The Impostor Syndrome Files

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about the benefits of failure. While most of us want to continuously learn and challenge ourselves, many of us end up playing it safe. We get stuck in fixed mindsets that keep us from reaching our full potential and living the lives we want to live. My guest this week, Zach White, is a consultant who began his career as an engineer and now helps engineering leaders to achieve their career goals without burning out. He shares his personal story of how his approach to his career led him to hit rock bottom. He also shares how he found his way back with even greater career success once he got clear about his values and learned to set boundaries. Zach shares practical advice to help all of us avoid burnout and authentically achieve our definitions of success.About My GuestZach White is known around the world for changing the game in career coaching for engineering leaders. He has worked with hundreds of leaders at top companies worldwide to achieve breakthrough results and escape burnout. Zach is the founder and CEO of Oasis of Courage, a fast-growing company with unique and proven coaching programs exclusively for engineers. He also hosts a top-rated show, “The Happy Engineer Podcast.”As a coach for engineering leaders, Zach understands the journey firsthand, holding both a bachelor's and master’s degree in mechanical engineering, and spending over a decade building his career in the Fortune 200. Zach is affectionately known as the World’s Best Lifestyle Engineer, and your coach.~Connect with Zach:Listen to The Happy Engineer Podcast: https://plnk.to/the-happy-engineer Connect with Zach White on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thezachwhite/ Visit OACO online: https://www.oasisofcourage.com~Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/Learn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:https://yourcareersuccess.com/leading-humans-discussion-group/Join the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6Join the Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadinghumansSchedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-sessionConnect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmeninger/Websites:https://yourcareersuccess.comhttps://impostorsyndromefiles.com

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about our tendency, as humans, to start things we don’t finish. Many of us enthusiastically start something new, only to walk away when we get uncomfortable. This often leaves us with feelings of guilt, self-doubt and regret. But why do we do this? And what can we do about it? My guest this week, Tim Vandehey, author of the book, “Swipe: The Science Behind Why We Don't Finish What We Start,” talks about our reflexive responses to discomfort and the ways in which they disrupt our efforts. He also shares what we can all do, proactively and in the moment, to set ourselves up for greater success in finishing what we start.About My GuestTim is a journalist, columnist, and New York Times bestselling ghostwriter of more than 65 nonfiction books in such genres such as business, finance, advice, outdoor adventure, religion, memoir, parenting, and health. His work has been featured in Fast Company, Inc., Forbes and Entrepreneur, and his ghostwritten books have been published by major houses including HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Hachette, Wiley & Sons, St. Martin’s Press, and The MIT Press. Tim’s work has also garnered numerous awards, including multiple Axiom Business Book medals and Independent Publisher Book awards. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from California State University, Fullerton, and is also an accomplished jazz vocalist, writing coach, and sailor.~Connect with Tim:Website: www.swipethebook.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tvandehey/ ~Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/Learn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:https://yourcareersuccess.com/leading-humans-discussion-group/Join the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6Join the Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadinghumansSchedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-sessionConnect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmeninger/Websites:https://yourcareersuccess.comhttps://impostorsyndromefiles.com

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about time. Why do so many of us struggle with time? Why do we feel so out of control of our own calendars? And how do we keep ourselves from reaching our breaking point? My guest this week, Marissa Lee, is an HR leader and thought leader on what she refers to as time wealth. Marissa shares her journey with time and how she came to realize that she needed to make changes. She also helps us to understand why this is such a challenge for us and what we can do to build our own time wealth.About My GuestMarissa Lee is a Time Wealth™ Strategist, Career Activist, Leadership Expert, and Author with a unique approach to helping rethink the relationship between employer and employee through the lens of time. She specializes in helping aspiring/new senior leaders decode the employee experience to improve personal and team engagement, performance, and career success. Over the 13 years, Marissa has combined her passion for people and processes to provide strategic business solutions for Fortune 500 companies in the fashion, building materials, and chemical industries.She is the founder of SOW EVOLVE, LLC, an HR consulting business, where she provides B2B employee experience, employee engagement, and team synergy solutions. She also provides individual and group leadership development coaching. The firm provides private coaching services, strategy sessions, and corporate trainings to support and accelerate success. Through her work, she is on a mission to create time-wealthy and life-healthy leaders.In 2019, Marissa published her first book, a #1 Amazon Bestseller in Career Management, Why I Broke Up With My Company. The book builds on Marissa’s advocacy of career ownership and helps the reader level up and progress with her E.V.O.L.V.E methodology. Whether employee or employer, Marissa challenges the reader to analyze the “stay or go” decision.When Marissa is not busy growing the SOW EVOLVE brand, she’s spends her time with her German American Rottweiler, Domino Boss Lee. She is also a proud graduate of The Ohio State University.~Connect with Marissa:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/IAmMarissaLeeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/IAmMarissaLee Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ImMarissaLee Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/IAmMarissaLeeTikTok: @IAmMarissaLee ~Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/ Learn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:https://yourcareersuccess.com/leading-humans-discussion-group/Join the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6 Join the Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadinghumansSchedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-session Connect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmeninger/ Websites:https://yourcareersuccess.comhttps://impostorsyndromefiles.com

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about the unfortunate prevalence of inappropriate behavior in the workplace. When this happens to us, we’re often blindsided and unprepared for how to best respond. It can lead us to doubt ourselves and second-guess our own behavior. And even our organizations may not be prepared to adequately address the problem. My guests this week, Wesley Ellison Stewart and Jamie Hays Szelc, founders of JWS Empowerment Solutions, share their personal stories of sexual harassment in the workplace and how their experiences led them to start a consulting business focused on empowering individuals and organizations to more effectively address inappropriate behavior in higher education fundraising and beyond. About My GuestsWesley Ellison StewartWesley E. Stewart is the Associate Vice President for Major Giving & Athletics Advancement at Boston College. In her tenure, she has led the regional, parent, and athletics advancement teams to breakout years, envisioning and executing on complex organizational change that implements best practices and positions BC to be ambitious in its next campaign. Her leadership in this role has had a direct impact on the past three record breaking years at BC. She also serves as the University Advancement liaison to the Office of Student Affairs & Capital Planning. She was promoted into this role from previously serving as Associate Vice President for Major Giving and Senior Associate Athletics Director for Development.Jamie Hays SzelcJamie Hays Szelc is co-founder of JWS Empowerment Solutions, alongside her business partner, Wesley Ellison Stewart.  Jamie also works for PILYTIX, an Austin-based AI Tech company dedicated to implementing technological solutions designed to generate revenue, save time, and reduce costs for universities, and sports & entertainment organizations.  There, Jamie serves as Director of Business Development for their fundraising unit.Jamie has vast development experience and leadership roles in Higher Ed that spans nearly 20 years. Prior to her role at PILYTIX, Jamie served as Associate Athletics Director for Development at the University of Kansas. ~Connect with Wesley & Jamie:Website: www.jwsempowerment.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/jws-empowerment-solutions/Twitter: @JWSEmpowerment ~Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/ Learn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:https://yourcareersuccess.com/leading-humans-discussion-group/Join the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6 Join the Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadinghumansSchedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-session Connect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmeninger/ Websites:https://yourcareersuccess.comhttps://impostorsyndromefiles.com

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about making career transitions. My guest this week, Danielle McCombs, shares her story of having transitioned from a 20-year career in the commercial real estate industry to an entrepreneur. She talks about the ways in which a growth mindset helped her to manage the fears associated with making a change and take the risks needed to step into a more fulfilling role. We also talk about how we can all leverage the growth mindset to more confidently step outside of our comfort zones and achieve our goals.About My GuestDanielle McCombs is a growth minded individual that is constantly striving to improve herself and deepen the understanding of the world around her.Danielle is a native New Yorker that relocated to San Francisco in 2016.After a 20-year career in commercial real estate Danielle decided to pursue her passion of inspiring others to be the best version of themselves. Danielle is a Co-Active Training Institute Certified coach and has started her own Life Coaching practice, Danielle McCombs Coaching.Danielle hosts the podcast "The Opposite of Small Talk", with her friend Kristy Olinger where they explore topics about personal and professional development focusing on connection, reflection and social justice.~Connect with Danielle:Website: https://daniellemccombs.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellemccombs/The Opposite of Small Talk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theoppositeofsmalltalk/The Opposite of Small Talk Website: https://www.theoppositeofsmalltalk.com/~Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/ Learn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:https://yourcareersuccess.com/leading-humans-discussion-group/Join the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6 Join the Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadinghumansSchedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-session Connect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmeninger/ Websites:https://yourcareersuccess.comhttps://impostorsyndromefiles.com

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about humanizing the workplace through greater self-reflection and emotional intelligence. My guest this week, leadership development expert Kristen Harcourt, shares her perspective on the need for more human-centered workplaces. While most of us are so focused on doing, fewer of us make the commitment to ongoing self-reflection to better understand ourselves and how we show up to those around us. We also discuss the benefits to individuals and businesses when we humanize our workplaces. About My GuestWith over 15-years as a People and Culture Leader partnering with hundreds of companies worldwide, Kristen empowers executives and leaders at all levels to build lives and organizations of success, health and sustainability. Kristen excels at guiding leaders to achieve extraordinary and sustainable results through increased self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and mindfulness. Her client companies are diverse and her results are consistent. Her passion for leadership development and creating positive work cultures shines through it all. An expert in Leadership Development, she hosts a bi-weekly podcast called Inspirational Leadership where she interviews progressive CEOs, strategic HR leaders and forward-thinking experts who share her mission to humanize work and transform leaders.A big believer in compassion, authenticity and conscious leadership, Kristen’s mission is to help leaders transform from the inside out so they can create a meaningful career and purpose-driven life and reach their full potential. ~Connect with Kristen:Website: https://kristenharcourt.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristenharcourt/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kristenharcourt/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kristenharcourt/ YouTube: https://bit.ly/KristenHarcourtYouTube ~Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/ Learn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:https://yourcareersuccess.com/leading-humans-discussion-group/Join the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6 Join the Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadinghumansSchedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-session Connect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmeninger/ Websites:https://yourcareersuccess.comhttps://impostorsyndromefiles.com

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about negotiation. While many of us understand the basic skills involved in negotiations, our ability to practice these skills can be undermined by fear, self-doubt and limiting beliefs. This week, I talk with Moshe Cohen, a negotiations expert, mediator, author and senior lecturer at Boston University, about why it’s so hard for us to negotiate at work. Moshe shares powerful insights about the human experience in the negotiation process and how we can all empower ourselves to negotiate with greater confidence.About My GuestMoshe Cohen has been teaching negotiation, leadership, conflict resolution and organizational behavior as founder of The Negotiating Table since 1995 and as a senior lecturer at Boston University's Questrom School of Business since 2000. He has worked with thousands of students as well as companies worldwide. As a mediator, Moshe has worked to resolve hundreds of matters, and also coaches executives, managers, and individuals on leading others and negotiating effectively. He is the author of two books - Collywobbles, How to Negotiate When Negotiating Makes You Nervous and Optimism is a Choice and Other Timeless Ideas. He has also written numerous articles and cases, and appears in podcasts, videos, and interviews. Moshe studied Physics at Cornell University and has a Master's in Electrical Engineering from McGill University, specializing in robotics. After a dozen years in robotics, he completed his MBA from Boston University and fell in love with negotiation, mediation, and leadership.~Connect with Moshe:Collywobbles, How to Negotiate When Negotiating Makes You NervousOptimism is a Choice and Other Timeless IdeasLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moshecohen/ ~Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/ Learn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:https://yourcareersuccess.com/leading-humans-discussion-group/Join the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6 Join the Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadinghumansSchedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-session Connect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmeninger/ Websites:https://yourcareersuccess.comhttps://impostorsyndromefiles.com

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about leadership as an identity, one that empowers us to own our own destinies. My guest this week, speaker, coach and author Sabine Gedeon, shares her story of transitioning from corporate HR leader to entrepreneur. We also address important challenges facing women in leadership, including the need for greater self-awareness so that we understand our greatest strengths and how to best contribute them, the ways in which we de-prioritize our own needs, and the fear-based stories we tell ourselves about what’s possible. She also shares practical, actionable tips for how to empower ourselves to lead in all areas of our lives.About My GuestSabine Gedeon serves as a transformational Speaker, Author, and Coach. With nearly 20 years’ experience across various corporate HR disciplines, in addition to coaching and consulting, she is highly skilled in getting to the root of issues, and creating solutions to support growth and transformation, both personal and professional. From start-ups and Fortune 500 companies, she supports women, emerging leaders, and entrepreneurs by helping them become effective change agents and influencers. Known for her ability to connect with people at the deepest levels of their beings, to reveal their unique brilliance, she helps clients break through their own mental limits to lead with confidence and elevate their influence and impact.She is the Founder of She Leads Network, and host of She Leads Now (a top-rated podcast centered around women in leadership and business), which both exist to empower and equip women leaders with the strategy, resources, and self-belief needed to create fulfillment in every aspect of life.~Connect with Sabine:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabinegedeon/Website: https://sheleadsnetwork.com (Use coupon code: Impostor10 for 10% off an annual membership)Free Leadership Report: 10 Ways Your Leadership Approach Is Stifling Innovation & Results - https://sheleadsnetwork.com/report Lead Like A Coach 4-week Accelerator - https://sheleadsnetwork.com/training~Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/Learn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:https://yourcareersuccess.com/leading-humans-discussion-group/Join the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6Join the Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadinghumansSchedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-sessionConnect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmeninger/Websites:https://yourcareersuccess.comhttps://impostorsyndromefiles.com

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about the importance of self-leadership. Particularly for those who represent historically marginalized groups, it’s easy to assume that we lack power in our workplaces, but each of us has more power than we think we do. My guest this week, Meenakshi Iyer, founder and principal at NorthStar Solutions and Services, shares her personal story of navigating much of her life feeling different from those around her. She also talks about how her experience has influenced her perspectives on leadership, including the importance of recognizing and leveraging our personal power.About My GuestMeenakshi Iyer thrives at the intersection of People, Process, and Technology. She is a T-shaped leader and community builder with a 25-year portfolio career spanning IT, Agile/Business Process Transformation, international healthcare, HR, and Training, in India and the USA. “Stop, breathe, think, act” is her motto. In her latest career pivot, she serves as the Founder and Principal at NorthStar Solutions and Services, a virtual coaching, training and consulting practice serving clients globally. An ICF-certified Personal Agility, Self-Leadership and Change Leadership Coach, Meenakshi partners with Mid-career Technology Leaders, Women in Tech, and those who, like her, speak English as an additional language.Meenakshi is a speaker, and since 2020, Meenakshi has delivered 20+ virtual, and in-person talks and webinars, hosted panel discussions, and facilitated workshops globally. She is also a certified #IamRemarkable workshop facilitator.  Meenakshi is the creator and co-host of NorthStar’s Annual Future of Work Virtual Conference. In 2021, she founded Building My Runway – a Global Mentorship program for mid-career Women in Tech, and the alumni community is 16 women strong coming from 5+ countries. She is the host of two livestream shows: Exploring Intersections, and The NorthStar Café.~Connect with Meenakshi:Social media - LinkedIn | YouTube | FacebookWebsite - www.northstaratwork.comConference registration:  https://www.uvsity.com/#/dashboard/viewsession?sessionId=830 Promo Code ERG10 to save 10%~Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/ Learn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:https://yourcareersuccess.com/leading-humans-discussion-group/Join the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6 Join the Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadinghumansSchedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-session Connect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmeninger/ Websites:https://yourcareersuccess.comhttps://impostorsyndromefiles.com

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about the ways in which our need to prove ourselves, combined with our fear of being exposed as a fraud, lead us to overwork and potential burnout. My guest this week, Caroline Rae, shares her story of living in a burnout cycle for over 15 years because of a constant need to prove herself, driven, in large part, by impostor syndrome. She also shares how she came to see the need for change, including a tough family intervention, and what advice she has for others facing similar challenges.About My GuestCaroline Rae is an executive coach and career strategist who has helped hundreds of experienced professional women to make powerful and aligned career moves they believed were 3-5 years away. In every high-stakes arena her career has taken her (from tackling health inequality to 10 Downing Street to co-founder to coach), she's witnessed the career trajectories of countless brilliant women stagnate at midlife. Caroline is committed to helping women reclaim their career mojo and have even more impact as an authentic, empowering leader.~Connect with Caroline:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinesrae/~Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/ Learn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:https://yourcareersuccess.com/leading-humans-discussion-group/Join the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6 Join the Facebook group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadinghumansSchedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-session Connect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimmeninger/ Websites:https://yourcareersuccess.comhttps://impostorsyndromefiles.com