The Real Block Isn't Failure — It's Fear of Success: A Deep Dive with Fractional OCM Expert Ash Seddeek

This blog post is a detailed account of our recent podcast episode featuring a fascinating conversation with Ash Seddeek, founder of Mivante and fractional Organizational Change Management advisor who works with executives at Cisco, Uber, and Google.

We've all heard the usual suspects when it comes to what holds us back: fear of failure, imposter syndrome, lack of experience. But what if the real culprit is something far more paradoxical? What if you're actually afraid of succeeding?

That's the uncomfortable truth we unpacked in a recent conversation with Ash Seddeek, and honestly, it might just flip your entire perspective on why your fractional consulting business isn't scaling the way you know it could.

The Quote That Changes Everything

Ash opened with a quote that stopped me in my tracks: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us."

Here's the thing — most fractional executives I know are running from success, not failure. They're terrified of what it might mean to actually reach their potential. And there are three very specific reasons why.

Three Hidden Fears That Keep You Playing Small

Fear #1: Losing Your People The first fear? You'll lose relationships. Your siblings, friends, maybe even colleagues will see you differently if you become "too successful." There's this subconscious belief that if you outgrow your circle, you'll be left behind. Ash nailed it when he said we need to "broaden the circle" — stop comparing yourself to the same seven people and start looking at bigger examples of what's possible.

Fear #2: The Terror of the Unknown You've spent 15 years mastering corporate politics, knowing exactly how to navigate the system. Now you're asking yourself: "Can I replicate this success as a one-person professional services firm?" That transition from having an entire support system to being the marketing department, finance department, and delivery team all rolled into one? It's terrifying.

Fear #3: Giving Up Your Winning Hand This one hits hard for fractional executives. You were the star project manager, the go-to CFO, the strategy guru everyone came to. Now you're being asked to give up that "winning stock" and venture into the unknown world of business development, client acquisition, and running your own show. The fear isn't just about failing — it's about losing what already worked.

The "Own It, Win It, Crush It" Framework for Fractional Success

Ash shared a framework that actually addresses these fears head-on, built from his experience at Deloitte and working with fractional leaders:

Own It: Develop the Right Mindset You need three core mindsets: responsible (you're the only one opening shop), abundance (there's enough opportunity out there), and management consultant (you're a strategic partner, not just a service provider). Without these mental shifts, you'll keep playing small.

Win It: Build Your Unique Framework Stop thinking like an employee and start thinking like a consultancy. What's your proprietary methodology? What frameworks can you develop that make you irreplaceable? Your expertise needs to be packaged in a way that clients can't find anywhere else.

Crush It: Create Referability Every single piece of work should be so exceptional that anyone who touches it asks, "Who did this?" That's your marketing engine right there. When you're working with companies like Google or Cisco with thousands of managers and directors, one exceptional project can create a ripple effect.

Reframe Sales (Because You're Probably Doing It Wrong)

Here's where most fractional executives completely lose the plot. They hate "sales" because they think it's about convincing someone to buy something they don't need.

Wrong.

Sales is problem identification. You're not selling anything — you're having conversations to discover if there's alignment between their problems and your solutions. Companies have budgets they need to spend. They have problems they need solved. Your job is simply to find the right match.

As Ash put it: "If you see yourself as speaking to serve, who's selling? Nobody."

The Vulnerability Advantage

Here's something that might surprise you: your clients don't want you to be perfect. They want you to be human. Ash advocates for showing elegant vulnerability — acknowledging when you're stuck on something, admitting when you don't have all the answers immediately.

Why? Because it gives your clients permission to be imperfect too. They'll open up about the real problems they're facing instead of pretending everything is buttoned up. This creates the kind of authentic relationships that lead to retainers, extensions, and referrals.

Your Weekly Success Audit

The most practical advice from our conversation? Institute a "meeting with self" every Friday. Ask yourself: "If I were to kick it up a notch across all the dials, what would that look like?"

Look at your brand, your client conversations, your frameworks, your follow-up processes. Come up with 10 ideas and pursue them. The compounding effect of this weekly practice is where the real magic happens.

The Bottom Line

Your playing small doesn't serve the world. Every time you shrink back from your potential, you're robbing someone of the solution they desperately need. You're also robbing yourself of the success you've already proven you can achieve.

The question isn't whether you're capable of building a seven-figure fractional practice. You already know you are. The question is whether you're willing to get uncomfortable enough to let it happen.

Stop waiting for permission. Stop playing it safe. The world needs what you've got — but only if you're brave enough to share it.

Ready to break through your own success barriers? Connect with Ash Seddeek on LinkedIn or visit communicatewithclarity.co for a complimentary coaching call. Because sometimes the best investment in your business is getting an outside perspective on what's actually possible.

Mylance

‍This value-added article was written by Mylance. Mylance takes your marketing completely off your hands. We build the marketing machine that your Fractional Business needs, but you don't have time to run. So it operates daily, growing your brand, completely done for you.Instead of dangling numbers in front of you, our approach focuses on precise and thoughtful input: targeted outreach to the right decision makers, compelling messaging that resonates, and content creation that establishes trust and legitimacy.To apply for access, submit an application and we'll evaluate your fit for the service. If you’re not ready for lead generation, we also have a free, vetted community for top fractional talent that includes workshops, a rates database, networking, and a lot of free resources to support your fractional business.