Jon Youshaei (aka everyvowel on Fiverr) has been ranked by Forbes and Inc Magazine as one of the world’s top marketers. He’s most well known for creating Every Vowel, a popular cartoon series with 400,000 readers. Jon also works at YouTube, where he leads product marketing for creators and has been ranked by NPR as a top commencement speaker alongside Barack Obama, Sheryl Sandberg, and Conan O’Brien. He grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and studied at The Wharton School where he served as class president for four years. Hire Jon for your next content or social media campaign on Fiverr Pro.
Maya Angelou inspired me to get started on Fiverr.
Before you call me crazy for mentioning a legendary writer and activist in the same sentence as a tech company, hear me out. Of all Angelou’s prolific prose, my favorite is one people don’t often remember:
“I have written eleven books. But each time I think, ‘Uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody and they’re going to find me out.’”
Let that sink in. Angelou, one of the world’s greatest writers, questioned her ability to write. This is a perfect example of imposter syndrome. It’s a phenomenon that describes successful people who feel like frauds. Who attribute their accolades to luck, not hard work. Who feel like they’re figuring it out on the fly when everyone assumes they live life on autopilot.
So what does this have to do with Fiverr?
A few months ago, the folks at Fiverr reached out. They said they’re launching Fiverr Pro, a new part of their platform where hand-picked sellers provide world-class services. Sellers like Elliot Tebele who created the Instagram page, @FuckJerry, with 12M+ followers. They told me:
“We saw what you’ve done to grow your cartoon series to 400,000 readers. We saw how you’ve written popular articles for Forbes and Time magazine. And we’re wondering: do you want to consult clients to grow their audiences in the same way?”
That’s when I had my first “Maya Angelou moment.” Imposter syndrome hit me hard. I secretly wondered: they really want me?
I’ve helped friends market and brand their businesses before but never like this. Luckily, Fiverr gave me an account manager, Trisha, to navigate the new territory. She was my cheerleader. My coach. My advisor. She helped create my Fiverr page. When I put in my hourly rates, Trisha told me: “I think that you might be undervaluing yourself here” and encouraged me to go higher. That’s when I had another Maya Angelou moment. I wondered who would buy. When Fiverr Pro finally launched, I thought buyers would see my page and keep walking.
But the opposite happened.
In less than 2 months, I’ve helped 38 clients. It’s been humbling to see each of them give 5 star ratings and several make repeat orders. Fiverr has exposed me to clients in so many industries across so many parts of the world. I’ve had the pleasure of helping clients like Adam Fitting in Shanghai who created Comprehensive Cranium Care, a moisturizer for bald people to “own their dome.” Michael Prasad in London who founded Plus Friends, a social media platform for HIV+ individuals. And Bollywood musician Mohamaad Ghibran who wanted to grow his base of 250,000 fans.
Becoming a seller on Fiverr has been an amazing experience. But it would have never happened if Fiverr didn’t reach out and help me overcome my imposter syndrome. If I didn’t realize that greats like Maya Angelou openly admitted to feeling the same way. Imposter syndrome never really goes away. In fact, that nonsensical fear of “not being good enough” actually makes us strive for greatness. It’s what makes me obsessively research my client’s business and their competitors long before our consulting session. It’s what drives me to prepare customized tactics that my clients can implement immediately. And it’s what motivates me to keep improving so I can be the best marketer they’ll ever work with. I’m grateful to Fiverr for this opportunity and am excited to see how the journey unfolds from here.
Entrepreneurs, how did you overcome imposter syndrome? Tell us in the comments below!
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