perennial vision for my business. And a few prepared spins, to catch me up just in case."
A message to anxious entrepreneurs?
"1: identify what is anxiety, what may be irrational ("all the customers will leave because they will see that I am an impostor") and what may be a real danger. If it is a real danger, then you can think of solutions to counter it. 2: Think, fear does not prevent danger, so you have nothing to lose but to go for it."
Juliette Cadot.