The Impostor Syndrome Files

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about the role our parents’ messaging plays in our experience with Impostor Syndrome. My guest, Paz Ellis, shares her story of battling Impostor Syndrome throughout her life and now in her latest role as an author. She also shares the comfort she’s found in knowing that she’s not alone in her experience.To join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/To learn more about the Leading Women discussion group, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/leading-women-discussion-group/To schedule time to speak with me directly about your questions/challenges, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/contact/To learn more about The Leap, visit: https://www.wearetheleap.com/a/2147497233/9v2q8oPd

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we chat about our reluctance to ask for what we want or need. My guest, Xu Simon, shares her personal journey, including how she’s come to re-frame asking for what she needs to make it easier for her to do. She shares tips and insights to help de-personalize the process and empower ourselves to get what we deserve. To join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/To learn more about the Leading Women discussion group, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/leading-women-discussion-group/To schedule time to speak with me directly about your questions/challenges, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/contact/To learn more about The Leap, visit: https://www.wearetheleap.com/a/2147497233/9v2q8oPdAbout My GuestXu Simon had just finished her PhD from MIT and was nearing completion of postdoctoral studies, on track for a research-intensive academic career, when she took a chance.  She followed the love of her life—now husband of 17 years—to Washington, D.C. for a two-year stint as a government contractor.  In the State Department’s diplomatic office in charge of reducing the threat of chemical weapons use abroad (ISN/CTR/CSP), she both used her scientific expertise day-to-day and expanded her horizons to the international diplomatic stage.  Since the fellowship contract spanned the 2013 Syria chemical weapons crisis, she also had her fair share of crisis management and public scrutiny.One big lesson she learned from this experience is that the PhD enabled her to contribute high-quality science to the world, but it didn’t equip her to make those contributions accessible to the people who need them most.  To help fill this gap, she went back to school for her MBA and subsequently used her combined business and scientific skills at two high-tech startup companies.  In addition to her full-time job as CTO of Enozo Technologies, Inc., she speaks at keynotes and workshops about mediating between executives and technical talent in industry.  Social media & Contact:Website: xufits.comEmail: xufits@gmail.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/xufits/Instagram: xufits_speakerTwitter: xufits_speakerFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008373910802YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa-mzw0qgI7MonFcvqN6TjA

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we take a look at the ways in which lack of training and preparation for leadership roles undermine our confidence. My guest, Mark Herschberg, CTO and MIT instructor, shares his personal journey from individual contributor to manager and the realization he had that the skills required to make that transition were not taught. He also shares his perspective on leadership and what we can do to be more effective, confident leaders at any level. To join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/To learn more about the Leading Women discussion group, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/leading-women-discussion-group/To schedule time to speak with me directly about your questions/challenges, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/contact/To learn more about The Leap, visit: https://www.wearetheleap.com/a/2147497233/9v2q8oPdAbout My GuestMark Herschberg is the author of The Career Toolkit, Essential Skills for Success That No One Taught You. From tracking criminals and terrorists on the dark web to creating marketplaces and new authentication systems, Mark has spent his career launching and developing new ventures at startups and Fortune 500s and in academia. He helped to start the Undergraduate Practice Opportunities Program, dubbed MIT’s “career success accelerator,” where he teaches annually. At MIT, he received a B.S. in physics, a B.S. in electrical engineering & computer science, and a M.Eng. in electrical engineering & computer science, focusing on cryptography. At Harvard Business School, Mark helped create a platform used to teach finance at prominent business schools. He also works with many non-profits, including Techie Youth and Plant A Million Corals. He was one of the top-ranked ballroom dancers in the country and now lives in New York City, where he is known for his social gatherings, including his annual Halloween party, as well as his diverse cufflink collection.You can learn more and contact Mark here:hershey@thecareertoolkitbook.comhttps://www.thecareertoolkitbook.com/

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about the importance of building our own dreams and not climbing someone else's career ladder. My guest, Amy Pocsik, shares her personal story of walking away from a "successful" career to start her own business. She also shares insights for others who feel like there must be something more. To join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/To learn more about the Leading Women discussion group, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/leading-women-discussion-group/To schedule time to speak with me directly about your questions/challenges, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/contact/To learn more about The Leap, visit: https://www.wearetheleap.com/a/2147497233/9v2q8oPdAbout My GuestAmy Pocsik is the CEO and Co-Founder of the Women’s Business League - a community where powerful businesswomen connect, grow and prosper. Her superpower is working with female entrepreneurs and business owners to identify – both the challenge points and high points - so that they can exponentially increase their success.  She helps others understand the power of creating space so you can reach your next level. Amy is also the Founder of Bold Moves, a platform where she partners with female founders to make an impact, helping them own the role of CEO - professionally and personally. Because she knows what it was like to be in the opposite position, unfulfilled and longing for more. That’s why she made it her life’s work to make sure every woman is empowered to achieve a bold vision for her life and business.Connect with Amy:https://www.linkedin.com/in/amypocsik/https://www.instagram.com/amypocsik/Amy@WomensBusinessLeague.comWomen’s Business Leaguehttps://www.instagram.com/womensbusinessleague/https://womensbusinessleague.com/Bold Moveshttps://bold-moves.com/

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we look at what’s within our control as a way to build confidence in the workplace. My guest, Charlotte Crabtree, shares her story of being an introvert in a highly extroverted field and the choices she made to reflect on herself and what she needed in order to be successful. We also discuss how emotions, self-trust and paying attention to what we’re paying attention to can help us grow our confidence and overall success.To join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/To learn more about the Leading Women discussion group, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/leading-women-discussion-group/To schedule time to speak with me directly about your questions/challenges, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/contact/To learn more about The Leap, visit: https://www.wearetheleap.com/a/2147497233/9v2q8oPdAbout My GuestCharlotte is a coach, consultant & equine facilitated learning practitioner (although we didn’t cover this in the show!) to people-first businesses, helping them to improve their employees’ experience throughout. Working with individuals, Charlotte offers personal coaching for professional women, helping them to build the confidence they need to overcome self-doubt & worry, and feel in control in their careers (& lives) so they can reach their highest potential. With a decade of experience ‘on the ground’ in roles within project, account & operations management, Charlotte now supports others to navigate the same challenges she faced while climbing the corporate ladder - by helping them avoid the pitfalls of burnout, complacency & job-hopping - so they can define & fulfill their potential faster, without the stress. Charlotte’s mission in life is to enjoy it - and firmly believes that should be a priority everyone shares, so makes it her business to help others find that balance of a successful career & a fun, happy home life too. For more information & to work with Charlotte, you can visit her website www.charlottecrabtree.com (& download her free guide: 5 Confidence Hacks to Take Control in Your Career)

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about self-advocacy. My guest, Laura Browne, who specializes in helping women to ask for what they’re worth, shares her personal journey of navigating salary negotiations in the workplace and what she learned from these experiences. She also shares insights and strategies to help women more confidently negotiate for themselves.To join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/To learn more about the Leading Women discussion group, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/leading-women-discussion-group/To schedule time to speak with me directly about your questions/challenges, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/contact/To learn more about The Leap, visit: https://www.wearetheleap.com/a/2147497233/9v2q8oPdAbout My GuestLaura Browne provides women training and coaching they can use to be more successful and make more money at work through her company, Career Tips For Women.She is passionate about helping women ask for raises and negotiate better starting salaries. She is the author of 10 books, including Increase Your Income: 7 Rules for Women Who Want to Make More Money at Work and A Salary Cinderella Story (Or How To Make More Money Without A Fairy Godmother).Laura has trained high potential female leaders from Fortune 100 companies how to be more successful through WOMEN Unlimited. She’s a certified business coach and has experience in leadership and management development in global tech companies.She has been quoted as a business expert in major publications including Cosmopolitan, Family Circle magazine, and USA Weekend. She’s also a contributor to Forbes.For free videos and information about online training, go to https://learn.careertipsforwomen.com/.  For general information, go to http://www.careertipsforwomen.com.You can contact Laura at Laura.Browne@CareerTipsForWomen.com.

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we take a powerful look at how our physiology drives how we show up in the world. My guest, Rebecca Heiss, a stress physiologist, evolutionary biologist and coach, shares her personal journey, as well as her insights on how we can live a life that’s not dominated by fear. She shares the ABCs of managing fear so that we can more fully experience our lives. To join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/To learn more about the Leading Women discussion group, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/leading-women-discussion-group/To schedule time to speak with me directly about your questions/challenges, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/contact/About My GuestRebecca knows fear. As a biologist and stress expert, Dr. Rebecca Heiss is dedicated to helping us become self-aware and overcome our instinctual limitations – the ancient, often subconscious fears that hold us back from our optimal performance and our happiest lives. Her research has been designated “transformative” by the National Science Foundation and it is waking up audiences around the world. As an author of the newly acclaimed book Instinct, founder and CEO of the 360-review mobile application, icueity, and highly sought-after professional speaker, Rebecca has found her calling in helping others recognize the power of biological applications in their lives. A former educator, Dr. Heiss spent much of her earlier career in the classroom at both the high school and college levels and was recruited to be a founding member of an innovative charter school with a focus on entrepreneurial thinking and impact-based learning. Today her focus is leading high achieving women through stress, fear of failure/rejection, and imposter syndrome, to a place of confident and authentic leadership in her Fearless Accelerator program and her community for women to thrive called The Leap. To learn more about The Leap, visit: https://www.wearetheleap.com/a/2147497233/9v2q8oPd. Rebecca’s “fearless” message inspires hope and actionable insights to train our brains to work for us, rather than against us in times of uncertainty. With surprising humor and palpable energy, no matter if Dr. Heiss is delivering virtually or on stage, she wins over audiences around the world with her interactive, inspiring and timely takeaways. She lives in South Carolina with her spoiled rotten dogs named Guinness & Murphy and every day tries to live her life motto: “spread happy.”

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, one of my absolute favorites, we talk about how social conditioning and outdated systems have trapped us in ways that undermine our true selves. My guest, Nikki Innocent, shares her personal journey of transitioning from corporate to entrepreneurship and the lessons she’s learned about herself along the way. We also talk about ways to better know and love yourself so that you can find the right mountaintop for you.To join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/To learn more about the Leading Women discussion group, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/leading-women-discussion-group/To schedule time to speak with me directly about your questions/challenges, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/contact/About My GuestNikki Innocent is a humanity activist, keynote speaker, and social entrepreneur with a focus on women’s leadership and diversity, equity & inclusion. After over a decade of experience in the corporate world, at companies like Bain & Company and Bain Capital, Nikki left her corporate career and ventured into the entrepreneurial world to find a solution to the challenges she faced in the workplace. Nikki is a certified new paradigm women’s leadership coach and diversity, equity & inclusion consultant tackling issues around inclusion, belonging, imposter syndrome, burnout, conflict resolution and collaborative problem-solving. She offers both individual coaching and group workshops believing the combination of individual and collective learning is a key component to shifting towards a more connected, inclusive culture.  She has led workshops for organizations from startup to Fortune 5 companies, across multiple industries including tech, nonprofit, government, healthcare, and professional & financial services.Nikki is a two-time TEDx speaker who dives into topics of belonging, inclusion, the future of leadership and living authentically. Her first TEDx talk is about embracing the times in life where you feel “other” or like you don’t fit in and using them as a clue to activate your unique gifts and her second TEDx is all about rewriting the rules in your life to thrive fully as you.Nikki’s podcast, Checkbox Other, explores a variety of topics and features guests who discuss times in their lives where they have felt "other" or that they didn’t belong. The power of witnessing these often unheard stories is that listeners experience empathy and shared humanity. We see that despite the ways we differ, we are much more alike than we are different. Nikki's Website: https://www.nikkiinnocent.com/ Nikki's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikkiinnocent/ Leadership Coaching: https://www.nikkiinnocent.com/coaching

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we explore the role that systems play in our experience with impostor syndrome. My guest, Jodi Detjen, a DEI consultant and professor, shares her fascinating research on inclusion, including effective practices, the role of managers and the responsibility of individuals. Jodi offers a powerful message, rooted in realism and optimism, about the progress that’s being made and what’s required on the road ahead.To join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/To learn more about the Leading Women discussion group, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/leading-women-discussion-group/To schedule time to speak with me directly about your questions/challenges, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/contact/About My GuestDr. Jodi Detjen is an accomplished organizational consultant and educator with a foundation in operational change management. Her mission is to help realize inclusion in the workplace as soon as possible. In addition to being Associate Professor of Practice in Management and Academic MBA Program Director at Suffolk University, Boston, MA, Jodi is co-Managing Partner of Orange Grove Consulting, a firm focused on Organization Inclusion. She has worked in organizational development for over 25 years transforming the way people work at small and large companies. Jodi designs top-tier inclusive leadership training, consults and runs workshops for clients, and is a highly sought-after speaker and writer for organizations.She is co-author of the books The Orange Line: A Woman’s Guide to Integrating Career, Family and The Next Smart Step: How to Overcome Gender Stereotypes and Build a Stronger Organization. She has published multiple articles focused on the practitioner application of organization development concepts including Business Horizons and The Case Journal.She is an active member of many women’s advocacy organizations, among them, the Geena Davis Women in Media and the Boston Club. She has collaborated with global and national companies such as Barclay’s Bank, UPS, the US Air Force, Oracle, Ericsson, and Excelitas among others.

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we dig into some of the childhood influences that lead to impostor syndrome, including messaging from our parents, educational systems, etc. My guest, Linda Ugelow, a speaking confidence coach, shares her personal experience with self-doubt and “comparisonitis” and how she’s learned to manage them. She also shares powerful insights and strategies to empower ourselves to stop hiding and be more visible.To join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/impostor-syndrome-challenge/To learn more about the Leading Women discussion group, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/leading-women-discussion-group/To schedule time to speak with me directly about your questions/challenges, visit:https://yourcareersuccess.com/contact/About My GuestLinda Ugelow (YOU-guh-low) is a speaking confidence coach with a fresh approach to overcoming the fear of speaking. Formerly stricken with public speaking fear herself, she now helps entrepreneurs, business owners, and corporate leaders to transform their experience of speaking from dread to delight whether they speak on camera, on stage, in the media, or in the meeting room. She is the author of the book, Delight In The Limelight: Overcome Your Fear of Being Seen and Realize Your Dreams.