Latest / Online Business Uncovered: Simple Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs / 43: Overcoming Imposture Syndrome with Resilience Coach, Sadie Gough

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43: Overcoming Imposture Syndrome with Resilience Coach, Sadie Gough · Online Business Uncovered: Simple Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hello and welcome to the Digitally She Does It Show.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: This is episode 43, and in today's episode, I'm going to be talking about how to overcome imposter syndrome with my guest, Sadie Goff.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_00: So let's jump right in and get started.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the digitally she does it show.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Karen, and I'm here to lift the lid on what it actually takes to create a successful business.
• 0:32
  SPEAKER_00: If you are an ambitious creative ready to build a business on your own terms and without compromise, then this podcast is perfect for you.
• 0:40
  SPEAKER_00: With my award-winning approach to marketing and expert knowledge in creating online courses, this show will leave you feeling inspired, energized, and ready to bring those big dreams to life.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: Join me each week for a dose of motivation and marketing know-how, along with actionable step-by-step strategies to help you accelerate your business's growth.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: So let's dive in and don't forget to subscribe to all my upcoming episodes, which drop every Wednesday.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_00: Hello and welcome.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for joining me today.
• 1:13
  SPEAKER_00: I am your host Karen and I really appreciate you hitting the play button to listen to today's episode.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_00: Now, in today's episode, I'm going to be talking to Sadie Goff, who is a resilience and life coach, and we're going to be talking about the thing that stops many course creators from either creating their courses or getting their courses out into the world for them to generate sales.
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: So Sadie, welcome to today's episode.
• 1:42
  SPEAKER_00: I'm really excited that you're here because I know that we're going to be covering a lot of good stuff.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: Hi Karen, yeah, I'm really excited to be here as well.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: Do you want to introduce yourself and maybe tell the listeners a little bit about what you do?
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, sure.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_01: So, yep, Sadie Goff, and I am a resilience and life coach.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, inspire to aspire.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I'm kind of early doors in my journey being a coach.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_01: My background is um 28 years in a corporate environment.
• 2:14
  SPEAKER_01: Um, very much passionate about growing and developing um people and trying to make some kind of transformational change in people's lives.
• 2:23
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and back in 2019, um there was the opportunity of taking redundancy, so I did that and I went back to college and I retrained as an NLP advanced practitioner and started the journey at looking at kind of moving away from corporate and starting up myself, which was quite a big transformation for myself.
• 2:49
  SPEAKER_01: Um, not something that I had envisaged I would potentially do.
• 2:54
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so it's kind of been, I've been my own case study a little bit actually, um, with this journey because there's been some challenges, things I don't know.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and kind of the one thing that we're going to speak about is imposter syndrome.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I realised that reared, reared its head quite a lot as I've been sort of moving um away from corporate into doing my own thing.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: It's interesting you say you're your own case study, so you know firsthand how crippling imposter syndrome can be.
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, but for those that don't know what imposter syndrome is, um would you be able to explain a little bit about it?
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_01: Um so imposter syndrome, um, if you look at the basic um kind of definition, is an internalized belief that we sometimes have about ourselves and our success, and we we say that it's basically down to due to luck or external factors, rather than the fact that you know we have success because of our own skills, our own intelligence or qualifications.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_01: We almost kind of disregard that from ourselves.
• 4:01
  SPEAKER_01: It's almost like we don't trust in ourselves to be able to do something.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and what tends to then happen is that we have a fear that we're going to be found out, that we're going to be seen as a fraud, that we're pulling the wool over people's eyes.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_01: And when that kicks in, it can actually stop us in our track from trying to progress.
• 4:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and that's where it can actually be quite crippling if you can't manage it effectively.
• 4:27
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I think sometimes it's understanding those feelings and why you're feeling like you are as well, isn't it?
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: So we know it to be imposter syndrome because obviously you work in this space and you're working with this um all the time essentially, because I I'm I suspect that you probably see this a lot with your your clients.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: And I've I mean I've been in business for many years now, so not only do I have my own experience of having to deal with imposter syndrome, I also recognize it with the clients that I work with.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_00: But for somebody that is very new to either starting a business or start maybe creating an online course for the very first time, they they they can be experiencing those feelings of not feeling good enough, not feeling worthy enough, not feeling expert enough, and and that can actually stop them in their tracks from progressing.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_00: It can actually be the thing that actually gets in their way and actually steers them off course.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: Um so it's that so they're really powerful emotions, really, aren't they?
• 5:36
  SPEAKER_00: When you're because it's all it's all in your head, it's all internalized, isn't it?
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.
• 5:43
  SPEAKER_01: And I think uh, you know, I've been looking into this for for a while and and I recognized that it kind of reared its head as I say when I was moving away from an environment that I knew really well, um, I've been successful in, but I'd also picked up when I looked and reflected back, there were times we even within my corporate career where I suddenly felt these feelings kind of coming up.
• 6:07
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, and when I sort of looked into it, it was identify I was identifying that as and when I was pushing myself, when I was challenging myself, you know, to do new things, and it may have been things that I even wanted to do because they were new to me and they didn't feel comfortable, these other feelings would come in.
• 6:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um so you know, for for me, it'd be a case of I could, you know, go to networking, for example.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_01: It's not something that you know I was used to doing, but when you have your own business, it's really important that you go out and you network and you collaborate and you you meet new people.
• 6:45
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but for me, I I found that you know I could suddenly be in a room with other people that may be doing similar things to I was, you know, coaching.
• 6:54
  SPEAKER_01: And instantly I would feel why would someone want to listen to me?
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_01: Why would someone think that I could help them?
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_01: Even though I have helped people, um, you know, and I've done that well.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_01: There's always that feeling of someone else is always better than you, someone else is going to know much more than you.
• 7:13
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, not giving yourself the credit that actually, you know, you can sit at the same table as these people and recognize that you do bring um you know intelligence along, you know, you do have skills and you do have strengths, but you instantly compare yourself to other people and thinking that they are better than you.
• 7:33
  SPEAKER_01: And when you allow that to take hold, it can be quite crippling because that feeling is quite uncomfortable, so you tend to want to turn away from it.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, and I as I say, I found that in networking, you know.
• 7:46
  SPEAKER_01: As soon as I knew I was in a room with other people doing the same thing, I kind of retreated in myself a little bit until I'd kind of built that confidence up by pushing myself more to go into networking, realizing that actually, do you know what you you do know what you're talking about?
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_01: It became easier, and the more you do it, the more your confidence builds.
• 8:08
  SPEAKER_01: And I think you know, when you have these feelings of being an imposter, your confidence dips, and it's about getting that balance back up.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: It's it's a really interesting thing, isn't it?
• 8:19
  SPEAKER_00: Because I think you well, you touched on it really, it's that fear that comes from doing something new for the first time, and I think that's often where those feelings start to um boil over because when you step into something new, like starting a business or going into the online space or creating an online course or even selling a product for the very first time, when you kind of step into that place of doing something new, those feelings where you are looking at the people around you, the people that are seemingly so far ahead, and that can can then really bring those feelings on.
• 9:03
  SPEAKER_00: Because, like you say, you know, with networking, you know, when you're around those people that seem very confident in what they're doing, they seem to have it all figured out, um, they are, you know, they show up and they present an image of themselves whereby they they it just looks like they've got everything nailed.
• 9:23
  SPEAKER_00: If you're in those early stages, then you're still in that figuring it out mode.
• 9:28
  SPEAKER_00: That can of course then lead to that fear of of not feeling good enough, of not feeling worthy enough, of not feeling like you are you are worthy of being there, and then that's where it all kind of stems from, isn't it?
• 9:43
  SPEAKER_00: But it but it largely kind of comes from that place of feeling that fear of often doing something new for the very first time.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, you're absolutely right.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: And it's back to that perception of how you think other people are doing.
• 10:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, another aspect is going on to social media.
• 10:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I think you know, we are in a society where we do compare ourselves a lot to other people and we see a lot of what's going on, and you know, when you step into that world to become more visible around what you're doing, um, you do see, you know, all this great stuff that everyone is doing, and you do compare and think, wow, you know, they've got it made, they're doing all of this great stuff.
• 10:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, and I think you know, what I've said to myself when I say to others, um, you know, when you see things on social media, whether it's from a business perspective or it's just you know from a personal perspective, you know, we often um compare and and it's it's about you know, you you compare your full-length movie to somebody else's two-minute trailer.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_01: That's how I kind of see it, you know.
• 10:55
  SPEAKER_01: You know, when you you're watching a film and you see the trailer, it's got all the fantastic stuff in it, and that's what entices you in.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_01: And unfortunately, we do the same about our own lives.
• 11:04
  SPEAKER_01: And if you see all this great stuff and how people have got six-figure businesses and all of that stuff, and you think, how on earth am I going to be able to compare to that?
• 11:15
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and we instantly forget all the great stuff that we may be able to bring to the table, you know.
• 11:20
  SPEAKER_01: And and for me, it's about you have to tap into your own uniqueness.
• 11:25
  SPEAKER_01: Just because there are other people with the same title as you doing something the same as you doesn't mean they are you.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_01: And that's where you have to start believing in yourself and start to reflect on your successes and what you have done and what you can bring to the table.
• 11:39
  SPEAKER_01: It's difficult, it can be very difficult, and like me, I'm an introvert, and again, that can impact as well because you're pushing yourself, how I see it, in quite an extrovert world, particularly when it comes to social media, um, you know, and it can be difficult.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and if you do have these tendencies of feeling like an imposter, you know, you you don't want to push yourself too much in that world because it then brings up those emotional feelings, and you mentioned it before of like self-worth and not believing in yourself.
• 12:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and it's quite difficult to tackle, particularly when you can get into this cycle of not believing in yourself.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I love what you said about the trailer.
• 12:20
  SPEAKER_00: I've never thought about it like that, where you're absolutely right.
• 12:25
  SPEAKER_00: We we are in the full movie, um, you know, what's and all, and then we're, you know, then we're seeing uh inside people's trailer, yeah, like you know, such a small um constructed world that they're wanting to present online to give an impression, and that's all we're buying into.
• 12:48
  SPEAKER_00: And I I re I've never thought about it like that, but you're absolutely right.
• 12:53
  SPEAKER_00: And we tend to compare our journey to other people's, but you can't compare like for like because you can't compare where you are, especially if you're starting, to somebody that's been in the game for a long time, and that is so further down the road.
• 13:12
  SPEAKER_00: You cannot compare that because you're you're at different stages and different phases of the the journey, and so what they might be you know promoting or what they might be saying or talking about, or even the way they're presenting themselves, you know, has been born out of that journey that they've had to go on, and then the how they've decided to construct the thing that of where they're at.
• 13:38
  SPEAKER_00: If people have a habit, especially on social media, of presenting a reality that is not necessarily reality.
• 13:47
  SPEAKER_00: It's a you know, it's probably the the reality that most people probably want to be seen to have, um, but it's not necessarily true to form.
• 13:57
  SPEAKER_00: And so when we're looking at what people are putting out online, we have to equally um take it with a pinch of salt because it's not necessarily a true reflection of where they're at, because you're not seeing the struggles and the challenges and everything else that kind of sits behind the scenes, and I think we can end up with this distorted image of what life is like for other people, and that might not be true, that that they might be experiencing the same challenges, the same thoughts, the same feelings that you are experiencing.
• 14:34
  SPEAKER_00: It's the the only difference is that they've just learned to present it in a very different way.
• 14:40
  SPEAKER_00: So we I don't think it's healthy to look at where competitors are or other people within our industry or space and and and take it at face value.
• 14:51
  SPEAKER_00: Because if there's one thing that I've learned on on this business journey, it's the fact that it's it's it's all about um working on yourself and developing yourself.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_00: And you can't run a successful business if you're not doing the groundwork on yourself and you're working on your mindset and you're and and you're overcoming um the challenges that are going on in your head.
• 15:17
  SPEAKER_00: Like you just you can't do it because you'll end up sabotaging yourself and stopping yourself from progressing.
• 15:23
  SPEAKER_00: So I think that when we look at other people that seemingly have successful businesses, we have to look at it as a way of they they've obviously done a lot of self-development work on themselves because that's where they're now at.
• 15:38
  SPEAKER_00: They're now able to be more visible, to talk about themselves in a confident way, to to present offers that they feel is what their audience needs.
• 15:49
  SPEAKER_00: And there would have been a lot of work that would have had to go in to them being able to kind of present themselves in that way.
• 15:57
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I absolutely agree with you, you know, and it's it's it's about understanding um and and looking inwardly on yourself because a lot of the problem with um imposter syndrome is that we can find that we can be externally motivated.
• 16:13
  SPEAKER_01: Because we don't believe in ourselves, we require this external affirmation to say that what we're doing is is good enough, and if we don't get that, that can be quite challenging.
• 16:24
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, one of the journeys that I've kind of gone through sort of probably six or seven years ago, and I'm still on that journey now because this whole part around resilience and being able to adapt and change the challenges that are around you, it's a it's a process, you know, it's not a destination that you need to try and arrive at because it's never going to be there, it's always going to be this journey that you have.
• 16:50
  SPEAKER_01: But for me, it's around realizing that you know I'm as good as anybody else.
• 16:56
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, I have the skills you know that I've developed over years and experience, um, and it's about how do you make that work for you?
• 17:04
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, through my own resilience, um, about 2016, when this is when I was in the corporate world, you know, I was struggling with my own resilience, and I think there were areas of imposter syndrome that were coming in, and this was an environment that I'd been in a long time.
• 17:21
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but there had been some changes that were quite challenging, and these feelings were coming to the surface.
• 17:28
  SPEAKER_01: And I think, you know, with my own you know, physical resilience, my emotional and mental resilience were so low that my confidence was fluctuating, and these negative feelings about myself and you know how I was showing up on a daily basis were really, really challenging.
• 17:47
  SPEAKER_01: And I just kept pushing myself and pushing myself to the point where you know I burnt out and I had to take three months out of work.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_01: And at that point, when I was on my recovery steps, it was very much around I need to look at myself, I need to heal myself first before I can even think about what's going on externally.
• 18:09
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, that is a regular process that I go through, and that's what I talk to my clients around.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_01: You've got to focus on yourself first and understand how are you fueling yourself?
• 18:21
  SPEAKER_01: You know, are you fueling yourself positively?
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_01: And that could be, you know, the food you put in yourself, how you're exercising yourself, how you're sleeping, you know, how is that?
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_01: Is that positive?
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_01: Or, you know, are you fueling yourself, you know, negatively?
• 18:35
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and this can be around your emotions, it can be around your mindset, you know, if you're constant in this fixed mindset of everything happens to you or other people are much better than you, it can be quite toxic and it would just drag you down.
• 18:51
  SPEAKER_01: So for me, it's been a real journey of who am I?
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_01: You know, what are my values?
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_01: Are my values aligned to what I want to do?
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_01: Because again, if they're not, or you don't have an understanding of where your purpose is, is where you're, you know, you you need to head forward, you've got nothing to focus on.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and you know, if you're struggling with self-worth and self-belief, um, if you don't have that anchoring point for yourself around who you are and what you stand for, it's very easy then to uh you know to compare yourself to others.
• 19:24
  SPEAKER_01: Because if you don't really truly know yourself, you look to others to try and give you those answers.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_01: And, you know, and I think that can be really challenging for some people, but it's about constant reflection.
• 19:36
  SPEAKER_01: What have you done to get to the point where you are now?
• 19:39
  SPEAKER_01: Because there will be some really key things that you know we all do, but we disregard them.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_01: And I was terrible at that.
• 19:46
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I would have some successes and achievements and really strong um approaches that I'd taken, but it was almost like I disregard it and it would be moving on to the next thing.
• 19:55
  SPEAKER_01: I was always looking for the flaws, the gaps in my knowledge, or you know, how I was doing things, instead of actually focusing on the great stuff that I have done, and the more you do focus on those good things, that really helps tap into your confidence, but it doesn't happen overnight, and I think sometimes we want to click our fingers and just be okay and be perfect and be right, but it doesn't happen overnight, you have to work on it, and that's why I say it's a bit of a process.
• 20:24
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so yeah, the first point I would say is you have to look inwardly, you have to look at yourself and how you're actually fueling yourself and work from the inside out.
• 20:34
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's all about the influences that you have around you, and you have to be also um really careful about those influences.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_00: So, just following on from what you said about fueling yourself, you know, if you're if you're showing up in toxic environments or environments that are not healthy and that are supportive to you, then you equally have to look at that as well.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_00: So if you're going um into environments that they take from you as opposed to energize you, energizing you, then you have to be really mindful of that because that will then lead to that self-talk that will equally then be negative.
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_00: So I agree with everything you say.
• 21:20
  SPEAKER_00: I think I think it's absolutely important to make sure that you're kind of taking a holistic approach to the way you're you're showing up, the way you're behaving, the way with what you're surrounding yourself with and what you're doing every day almost.
• 21:37
  SPEAKER_00: Because I mean, I um very early on in my business journey, um, you know, you you touched on the whole thing about networking.
• 21:45
  SPEAKER_00: And I knew very early on um that I needed to go networking in order to build my visibility and to to sort of get people to know me.
• 21:55
  SPEAKER_00: So at the time I was I'd launched my business.
• 21:59
  SPEAKER_00: Um Pink Lemon, it was a Brandon and design studio, and it I was serving sort of more the local companies, so local networking events were were where I needed to show up.
• 22:11
  SPEAKER_00: And I remember very early on walking in to a particular networking uh meeting, and oh my god, I felt as though I was just a fish out water.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: I felt as though I was just not worthy of being there.
• 22:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um, even though I knew I was good at what I did, um, and I had spent previous years freelancing and providing design services for multiple clients, and I had done really well at doing so, I just remember walking in and just feeling as though everybody was better, everybody was so much more successful, they they they really had everything together.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_00: So, whereas I was furiously paddling under the surface, trying to create something that I could then talk about and potentially sell, they just it just seemed effortless to them.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_00: And so I remember very early on having those feelings, like really strong feelings, of just thinking, am I good enough to even be here?
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_00: So am I even worthy enough to be talking to these people?
• 23:18
  SPEAKER_00: But what was interesting is that as I um got more involved in in the network, it actually became a really toxic environment.
• 23:27
  SPEAKER_00: And what and as soon as I started to build my confidence up, because I think you're right with what you say, I think it's about showing up, it's about being consistent, working on yourself, but pushing through those barriers that are getting in the way and fighting that fear.
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_00: And I think when you do that, you do come out the other side.
• 23:46
  SPEAKER_00: So I remember then sort of getting myself to a place where I was like, Yeah, I can do this, yeah, I'm I'm okay actually.
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_00: I I can do this business thing.
• 23:55
  SPEAKER_00: But then, like I say, the environment I was in wasn't very pleasant, it was very toxic, and then my my my self-talk became very negative, and so you have to be really mindful as well, not only with making sure that you're taking care of yours yourself with your self-care, because I think sleep, nutrition, exercise is really important.
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_00: I think you've got to equally be careful about the people that you're surrounding yourself with and the environments that you're hanging out in, because what you want to be feeling is though they have your back, that they're supporting your growth and they're championing your success.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_00: And if that's not happening, then what's gonna happen is that's gonna lead you to that place of self-doubt, negative talk, feeling like you're just rubbish at what you do, which is just really not true, but that's where it can lead.
• 24:50
  SPEAKER_00: And then you end up building this image of yourself that's just so far away from the truth that you end up back to where you started.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_01: I absolutely agree with that.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, I I went through exactly those same kind of emotions, and you know, and I start to realise it's because you're going into something new, there's a change happening.
• 25:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, you're going into something, and and to be honest, I think most people that I've spoken about networking have never said that that's the most you know, that they love it and it's it's the most invigorating thing.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_01: I think as soon as I say networking to anybody, it's like, oh yeah.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, and I think you know, but you don't don't think that when you go into either a room of people, I mean, for me, when I started networking, it was during the pandemic, so it was all online.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_01: So I think there was a little bit of a protection there.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but again, you you're going into something where it's probably established, you know, people have been going for years, they all know each other, um, you know, so that will give these other people this confidence.
• 26:01
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, and when you're kind of stepping into that environment, you know, you instantly feel, oh, you're the new girl, you know, you're going in there, everyone's going to look at you and think, what, you know, who do you think she is?
• 26:13
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, and you have to kind of get used to it, and it can be uncomfortable, and particularly if you're you're someone that isn't necessarily outgoing or extroverted, that can just throw yourself into conversations.
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_01: Kind of find yourself, particularly if you're in a a face-to-face kind of environment, sort of lurking around the edges and have a conversation with someone, and then it's like, well, why would anyone want to listen to me?
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_01: And this whole feeling of imposter syndrome can just lead us questioning ourselves all the time, asking, Am I good enough?
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_01: And I think you said, you know, should I be here?
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, and then that doubt creeps in, and you know, the negative voice, and you know, I've got an inner critic and I call her Margot, and you know, I've kind of given her a name, she she, you know, she's got this whole personality of herself, and I realize, you know, she's there in a way to protect me, kind of, you know.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_01: Are you sure you should be doing this?
• 27:06
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and actually, you know, it's just kind of sitting there just to keep an eye, but you know, in situations she can go a little into overdrive, you know, and that's when it can tip over into this really negative, you know, what do you think you're doing?
• 27:19
  SPEAKER_01: You're not good enough, you shouldn't be here, you know, you you know, you can't sit alongside these other people, and you know, and it could be so easy to just think, what am I doing?
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_01: Why did I even think that I could do this?
• 27:31
  SPEAKER_01: And you could scuttle off and never to be seen again.
• 27:35
  SPEAKER_01: But you you push yourself and think, no, come on, you know, I I can do this, I'll go along.
• 27:40
  SPEAKER_01: And the more you show up and the more people get to know you, and the more people recognise you, and that helps, and then your confidence will build, and you know, you start to have those conversations.
• 27:51
  SPEAKER_01: But uh me being the type of person that I am, even in sort of networking, I've had some recently where you know it's you you can either go into breakout rooms and it's like, oh, how everyone doing, and everyone's oh yeah, it's really great.
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_01: And and I was actually at one when I thought, do you know what?
• 28:07
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not actually great.
• 28:09
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I'm things are quite slow at the moment.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_01: And and I kind of just mentioned it in a roundabout way.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_01: And and from that, I then had uh, you know, individual one-to-ones with people that have opened up and said, It's really refreshing that you've actually said, Do you know what?
• 28:26
  SPEAKER_01: Uh things aren't right at the moment.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, it it kind of opened up a whole number new conversation where people have sort of said, you know, I felt like that in a room, but didn't feel that I can actually voice it because you don't want other people to think you don't know what you're doing.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_01: And uh it was kind of, you know, people sort of said, Oh, it's really brave.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, and I just thought, well, you know, if I'm going through these feelings, I'm sure other people potentially could be as well.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_01: And uh it allowed this kind of conversation of uh, you know, people sort of said, you know, well, when I started, I felt exactly the same as you, and you know, we just shared sort of advice and you know, we get able to talk to each other, and you know, it's it is about finding a really good trusted network of people that you can go to, that you you know that if you share things, uh it's going to be accepted, it's gonna be okay, and you know, you can get a different perspective on things because sometimes we build this perception aro around what's going on, and it's not always the right one.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_01: Uh but just by uh being open, you can find out a lot more about how other people are feeling as well.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_01: And I've been looking into imposter syndrome because I think a lot of the time it's seen as this negative thing.
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, if we allow it to go unmanaged, then yes, it can cycle into this uh kind of feeling of negativity and it can hold us in place.
• 29:44
  SPEAKER_01: But I've been reading around the positive sides of it, and uh I think it was Stephen Bartlett, I listened to his uh podcast and actually sort of saying around, you know, we shouldn't see uh imposter syndrome as this negative thing.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_01: Because actually, when we feel as if we're an imposter, it's because we are pushing ourselves, it is because we're stepping out of our comfort zone, and it's because we are going through some personal growth and it does feel uncomfortable, and those negative um inner critic will kick up, and then you'll have your inner imposter will kick up as well.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_01: But it's about recognizing that you're challenging yourself and it's about growth and and working with that and recognising how you know you got to that place in the first point and and the strengths that you can kind of bring along with it.
• 30:33
  SPEAKER_01: But some other research that I've done reading around like the positive aspects is that having impositive syndrome, because it can impact your confidence a little bit and you don't trust yourself, you may then become more personable because you want to find out a little bit more, because because you're not coming across as brash and arrogant, because you don't feel that confidence sometimes, you may be questioning things a bit more, you know, asking those questions of other people.
• 31:01
  SPEAKER_01: And feedback around research that's been done around that is that people with imposter syndrome can have a much better uh interpersonal skills um and engage with other people because you're willing to ask these questions because you know you don't necessarily trust yourself instantly at that very first point.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_01: So you're questioning and asking.
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_01: And by doing that, you can build this engagement with other people that sometimes when you feel very confident about something and therefore you you know what you're talking about, that interpersonal side may not show itself as readily.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I thought that was really interesting.
• 31:44
  SPEAKER_01: That actually, for something that can be seen as quite negative by people, actually has some good positive attributes that come out of the back of it.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and that's kind of what I'm trying to, you know, when I talk to people in conversations, because I've done a couple of little workshop things around imposter syndrome, it's bringing that positive side because actually it shouldn't be seen as a negative thing.
• 32:06
  SPEAKER_01: You know, when we have these feelings, we're pushing ourselves, we're growing, and actually it helps us engage with other people as well, and by doing that, that helps to build confidence.
• 32:16
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I completely agree actually, because I think um imposter syndrome often comes from that place of growth when we're feeling as though um we're we're feeling uncomfortable with something, which is why we feel as though we're an imposter, it's because we're pushing ourselves outside of the boundaries that we're feel we feel comfortable in.
• 32:37
  SPEAKER_00: Um, and so you're absolutely right.
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_00: If if you can recognize the fact that, oh, hang on a moment, I'm doing this, it's making me feel like this.
• 32:45
  SPEAKER_00: Why is that happening?
• 32:47
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, okay, it's because I feel really uncomfortable, I'm trying something new, I'm putting my myself out there, um, but but this is just part of the the journey that I've got to go on to get to the other side.
• 32:59
  SPEAKER_00: Uh, okay, then I can I can then I I understand it.
• 33:04
  SPEAKER_00: And whilst I'm I don't particularly like feeling like this, it's just part of that process.
• 33:10
  SPEAKER_00: And I think if you can reframe that in your mind and recognize how you feel, why you feel like that, and what that's going to do for you on a more positive level, then then, like you say, it can then lead to it being a good thing because it is just it's protecting you as well, um, and and just making sure that that you're you're absolutely like on the right track, and like you say, that inner critic that we all have.
• 33:40
  SPEAKER_00: Interestingly, I haven't named mine, but I think I might.
• 33:45
  SPEAKER_00: So um, you know, because they're there to keep you safe, to keep you um to to so that you're checking in with yourself and making sure that you are actually on the right path and and what you're going through is going to be worth it.
• 34:00
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, again, I remember very early on when I was in the early stages of my business, um, that you know, it felt really uncomfortable.
• 34:08
  SPEAKER_00: But I'm so glad that I persevered and I pushed through those, that discomfort, because the rewards that I then went on to achieve were so worth it.
• 34:20
  SPEAKER_00: And I think had I given up at that point where I did feel uncomfortable and it did feel a little bit, oh goodness, can I do this?
• 34:28
  SPEAKER_00: Am I am I worthy of doing this?
• 34:31
  SPEAKER_00: Um, you know, had I given up at that stage, then then I think about all the clients that I've helped, all the clients that I support now, and they wouldn't have had that.
• 34:41
  SPEAKER_00: So I I always sort of think that whenever um I go through something that that I'm questioning myself over, one of the things that really helps me is if I remove the focus from me and I put it on the and I put that focus on my clients, then it makes me feel as though I have an obligation to do it.
• 35:06
  SPEAKER_00: Um so if I don't make it about me and I make it about other people, then it then it's almost taken the spotlight off me.
• 35:12
  SPEAKER_00: Because like you, like you said, you are, I I'm an introvert as well, so I don't thrive by necessarily being out front and being um visible.
• 35:23
  SPEAKER_00: It's something that I've had to learn to be okay with.
• 35:27
  SPEAKER_00: And it's uh it's a it's a work in progress.
• 35:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I still find that I get uncomfortable in video.
• 35:34
  SPEAKER_00: I don't particularly relish the thought of having my face all over social media, but I do recognise that in order to market what I do and to build my own personal brand online, there is that element that I've got to, that I've got to step into the role of that business owner, and I have to do what it takes to be seen.
• 35:56
  SPEAKER_00: That's just part and parcel of being an entrepreneur and um getting yourself known.
• 36:02
  SPEAKER_00: But it doesn't, it doesn't feel comfortable, it doesn't feel natural.
• 36:05
  SPEAKER_00: I don't feel necessarily aligned to that way of doing it, but I do recognize that for what I want to achieve for myself, I have to just take a deep breath and just take a step forward and and get on with it.
• 36:19
  SPEAKER_00: But I but in my head, how like I say, how I mitigate that, it's like, okay, I'm I'm here because I'm trying to help people.
• 36:28
  SPEAKER_00: I want to serve people the best I can.
• 36:30
  SPEAKER_00: I want to use what I have to make a difference to people so that they can move forward in their businesses.
• 36:37
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, so actually then it's not about me, it has to be about them and and and you know, letting them know that they can be supported in what they're trying to do.
• 36:49
  SPEAKER_00: And I find by reframing my thoughts, um, that really helps me because all of a sudden it's like, oh, okay, so so it's not really about me, it's about them.
• 36:57
  SPEAKER_00: Okay, I can do this.
• 36:59
  SPEAKER_01: It it's it's difficult because you need to focus on yourself and understand, as we said before, you know, how we're looking after ourselves, how we're feeling ourselves.
• 37:07
  SPEAKER_01: But we also have to be quite mindful that we don't go so introverted within ourselves that we put it all about us.
• 37:16
  SPEAKER_01: But what we tend to do is we put it all about us in a negative way.
• 37:19
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so it's about shifting, and I think sometimes that um that's why I've kind of named my um inner critic and created this persona because it's easier then that you're able to separate that negative aspect from yourself.
• 37:37
  SPEAKER_01: So when you can have a conversation and you start challenging your inner critic and question the inner critic around, well, you know, why are you saying that?
• 37:46
  SPEAKER_01: You can separate yourself away so that you can quite easily see, you know, what's my purpose?
• 37:53
  SPEAKER_01: You know, what am I driving to do?
• 37:55
  SPEAKER_01: And like you say, it's for your clients, and it'll be the same for me, you know.
• 37:59
  SPEAKER_01: And that's why I'm quite keen to share my own experiences of going through this journey, because just by having you know short conversations with people when I talk about imposter syndrome, and and it's you know, some people recognize the feelings and didn't realise that there was a name for it, or they've heard of imposter syndrome but didn't necessarily fully understand what it meant.
• 38:21
  SPEAKER_01: But by just having that general conversation about my own experiences with it helps to it to resonate with others, and they can then start to go, oh okay, so there it this does exist, these feelings that I've had are valid and it's fine.
• 38:37
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and now I know that I can do things to start to manage it a bit better because you know it has held me up in like my life or it has stopped me from doing things that you know I've wanted to do, but I'm too scared.
• 38:51
  SPEAKER_01: But because they can then start to realise that these feelings come up when you're pushing yourself, and it's just a way of you know, your your brain trying to protect you, you can then take smaller steps to head in the right direction.
• 39:06
  SPEAKER_01: And I think and it goes back to this when we're comparing ourselves, you know, someone may have been on your journey for 10 years, and like myself, I've only just started it.
• 39:17
  SPEAKER_01: So you're trying to take these massive strides to kind of align yourself with these people, but you don't know what's gone on and how they've got there, and you know, I've had to do that, you know, uh kind of reassess and almost just put the pause button on and and and reset myself and say, right, okay, I think I've taken massive steps in the wrong direction, or I've gone off at a pace where I've been trying to run before I can walk, and that's obviously then fueled these feelings because I'm trying to be someone that I'm not, um, and that's where it comes back to what your values, what you're aligned to.
• 39:56
  SPEAKER_01: So if you can kind of just re refocus yourself and just get yourself back on your own path again, um, and just kind of block out the the external noise.
• 40:06
  SPEAKER_01: And I think once you do that and you can really focus in on what you're trying to do, it just calms those feelings down.
• 40:15
  SPEAKER_01: And another thing that I've kind of uh looked into, and this is um through um a lady called Dr.
• 40:23
  SPEAKER_01: Valerie Young, and she's written this fantastic book um called The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women, and it's all around um why capable people actually suffer from imposter syndrome and how you can then start to try and move yourself forward.
• 40:37
  SPEAKER_01: But one of the things that she's spoken about and has really helped is that um there are kind of five um inner imposter characteristics that we can kind of can show up.
• 40:50
  SPEAKER_01: And I think you know, when you start to recognise each of them and resonate with ones that sort of show up in yourself, it makes things so much easier.
• 40:58
  SPEAKER_01: And it's almost like a for me, it was like a light bulb moment going on when I realised that out of these inner impostors, you know, the the there's two that particularly resonate with me, and I thought, oh my goodness, absolutely, I can see that now, but it makes it so much easier for me to try and manage that um and and kind of put my inner imposter in in in back in its box kind of thing.
• 41:21
  SPEAKER_00: I think when you can identify what it is, like you say, and you can kind of almost it's like a diagnosis, isn't it?
• 41:30
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you know, you might be feeling unwell, and then there might be anxiety that's built around you feeling unwell if you don't know what's actually wrong with you.
• 41:38
  SPEAKER_00: But the moment you get that diagnosis and you know, okay, it's this, then you it gives you comfort because you know that it's it it exists, it's a real thing, it's a reasonable thing to be experiencing.
• 41:53
  SPEAKER_00: Every I think every entrepreneur, every business owner experiences it, and I think that it doesn't matter what stage of their journey they're at or what stage of the business they're at, I think it it's one of these things that as long as you're growing, as long as you're moving forward, you're going to keep experiencing it.
• 42:11
  SPEAKER_00: You might get better at dealing with it, you might develop really effective strategies and ways to overcome it.
• 42:20
  SPEAKER_00: But I think that it doesn't matter whether you're starting out or you're in the growth stage or you're in the scale stage of your business.
• 42:27
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's one of these things that comes up over and over again.
• 42:31
  SPEAKER_00: And so by recognizing what it is very early on, I think you're giving yourself the gift of being able to understand and get ahead of it almost, because you can then start to develop strategies around coping with it, which is why um, Sadie, obviously, this is something that you do in your business, and why um people like you, coaches that work with clients on this, why what you have is so needed, because it can be the thing that cripples them from moving forward.
• 43:07
  SPEAKER_00: But just by say coming into contact with somebody like you that really understands what it is and therefore can help to provide those strategies and support them through it can be really powerful and it can make the difference between having a business that is struggling or having a business that is successful, and I think that when you start on this business journey, um you have to be prepared to invest in your development, and you have to be prepared to look inward and kind of do that that sort of deep deep diagnosis, if you like, of what's going on so that you can actively and proactively deal with it as things come up because they're the things that are gonna stop you from making progress.
• 43:59
  SPEAKER_00: And I know.
• 44:00
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I've worked with a lot of course creators now.
• 44:03
  SPEAKER_00: And even in my branding business, you know, people would come to me for branding thinking that, oh, I need a logo, I need some colours.
• 44:11
  SPEAKER_00: Can you, can you, can you do that?
• 44:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, yeah, but it but it doesn't just start with a logo and colours.
• 44:17
  SPEAKER_00: We have to get under the hood of your business, understand what you're about, understand what the business is about, get really clear on what your goals are, your aspirations, your vision, all of that stuff.
• 44:28
  SPEAKER_00: That's what then plays into the logo and the colours because those are just visual representations of what you're about and what you're looking to achieve.
• 44:38
  SPEAKER_00: And it's interesting because even at that stage, I would come across clients that I could see that things were starting to come up for them because they were being asked really challenging questions.
• 44:50
  SPEAKER_00: You know, the moment you say to somebody, look, what what are your goals?
• 44:54
  SPEAKER_00: What are you looking to create?
• 44:55
  SPEAKER_00: What's your vision?
• 44:56
  SPEAKER_00: That in itself is really scary because it requires them to look beyond what's comfortable to them.
• 45:05
  SPEAKER_00: We don't know where we're going to be in 10 years' time, we don't know five years' time.
• 45:08
  SPEAKER_00: So somehow we've got to put some kind of vision out there of what we're going to look to achieve.
• 45:14
  SPEAKER_00: And that can be really uncomfortable.
• 45:16
  SPEAKER_00: So even in my branding business, I would come up against clients that would really struggle with that.
• 45:23
  SPEAKER_00: But more since, sorry, more in my, you know, working with clients on course creation, because that requires them to really step into a brand new space and create something new and take an idea that they've had and build something from that idea and then put it out in the world to be sold.
• 45:46
  SPEAKER_00: So that requires a huge amount of self-belief, faith, perseverance, resilience, you know, and and what I've I suppose I've learned over this the time of doing this is that successful course creators are the ones that actually are prepared to do the work inside that that that work on their mindset because there is a massive mind piece set, a mindset piece there, because they have to be in the right frame of mind with the right mindset to be able to get those sales.
• 46:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I I absolutely agree with you because it's it's all about that challenge and and having that right mindset.
• 46:29
  SPEAKER_01: You know, there are going to be challenges all over the place, and particularly if you're moving into an environment that's new to you, everything seems like a challenge.
• 46:38
  SPEAKER_01: And it's about reframing your mindset to recognise challenges as opportunities because you don't know where that challenge, once you've you know got over that hurdle, where that's going to take you, you know, where the opportunity is going to open up and how you can kind of grow from it.
• 46:54
  SPEAKER_01: And I think a lot of the time with imposter syndrome, we don't want to be seen not knowing that we can't do something straight away.
• 47:02
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and if it's challenging, it can seem to be quite hard.
• 47:06
  SPEAKER_01: And it's about recognising that we're a work in progress.
• 47:10
  SPEAKER_01: Just because you can't do something straight away doesn't mean you can never not do it.
• 47:14
  SPEAKER_01: You know, it's going to take a little bit of time.
• 47:15
  SPEAKER_01: That's why I said before, it's change and building resilience is all about the process that you need to go through.
• 47:22
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, sometimes for some people it'll be a bit quicker than others.
• 47:26
  SPEAKER_01: And if you're constantly comparing yourself to someone else, if they are going on their journey a bit quicker than you, it can be, you know, you can take that negatively and think, well, why am I not where they are?
• 47:36
  SPEAKER_01: Why are they um you know achieving things better than I am?
• 47:39
  SPEAKER_01: But again, it's because you're not focusing on yourself and your own journey, and I think a lot of the time that's why we can find ourselves going off course because we're too busy focusing on other people and where their journey is going, that we're actually not realizing that we're not supposed to be on their journey, you know, they're completely different, and you know, we've taken a tiny little step to the right, but just by that tiny little step, if you carry on walking, you're getting further and further away from what your original goals were, you know, what your original focus was.
• 48:11
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and you sometimes just have to, as I say, hit that pause button and think, what do I want to do?
• 48:16
  SPEAKER_01: And it can be daunting because sometimes we don't even know what we're gonna do next week, let alone you know, longer term.
• 48:23
  SPEAKER_01: And that's why you have to pace yourself, you know, break things down into smaller chunks so that you can manage them.
• 48:29
  SPEAKER_01: Because if you don't, that's when it can become so overwhelming.
• 48:34
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, if you're caught in this cycle of uh being feeling like an imposter, then your confidence will fluctuate.
• 48:40
  SPEAKER_01: You start to doubt yourself, there's uncertainty that in a critic will just pipe up all the time and start to you know put you down, and and then that erodes your sort of self-esteem.
• 48:51
  SPEAKER_01: And before you know it, you just think I'm really not good enough to do this, and therefore, why am I doing it?
• 48:57
  SPEAKER_01: And you question yourself as opposed to actually thinking there's a reason why I wanted to start this journey in the first place, and go back to that beginning point and think, what was my purpose for this?
• 49:08
  SPEAKER_01: What uh what brought me to this stage?
• 49:10
  SPEAKER_01: Why do I want to do it?
• 49:11
  SPEAKER_01: And sometimes you just have to take a few steps back just to get back on track again, but realize that you know, with the imposter syndrome with a lot of things, it's absolutely fine, it's normal, it's a natural process that you're going through when you're growing, but it's about not letting it take over.
• 49:29
  SPEAKER_01: Um, because when it takes over, that's when it starts to, you know, get very, very overwhelming.
• 49:35
  SPEAKER_01: And building a strong network of people that you can trust that are going to be able to give you some constructive criticism or able to give you a different perspective on what you're doing, it's so, so important to realise that you're not on your own.
• 49:50
  SPEAKER_01: Because particularly when you've come from a corporate environment where you've got a structure around you and there's lots of people and you may have been doing it for years, you're comfortable in that, you step out to do your own business, and it can be really, really isolating.
• 50:03
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're unsure and you're doubting yourself and you feel like an imposter, and you throw that isolation in, it can be really, really daunting, it can just drag you down, and that's why it's so important to build a strong network of people that have been through it, they know you know the journey that they've been through and how it can resonate.
• 50:26
  SPEAKER_01: It makes things so much easier for you to kind of reach out and and not stay almost like a recluse, because that can just stop you in your tracks from moving forward.
• 50:37
  SPEAKER_00: I think having a good network of people around um really does help because you're absolutely right.
• 50:44
  SPEAKER_00: I think being an entrepreneur, being a business owner can be really lonely.
• 50:48
  SPEAKER_00: We spend a huge amount of time on our own, in our own heads, figuring things out, working out what we should be doing, what we need to be doing, what we could be doing, and it can be really overwhelming.
• 51:03
  SPEAKER_00: And if you don't have people around you that understand what you're doing and are championing you on, then then, like you say, that just leads to feeling those feelings of isolation and just feeling really sort of negative about what you're doing, and ultimately what what it ends up being is that you end up walking away from the thing that you wanted to start in the first place, or you just feel like you're not good enough and and you just feel a failure, in which case you're you're back into that sort of negative spiral of emotions, and that's not healthy for anyone.
• 51:38
  SPEAKER_00: So I think I think absolutely I think it's really important to have really good people on your side.
• 51:45
  SPEAKER_00: I know over my time um working in my business, I I have a small group of people that I really value that I lean on um to to support me at times.
• 51:59
  SPEAKER_00: And and it isn't just about necessarily what I'm trying to do.
• 52:02
  SPEAKER_00: Sometimes, if I have a particular feeling or a thought about something and I just want to talk it through, I find that really does help me because it helps me to get clear on what it is I'm I'm thinking or feeling, but also it helps me to gain perspective as well and to rationalise my thoughts and my feelings.
• 52:25
  SPEAKER_00: And as women, we have certain times of the month where we can feel a little bit off, you know, off course, um, you know, when when we start, you know, having to deal with hormones and things like that, and that can be that can be really crippling as well.
• 52:42
  SPEAKER_00: And so that's the time where you really need to have these good people on side to just sort of help you when you're feeling wobbly and you're you're starting to doubt your own capabilities, and I think that's a really important part to make.
• 52:58
  SPEAKER_00: So, Sadie, in terms of giving the listeners some tips, what would you say are your top five tips to overcoming imposter syndrome?
• 53:12
  SPEAKER_01: So um, I would say for me, it was finding out about the different types of inner imposter, um, because once you know kind of which one you sort of tend to um that shows up a lot of the time.
• 53:25
  SPEAKER_01: So, you know, you can either be a soloist, so these individuals kind of want to work by themselves and are afraid to ask for help because they feel that that's going to show them as a fraud.
• 53:35
  SPEAKER_01: You can manage that by building that network of people around you to get different perspectives, and the more you do it, that confidence will grow.
• 53:42
  SPEAKER_01: So the other one would be um an actual genius.
• 53:46
  SPEAKER_01: So these individuals feel that you know talented and therefore they should be able to do everything.
• 53:51
  SPEAKER_01: So when they come across things that are quite challenging, as we all do, because they believe that they should know how to do it straight away, they don't even want to try.
• 54:01
  SPEAKER_01: It it kind of is a challenge and frustrating for them, and it feels that that's going to show up their tendencies with their imposter syndrome, so they back away with things.
• 54:08
  SPEAKER_01: So again, it's about recognising that we're a work in progress and allow yourself to be a work in progress, and it's absolutely fine that the more you take the time to do things and you learn from that, you're building up that confidence as you go.
• 54:24
  SPEAKER_01: The other kind of inner imposter is a the expert.
• 54:28
  SPEAKER_01: Um, this is a tendency that I have in that I find it really difficult sometimes to do or go into an environment where I feel I need to know everything about everything, and if I don't, or if I feel I've got gaps in my knowledge, it will stop me.
• 54:43
  SPEAKER_01: But I can get caught in that cycle of right, well, I'm just going to take another course or I'm going to Google a little bit more about something, you know, to ensure I absolutely know everything.
• 54:52
  SPEAKER_01: But that just kind of keeps you locked in one place, and for me, it's about recognising that I don't need to know everything about everything, and again, allowing myself to be a work in progress and realizing that I don't need to, you know, gather all of these skills just for the well, what if I might need them?
• 55:12
  SPEAKER_01: Actually learn them as and when you need to have them, and it just allows you to progress and move forward and stops you from you know being held up.
• 55:23
  SPEAKER_01: Some people have the inner perfect perfectionist, and I think that tends to show up a lot with people where you know everything's got to be perfect, and I think you know, this is one where you know we're talking about creating a course.
• 55:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, if you're a perfectionist, that can hold you back because you think, well, I can't put that out, or I can't allow someone to buy that course because it's not right, you know, it's got to be perfect.
• 55:50
  SPEAKER_01: Well, as we know, perfect doesn't exist, and again, you know, if if you waited for something to be perfect, you would never get anywhere.
• 55:58
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, and it's about realizing that you grow through different iterations, you know, put something out there, see how it goes, tweak as you go, and it will improve.
• 56:08
  SPEAKER_01: Um, don't allow yourself to stop in your tracks and not do anything just because you think it's not perfect.
• 56:15
  SPEAKER_01: Look at the great things that you have done and not focus on the gaps and the flaws that you perceive to be there.
• 56:23
  SPEAKER_01: And again, that's where it links into having a good set of people around you.
• 56:28
  SPEAKER_01: You know, go to them, ask them, get their perspective on something, because we can often get caught up in our own heads overthinking when actually you can speak to someone that could just show a different view on something, say, oh, right, okay, yeah, I didn't see that, and that can get you moving again.
• 56:46
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and then we have like the superhero tendency to, you know, we constantly compare ourselves to other people, and therefore we just work, work, work, and work because by doing more stuff, taking on more responsibility shows that we're absolutely capable in what we're doing because we don't necessarily believe in ourselves, and the more you take on, the more you're juggling, um, you know, can lead to burnout, um, and that can be really, really difficult as well.
• 57:13
  SPEAKER_01: So, I would say that we're knowing the type of imposter that might show up because it will help you um recognise it and then put the and manage it much better.
• 57:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, so allow yourself to be a work in progress, build a really strong network, don't compare yourself to others, as in don't put yourself down or see other people as being better than you or further ahead than you.
• 57:38
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely learn from these people, you know, be inspired by these people because they've been on their own journey.
• 57:45
  SPEAKER_01: Talk to them, get them in your trusted network, find out you know what struggles they had and see how you can adapt with that.
• 57:53
  SPEAKER_01: Um, focus on the facts that are there, don't disregard the facts that you know you will have experience, you will have strengths, you will have knowledge and experience.
• 58:03
  SPEAKER_01: You know, look at those strengths, you know, regularly, you know, write them down, don't forget them because you will have done some great stuff, don't disregard it.
• 58:11
  SPEAKER_01: And the more you focus on those successes and uh own them, because that's the problem with imposter syndrome, you don't own them, you put them down to luck or external factors.
• 58:22
  SPEAKER_01: When you celebrate and own your successes and you can recognise what you're doing for yourself, that will build confidence as well.
• 58:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, I think sometimes when we start out, particularly as coaches, we uh we look to want to try and help everybody, everyone's problems, and we go out too broad, and the broader you go, you're never going to be able to help everybody over everything.
• 58:46
  SPEAKER_01: So it's about bringing things back and narrowing it, you know, looking at your niche.
• 58:53
  SPEAKER_01: Who can you help?
• 58:54
  SPEAKER_01: How can you help them?
• 58:55
  SPEAKER_01: Why can you help them?
• 58:56
  SPEAKER_01: What experience have you developed that you can then help them with their life?
• 59:00
  SPEAKER_01: And when you build your confidence up with that and you realise that actually there is room for you at the table, then you can start to broaden out a little bit, you know, move into something else and build that confidence.
• 59:12
  SPEAKER_01: So it can be quite tricky when you've come from an environment that you know really well into something that you don't, that you just want to go out, you know, full help, help everyone.
• 59:21
  SPEAKER_01: And when you can't do that for obvious reasons, it can knock your confidence and think, well, I can't do anything then.
• 59:29
  SPEAKER_01: But you just have to take it one step at a time and focus on the results that you get.
• 59:34
  SPEAKER_01: So when you are helping people, regardless of whether it's me as a coach or you know, you're helping people with course creation, look at those successes that you're getting with other people, look at their transformation and not realise that you you're only good because of the credentials that you have behind you, you know, or your certifications that you've got.
• 59:55
  SPEAKER_01: Because yeah, that's good, but you've got to look at how you're helping people and how that's transforming other people's lives.
• 1:00:02
  SPEAKER_01: Because when you can see that, and I think you touched upon that, take it away from you and put it onto other people, you realize then that it isn't about yourself, and those feelings of being an imposter can't stand up because you're recognising the help that you're giving other people.
• 1:00:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, they're amazing tips, and and I'm sitting here nodding, um because I think every every one of them, I think absolutely, I think I think you've probably hit the nail on the head, really, and and hopefully those uh tips will really help listeners to be able to understand more about what imposter syndrome is, the fact that it's it's common and how to then sort of mitigate um around it really so that they can, you know, develop strategies, I think, to to kind of cope with them.
• 1:00:53
  SPEAKER_00: I think I think it's really important just to kind of make the point that it is a very common thing.
• 1:00:59
  SPEAKER_00: All business owners, entrepreneurs um experience it.
• 1:01:04
  SPEAKER_00: It's just part and parcel of this crazy journey that we're all on.
• 1:01:10
  SPEAKER_00: Um and and I think the whole comparing yourself to somebody else, I think we all have to be really mindful about doing not doing that, um, and recognize, like you say, the strengths that we bring to the table and how we're able to help our our clients.
• 1:01:28
  SPEAKER_00: You know, as business owners, entrepreneurs, we are in the business of transforming our clients' lives.
• 1:01:34
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't matter how small that transformation is, that's what we do.
• 1:01:38
  SPEAKER_00: We are um we deliver results.
• 1:01:42
  SPEAKER_00: So I think the clearer you can get on those results and what those results are, then then you can start focusing on what you actually do for people and not focus on on you as an individual because the world needs what you have to offer, and you're most likely on this journey for a reason.
• 1:02:04
  SPEAKER_00: I don't believe that things happen willy-nilly.
• 1:02:09
  SPEAKER_00: I think that we are we we find our path that is aligned to us, and we um we we're meant to be doing this.
• 1:02:18
  SPEAKER_00: And if you found yourself starting a business, running a business, creating online courses, whatever it is, then the likelihood is that that is a path that you're meant to be on, and it's just about embracing that change and those and the fear that comes with it and the growth that you're going to experience.
• 1:02:37
  SPEAKER_00: Because by doing anything new, you are going to be experiencing growth and those icky feelings that that make us want to just run away and hide.
• 1:02:48
  SPEAKER_00: So I think just you know, it's it is about recognizing it, embracing it, and pushing past it.
• 1:02:55
  SPEAKER_00: And I think whether you're starting a business, creating an online course, selling an online course, or doing something equally amazing in your business, I think it's really important just to kind of, you know, recognize it, take control of it, and just keep going.
• 1:03:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I think when you get to the other side, that growth will be absolutely amazing because you'll you'll you'll you'll see how far you've come.
• 1:03:20
  SPEAKER_00: Um, so so yeah, I just think it's one of those things that we've all got to sort of somehow navigate our way through so that we can get to the other side.
• 1:03:30
  SPEAKER_00: Um Sadie, thank you very much for coming on today's um episode and sharing your wealth of knowledge.
• 1:03:40
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you we have talked about so many amazing things, and I really hope that that it's going to help the listeners um in terms of what they experience.
• 1:03:51
  SPEAKER_00: But but I really appreciate you taking the time out of your day to to share this with us because, like I say, we we've there's there's just been so much good stuff that's come from this.
• 1:04:03
  SPEAKER_00: Um, I really do hope that it helps.
• 1:04:06
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for taking the time to listen to today's episode.
• 1:04:10
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you found this episode of value, and of course, please feel free to share it with others who you may think will also benefit from listening to today's episode.
• 1:04:20
  SPEAKER_00: If you are feeling inspired and would like to know more about getting started with creating an online digital course, then why not download my free ebook, 10 Steps to Digital Course Success, by visiting my website www.pink-lemondigital.com.
• 1:04:37
  SPEAKER_00: I will be back next week with another episode, but until then, have a great week.
• 1:04:45
  SPEAKER_00: I hope you enjoyed this episode of the Digitally She Does It Show.
• 1:04:49
  SPEAKER_00: Don't forget to check out the show notes for all the links and resources mentioned in today's episode.
• 1:04:54
  SPEAKER_00: New episodes drop every week on a Wednesday, so why not rate and subscribe so you never miss an episode?
• 1:05:00
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for tuning in today, and I will see you next time.