Virtual Summits for Highly Sensitive Hosts
I've always been honest about the work that goes into hosting a virtual summit. It's a big project for anyone, but for highly sensitive people, the pressure, visibility, and sheer number of moving parts can feel even more intense.
If you're a highly sensitive person (HSP) and you're thinking about hosting a summit, you might be wondering:
- Can I really do this without burning out?
- Will my energy levels keep up?
- Do I need to change traditional summit strategies to make it work for me?
After talking with one of our Launch with a Summit Accelerator® clients, Steffeny Feld, on episode 284 about A 6-Figure Summit Launch While Prioritizing Values and Avoiding Burnout of the Summit Host Hangout podcast, I realized just how many highly sensitive entrepreneurs share these concerns.
Steffeny came into the Accelerator expecting to have to modify our strategies to fit her needs as an HSP, but she was surprised by how well they already worked for her. That conversation inspired me to dive deeper into this topic because I know so many of you are asking the same questions.
In this episode, I’m sharing my personal experience as a highly sensitive summit host, including what’s worked, what hasn’t, and how you can lean into your strengths to make your summit feel aligned, sustainable, and wildly successful.
Plus, if you're hosting a summit for a highly sensitive audience, I’ll be covering strategies to make your event more supportive and accessible in the next episode!
Listen to the episode
What it means to be a Highly Sensitive Person
Being a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) is also known as sensory-processing sensitivity. This can show up in lots of different ways, but you may find yourself easily overwhelmed with sensory overload or too much to do, feeling the need to withdraw during busy days, or intentionally avoiding upsetting situations.
How being a Highly Sensitive Person can show up in business and virtual summits
There are good and bad sides to being an HSP entrepreneur! For me, there are a few specific ways it tends to manifest, both in my summits and in my business.
The not-so-good side of being a highly sensitive business owner
One of the big things is that I often find myself worrying about what others will think about me. That goes for both what I actually say and do, as well as what I don't say or do but that others might read between the lines (even if it wasn't there). I can end up spiraling in my summits and launches when sales don't immediately roll in or the results generally aren't going the way I'd anticipated.
Sometimes I freeze up when there's a lot on my plate, too, and I have trouble working with any background noise or distractions, which can be a big problem when you have kids like I do! All of this often held me back in the earlier days of my business and summits, but I've found ways to adapt to working as a highly sensitive business owner.
How I've Adapted as a Highly Sensitive Person
First, I have a "shield" in place now in my business manager, Kate. I never have to look at negative emails anymore, because Kate or another team member screens them for me. If there's feedback that she feels I need to know, she's able to present it gently, even when that's hard. That means I no longer have to feel sick to my stomach when I think about my inbox, which is a huge win!
My team also knows how I spiral during launches and summits, and they're my hype team. In addition to my team, I also have Voxer access to my coach to help me stop the spiraling launch thoughts. Just being able to recognize these cycles of spiraling helps, too.
To combat the task overwhelm whether for my summits or business in general, I now pull my tasks out of our main Asana workspace into Notion so I don't have to look at too many all at once. I also have a basement office now, where I can work in silence or with brain.fm playing quietly in the background to help me stay focused. There are a lot of little steps I've taken over time, but they all add up and have helped me work through my HSP tendencies.
How being a Highly Sensitive Person can be a superpower
It's not all bad, though! Being an HSP can actually be a real superpower in a lot of ways. For one, it helps me stay in tune with my audience, which helps me to connect with them more deeply. Being salesy isn't really a problem either, because that's never my first instinct.
As an HSP, I also pay more attention to "minor" details, which can help reduce glitches. It also makes me a better leader; one who listens, cares, and prioritizes my team and their feelings. I also happen to be a great summit coach as an HSP, and I can look back and see exactly why my approach feels so much better for my clients than a lot of other summit-hosting programs out there!
How to account for being highly sensitive in your summit strategies
There are a number of ways you can lean into your HSP tendencies as a summit host.
First, listen to your gut and anxiety surges. If something doesn't feel right, don't do it! Just because other people are doing it or a coach says you should, it doesn't mean you have to or that it's right for you. Make sure you know when to it's just a comfort zone issue and you should push yourself, too, though.
You should also give yourself a longer timeline for your summit than you might think you need. I've never known anyone to complain about having given themselves more time, and as an HSP, it might make all the difference for you and how you feel about your summit! Get a look at the summit to course launch planning timeline here!
You may also want to consider having someone else handle the customer support for your summit. Whether that's an existing team member or someone you hire temporarily during the summit prep and launch, they'll be able to gently present concerns to you, rather than you having to spiral in your inbox.
Expect extra feelings around the time you're pitching speakers, too. There's a lot that can come up during that summit phase, so just be ready. Same for the registration window. don't watch those numbers too closely. You will want to be aware of them, in case you need to make tweaks to improve the numbers, but you shouldn't watch them obsessively.
Most of all, you should have a support system behind you. That could be a coach, a friend, a team or family member, or me and my team inside the Launch with a Summit Accelerator. Having others around you, cheering you on can make a huge difference during your summit planning and execution.
If you identify as an HSP, you can choose my experiences and recommendations to create your own plan for summit hosting success. Don't let being an HSP hold you back! You can create a summit that feels good to you and is a huge success.
Resources
- hsperson.com
- brain.fm
- Episode 245: A Look at the Summit to Course Launch Planning Timeline
- Episode 284: A 6-Figure Summit Launch While Prioritizing Values and Avoiding Burnout with Steffeny Feld
- Summit Host Hangout Facebook group
- Launch with a Summit Accelerator
- 6-Figure Summits Workshop Bundle
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