Episode 12: Imposter syndrome, risks, and self-reflection with Amy Lewis

Welcome Amy Lewis, aka @commsninja! Amy is an incredible influence marketer in the tech world, and we’re so excited for her to join us to talk about her experience, and our topic du jour- Imposter Syndrome.

Amy shares about public speaking being a trigger for Imposter Syndrome. We talk about how Imposter Syndrome kicks in when we’re being spotlighted for our expertise, and how we feel like an imposter at different times in our mastery of a new topic.

We talk about the moment of risk taking, and how you feel like your stomach drops and you wonder if you’re enough in the moment you say yes to trying that risk. We talk about tips and tricks to preparing to fight the imposter syndrome, and how to do self talk combat in order to push ourselves.

Having peers and community- even if they don’t work directly with you- can help you see yourself outside of your self doubt bubble.

And, when you’re feeling doubt, what CAN you do (show up on time, dress appropriately….). When feeling imposter syndrome, it can empower you to know what you don’t know and not allow yourself to BS.

Reflection with others who work with you, and seeing what they see helps you to see yourself the way your seen, and help you shed that fun house mirror view of your career. It may help to address the root of issues to get professional help if your past/childhood is holding you back.

We talk about what we need to do, finding our triggers, and how to get ourselves up for our moment of fear. How introverts fight the imposter syndrome by renewing before we have to really be in the spotlight and doing what we have to do to get ourselves ready to be our best selves.

Social media- a trigger for imposter syndrome- can also be used for good if we don’t allow it to give us FOMO or make us feel badly about ourselves. Knowing our limits with everything helps us to use them for good. The relationship of FOMO and imposter syndrome and our choices, and how we can use social media to make ourselves feel good.

Lastly, we use the analogy of soccer to remind ourselves to count the saves instead of counting the goals- it helps us feel better about our wins and our losses in the honest workplace.