The 3 Biases Keeping You From Your First Client

Hey! It’s Vikko.

There’s a moment every creator hits.

You’ve got a skill.
You know it’s valuable.
You want to help people.

But instead of making an offer…

You open another YouTube tab.

You tweak your bio.

You “plan content.”

I know, because that was me.

And it wasn’t because I was lazy.
It was because my brain was wired to protect me from doing the one thing that actually moves the needle:

Asking for money.

Here are the 3 brain traps that used to hold me back, and how I flipped each one to finally get my first client.

🔒 1. Status Quo Bias

Before I ever made my first $ online, I was stuck in a loop.

I had a skill.
I had an idea.
I even had people I knew could benefit from it.

But I wasn’t building. I wasn’t selling.

I was... “thinking about it.”

I told myself I was prepping:

• Rewatching tutorials

• Making outlines

• Taking notes

• “Getting clarity”

But truth?

I was hiding in productivity so I didn’t have to risk rejection.

Why this happens:

Status Quo Bias tricks you into believing inaction is the safer path.

It’s your brain saying:

“Just stay here. Do what’s comfortable. Keep researching. Avoid failure.”

It’s the employee mindset in disguise.

But momentum doesn’t happen in your Notion doc.

It starts when you break routine.

🧠 Mini Audit: Are You Stuck in Status Quo Bias?

Check all that apply:

• I keep researching, outlining, or planning instead of messaging people

• I tell myself I’m “not ready” to share my offer

• I spend more time tweaking my profile than talking to real humans

• I’ve been “thinking about launching” for more than 2 weeks

• I default to tasks that feel safe or comfortable

• I haven’t asked for money in the past 30 days

If you checked 2 or more:

You’re stuck in Status Quo Bias.

It’s time to break the pattern.

🧠 2. Loss Aversion

Even when I knew I had something to offer…

The fear of rejection still owned me.

So I stalled.

I made slides.
I outlined “the perfect training.”
I told myself I wasn’t ready to message anyone.

All because I couldn’t face the idea of someone saying “no.”

Why this happens:

Loss Aversion means we feel pain from losses twice as strongly as joy from gains.

So your brain thinks:

“What if no one buys?” = Pain
“What if I succeed?” = Meh

It’s not logical… it’s evolutionary.

Your brain’s goal is to avoid threats.

Even imaginary ones.

The fix?

Ask before you build.

Test before you tweak.

If they say yes, great!

If not, you just got clarity, not failure.

🧠 Mini Audit: Is Loss Aversion Keeping You Stuck?

Check all that apply:

• I avoid making offers because I’m afraid of being rejected

• I delay launching until everything is “perfect”

• I’d rather build in silence than risk public failure

• I talk myself out of trying by imagining worst-case scenarios

• I’d rather keep tweaking than hear a “no” from someone

✅ 2 or more? You’re not lazy.

Your brain is just avoiding imagined pain. Reframe the risk.

👻 3. Imposter Bias

After I got my first “yes”, I didn’t feel excited.

I felt exposed.

“What if I can’t deliver?”
“What if I mess this up?”
“What if he regrets trusting me?”

That voice nearly talked me out of delivering at all.

Why this happens:

Imposter Syndrome is a side effect of leveling up.

When you step into a new identity (creator, coach, entrepreneur), your brain clings to the old one.

And it tells you:

“You’re not qualified.”
“You’re just a beginner.”
“You don’t belong here.”

But here’s the truth:

Clients don’t want perfect.

They want progress.

They want a result…

And if you’ve done it before, you can guide them through it too.

So I simplified the promise.

I made it about one transformation, not twenty.

And that’s what made it work.

🧠 Mini Audit: Are You Trapped by Imposter Bias?

Check all that apply:

• I feel like I’m not “qualified enough” to charge for my skill

• I think, “What if I can’t deliver results?”

• I compare myself to others and feel behind

• I believe I need more experience before I help anyone

• I’m afraid someone will call me out for not being an “expert”

✅ 2 or more? You don’t need perfection.

You need a clear, specific promise. You’ve got this.

💥 Final Word:

You don’t get your first client by watching more videos.

You get it by outsmarting the fear that’s keeping you “safe.”

Here’s how to flip the script:

• Break the pattern (Status Quo Bias)

• Reframe the risk (Loss Aversion)

• Simplify the promise (Imposter Bias)

That’s how you go from “I hope this works…”

To: “I just made my first sale.”

Let’s move.

To your growth,
Vikko