Here’s how often I fake it
When I got my first real job (as a teacher) I was FrEaKiNg OuT.
I'd graduated from Teacher's College the previous May and spent a few months teaching English in South Korea. (And by 'teaching English,' I mean boozing and sun bathing). All of a sudden, my new Principal was showing me into a classroom. Seems it was mine? the kids were starting school next week? and I was * checks notes * the teacher?
There was nothing on the walls. I had no idea what I was doing. I had undiagnosed ADHD.
Luckily, my mother spent her entire career as a teacher/principal and she had just retired. So she did the executive functioning for me. We decided how to arrange the desks and she popped a notebook, a pencil, and a ruler on each one.
Everyone knows
For the whole week, I had an earworm. It was the 2005 hit Over My Head by The Fray.
Cheesy? Yes. It was the early 2000s and we can't actually choose which songs get stuck in our heads, mmmkay?
It goes:
Everyone knows I'm in
Over my head
Over my head
And because I didn't know any of the rest of the song, it was just that bit. On loop. For a week.
Fake it til you make it
I've seen a lot of negativity online about the idea of faking it when it comes to your job or your business. And do I think you should pretend you have an engineering degree when you don’t? Certainly not.
But honestly? Fake it til you make it has been my jam since that first day of teaching. And I think it's a really valuable act—particularly for women. Women are renowned for underselling themselves. In fact, studies show that we're reluctant to put our hands up for any job unless we meet 100% of the criteria.
Men, on the other hand, will usually apply if they meet 60%.
Faking—but make it strategic
On day three of organising my classroom, a plan came together. I would just…act like I knew what I was doing.
I had the education.
I understood the theory.
I had faith in my ability to relate to the kids.
(and if all else failed, I had this amazing video)
New is hard
Since then, I've started lots of new things (including this business). Did I know how to do this when I started?
Nurrrrr. But here's what I did know:
I know how to write.
I LOVE to write.
I'm clever AF.
I'm desperate to get out of my current job.
I have an amazing mentor.
So I started
All this is to say just try that thing you want to do.
Even if you feel like you're in over your head, don't focus on what you don't know.
Focus on what you do know.
And work out the rest later.
It's what men have been doing since time began.
Wanna know how I fake? And (whoa!) how I can do it for you…? Shimmy on over to my services page or you can see some of my finest work here.
(And If you want to take a look at my newest writing ventures, I'm over on Medium, posting about whatever occurs to me with no plan or schedule.)
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Martha Barnard-Rae is a Denmark WA-based SEO copywriter. She supports businesses in Denmark, Albany, the Great Southern and beyond with all the wordy things they need to stand out in the best possible way.
Her words live on the websites, blogs, videos, emails, and socials of businesses all over Australia. An accomplished speaker, Martha helps brands, business owners, schools, and Government Departments understand what they need to do to find their voices.
Martha holds an Honours Degree in English and a Master’s Degree in Education — communication truly lights her up. When she’s not crafting delicious words, you’ll find her walking two giant pooches, practicing her ukulele, or wrapped around a cup of tea, planning out her next Instagram reel.
To stay up to date, join the Word Candy crew on Instagram, or connect with Martha on LinkedIn.