I’ve got to be honest—whether or not the story’s any good, TV shows today are looking absolutely stunning. I’ve just started watching the second season of Lord of the Rings, and the imagery is simply phenomenal. It’s honestly ridiculous how far we’ve come in terms of production quality. But as much as I’d love to keep chatting about that, there’s something else on my mind tonight, and it’s not about Lord of the Rings.
Recently, I’ve been hosting a drop-in session on LinkedIn every Wednesday between 6:00 and 8:00 PM. It’s a place where businesses can hop on Zoom, ask questions about video content strategy, and then go on their merry way armed with the information they need. These sessions are slowly gaining traction, and the last one was particularly good. We had a few people join, and the conversation took an interesting turn towards something that affects all of us—fear.
The Paralysis of Perfectionism
Fear can manifest itself in many ways, but the kind we discussed wasn’t about getting started; it was about getting it wrong. One gentleman had put off creating content about his business for quite some time. His fear wasn’t so much about the act of creating content—whether that’s a LinkedIn post or a video—but more about the possibility that the information he put out there might be wrong. And then, of course, he was worried about the negative feedback he might receive as a result.
This fear of being wrong, of receiving negative comments, had been crippling for him. It had stopped him from creating content altogether. And I can relate to that. But here’s the thing: when it comes to fear and the information you’re using in your content, you’re only as good as the knowledge you have at that particular point in time.
Embrace the Journey, Not the Destination
You can research as much as possible, but ultimately, you can only lean on what you know right now. Just like in science, your knowledge will evolve over time. What you know in five years’ time will be vastly different from what you know today. So, don’t get too hung up on whether you’re right or wrong at this moment. You’re doing the best you can with the information you have.
Of course, it’s natural to worry about getting things wrong—I do too. But here’s the outlook I’ve adopted: I know I’m going to be wrong at some point. I know that as I continue on this journey, I’ll make mistakes. There will be times when I look back at something I created and think, “What on earth was I thinking?” But because I’m not married to the idea of always being right, I can accept that I’ll learn and grow from those mistakes.
You are who you are at this point in time, and you can’t be anyone else. If you’re wrong, you’re wrong. But because you’re not hung up on always being right, you can approach this journey with a bit more objectivity. It’s okay to be wrong—it’s how you learn quicker and serve your clients better. I’d rather be wrong on my own time and learn from it than make mistakes on a client’s time.
Don’t Let Fear Stop You
If you’ve been thinking about creating content but have been held back by the fear of getting it wrong, I need to tell you something. No matter how good your content is—no matter if it’s 100% spot-on—there will always be someone who disagrees with you. And that’s fine. It’s personal opinion, and you have to learn to deal with it. The only way to do that is by growing a thick skin, and there’s no way to do that other than exposing yourself to criticism.
Criticism is often cutting, and yes, it’s going to hurt. You’re going to feel like crap sometimes, but if you don’t get over it now, you never will. So, you might as well start creating content, develop that thick skin, and do something about it for your business. It’s a fantastic way to communicate, but it’s not without its risks. There will always be idiots online who’ll try to tear you down. I guarantee you that someone out there won’t agree with this very blog post. But here’s the thing: I genuinely don’t care. What I do care about is that I need milk for my coffee.
Taking the Plunge
I was genuinely fearful about doing the drop-in session live. There’s no hiding when it’s live. When I create a video or write a post, I can spend time making sure the information is spot-on.
But live content? There’s no script, no editing—it’s raw.
And that’s nerve-wracking. But I’m working on becoming more efficient at creating content, and I know that if I don’t make the investment now, I’ll only regret it later.
If you sit on your hands and do nothing, in six months’ time, you’ll be gutted that you didn’t start sooner. Don’t let that be you. Don’t overthink it. Yes, you’re going to get criticism. It’s going to be tough, but on the flip side, it’s a brilliant way to showcase your business and who you are as a person.
Here’s the reality: if everyone has this fear and not many businesses are doing it, just by putting yourself out there and creating content, you’re already ahead of the game. It’s all about attention. The more you can get your face in front of people, talking about your business and bringing your personality into it, the further ahead you’ll be.
So, be kind to yourself, get off your arse, and get it done.
ABOUT ME
My name is Byron Phillips and I run Datrysiad Media.
Datrysiad Media is a video production company based in Cardiff. We help businesses with their pain problems and communicate their stories.
We are a full-service video production that can handle every aspect of the video production process. Creating high-quality video content that meets your needs and exceeds your expectations.
