Welcome to another episode of the Authority Builder podcast! In this conversation, Charlotte Ellis Maldari sits down with Ceels Lockley, an offer strategy coach who specialises in helping female service providers design profitable, sustainable offers that align with their expertise and values. Ceels brings a wealth of experience from her journey through digital consultancy, agency leadership, and creative mentoring, making her uniquely positioned to understand the realities and pressures of client work.

From Agency Life to Mentoring

Ceels shares her transition from agency leadership to running her own creative agency during the pandemic, and ultimately moving into full-time mentoring. The turning point? Motherhood. The demands of agency life no longer fit her lifestyle, prompting her to seek a path that allowed for greater impact and flexibility. She now supports agency owners and service providers, helping them identify gaps in their business models and mindset—gaps she once experienced herself.

Imposter Syndrome: The Creative’s Companion

Imposter syndrome is a recurring theme for many creative service providers. Ceels explains that it often manifests as deep self-doubt, confusion, and a lack of clarity about what to do next. Even those who appear confident and successful aren’t immune. The root cause? A belief that you’re not good enough, experienced enough, or qualified enough. This can lead to sporadic behaviour, such as constantly changing offers or undercharging for services.

Why Pricing and Offers Trigger Self-Doubt

Pricing is a particularly emotional topic, especially in the UK where talking about money is often taboo. Ceels highlights how personal money mindsets can bleed into business decisions, leading to undercharging and a reluctance to set boundaries. She encourages business owners to recognise that their business is a separate entity and to price based on value, not personal insecurities.

The Four Seasons of Business

Ceels uses the metaphor of the four seasons to describe the cyclical nature of business growth. Winter represents slow sales and uncertainty, spring brings new opportunities, summer is a period of thriving, and autumn signals change and refinement. She emphasises the importance of consistency and discipline during the “winter” of an offer, reassuring listeners that spring always follows, and no one stays in summer forever.

The Three Ps: Perfectionism, Procrastination, and People-Pleasing

Perfectionism is the most visible symptom of imposter syndrome, often leading to paralysis and inaction. People-pleasing, though more insidious, shows up as scope creep, over-delivering, and difficulty setting boundaries. Ceels advises that breaking these patterns can feel uncomfortable at first, but ultimately leads to better client relationships, improved business processes, and greater personal satisfaction.

Limiting Beliefs and Cultural Context

Limiting beliefs are thoughts that hold you back from reaching your potential. Ceels encourages business owners to interrogate these beliefs, reframe them, and gather evidence of their value—such as client testimonials and results. She also notes cultural differences: UK business owners often struggle more with money conversations and self-promotion compared to their North American counterparts, who tend to have a more open and positive relationship with money and investment.

Imposter Syndrome: Not Just a Women’s Issue

While imposter syndrome is often discussed as a women’s issue, Ceels points out that it affects everyone. Men may be better at masking it, but the underlying self-doubt is universal. The key is to recognise it as a sign that you’re ready for growth and to lean into the discomfort of change.

Practical Steps to Overcome Self-Doubt

If you recognise yourself in these patterns—undercharging, overworking, people-pleasing—Ceels suggests starting with a list of 50 things you’re good at or proud of. This exercise helps shift focus from self-doubt to self-recognition. She also recommends keeping a “good stuff” folder of positive feedback and achievements to revisit on tough days.

Celebrating Progress and Embracing Your Value

Ambitious people often struggle to acknowledge their achievements, quickly moving on to the next goal. Ceels and Charlotte discuss the importance of reflecting on how far you’ve come, both in business and personally. The fact that you’ve started—and sustained—a business is already a significant achievement.

Looking Ahead: What Ceels Hopes for Creatives

Ceels hopes that in the next five to ten years, creatives and service providers will truly believe they are enough and recognise the value of their expertise. She encourages a shift away from constant external validation towards a deeper relationship with oneself and one’s unique skills.

Connect with Ceels Lockley

If you’re a service provider, coach, or agency owner looking to refine your offers, pricing, or business strategy, you can find Ceels at ceelslockley.co or on Instagram at @ceels.lockley. Don’t miss her free training, The Line Up, which offers a system for thinking about your offer ecosystem.

Listen to the Full Episode

For the full conversation and even more insights, listen to the episode on Buzzsprout.