Does the sound of your own voice scare you?  

This is a real question and there is no right or wrong answer.  Nobody is watching or listening.  It's just you and YOU.

I was talking to my 9 year old daughter yesterday about her first year of cheerleading and she mentioned to me that the sound of her own voice scares her when she has to yell.

My daughter is quiet and sometimes shy.  But she's also sometimes loud and it's hard to get her to stop talking.  So I was surprised when she shared with me that the sound of her voice when she's cheering scares her, because she yells around the house all the time!

But there's something about her making her voice loud, not in anger, but in cheer - that she is having to get used to.

Then I realized, when I'm at her games, and the other cheerleaders start to call out a cheer and then stop themselves and start again, it's because the sound of their own ELEVATED VOICE scared them!

It's sweet and endearing to watch them get used to the sound of their own voices when they're yelling, not in anger, but in cheer.  And it reminded me of how "once upon a time" I was scared of my own voice too.

I used to hate to hear recordings of myself speaking, and I just generally avoided public speaking because I didn't want to "speak up."

Even now, as a YouTuber it still sometimes surprises me how much I use my voice and how often I get compliments on it. It's sometimes strange how much people love something (like your voice) even when you've struggled to love it yourself.

These are the thoughts running through my brain as I prepare to start doing personal YouTube consultations.  As women and girls, some of us have to get used to the sound of our own voices when we speak up.

Speaking up as a woman or a girl can be quite an experience. Many of us grow up in environments where we're encouraged to be more reserved, to listen rather than lead the conversation. This can make it challenging when we want to assert ourselves, be it in a professional setting or in personal relationships.

And getting used to the sound of our own voice isn't just about volume; it's about finding confidence in our ideas and opinions. It's about understanding that what we have to say is valuable and deserves to be heard. This journey is different for everyone. For some, it's a gradual process of building self-assurance. For others, it's a more abrupt realization that comes from facing a specific challenge or opportunity.

Embracing our voice also means embracing our unique perspective and experiences. It's about understanding that we bring something different to the table, something that's needed.

And as a YouTuber, or anyone with platform where they have the opportunity to express themselves, speaking up is a chance to not only find our voice but to inspire and encourage others to find theirs too.

I'm rolling out a new eBook called "The PinkPrint" which breaks down the intricacies of the YouTube algorithm into bite size pieces.  And it's perfect for people who want to find and elevate their voices on YouTube because it explains exactly how YouTube works, and when you know how a system works you can use that info to elevate yourself.

Read it and let me know how it helps you!