This week’s Big Marketing Minute is focused on imposter syndrome.
I had never heard this term when I was younger. I probably never felt it until I owned my own business.
I was raised by parents who always told me I could be anything I put my mind to. I was never made to feel small, despite being 4’8″ and I was never told that being a girl would hold me back. My grades would tell a story that maybe I’m not going to be all that successful, but I never believed in grades. I could understand everything in that class and still not have the strategies to do well on a test. What good is a test anyway, I ask you? But I digress.
I’ve owned this company for close to 20 years (we launched in 2008). There have been countless times that I truly believed I was faking it – that I didn’t actually know what I was doing. It took me a long time to realize that giving the answer of “I don’t know” was the most freeing thing I could do. Still, even once I embraced the beauty of being honest about not knowing everything, I still felt like maybe I should know everything anyway.
But now, at midlife, a healthy business functioning and performing, a brand-new podcast out there in the world, and empty-nesting life settling in, I want to just throw imposter syndrome out the window. Enough. I damn well do know what I’m doing and I’m smart enough to have hired people who know how to do it even better.
Do we make mistakes that make me feel like a moron? I do. But do I move on from them? I do.
Recently I was asked by one of my mentors to be a guest on her “From the Forum” Series on her podcast, Dear FoundHer. Lindsay Pinchuk has created rooms I want to be on – even virtually. And everyone is welcome to come in and learn from each other. It’s been a gamechanger for my business. If you’re a female business owner, it could be a gamechanger for you too. Find out more about Marketing Made Simple and the Dear FoundHer Forum here.
Listen in to my conversation with Lindsay here and tell me if YOU think I’ve let go of imposter syndrome. I can tell you that when I listened to it this morning I texted Lindsay and told her I didn’t know I could sound smart talking about my business. But here I am… sounding smart. Give it a listen here.
And if you’re in the mood for more podcast listening, Jenna (my daughter) and I have some great episodes at The Social Dialogue Podcast. This week’s episode features Leslie Randolph, a confidence coach for teen girls. If only I had known Leslie when I was younger (or at least when I was launching this business). She’s fantastic. Find her episode and eight more here, with a few more episodes to come this season!
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