Episode 4: 5 Ways To Fight Imposter Syndrome

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If you’re like most people, at some point in your life, you’ve experienced imposter syndrome. You know how it goes—not feeling confident, thinking you’re not the real deal, experiencing chronic self-doubt. It’s something that both Jacob and I have experienced throughout our lives and especially since becoming entrepreneurs and putting ourselves in the public eye.

I gave my first keynote speech just six months after my daughter was born. I was nervous and felt like a fraud—people were really going to pay me to speak, and hundreds of people were going to listen? I couldn’t sleep for the nights leading up to the speech and felt like a nervous wreck. Afterwards, I watched a video of my speech and realized I didn’t look nearly as nervous as I felt. Imposter syndrome was almost all in my head.

Here are five ways Jacob and I fight imposter syndrome. Tune into our BYOB podcast episode to learn even more tips and tricks of how we’ve turned the tide of imposter syndrome.

1. Fake it until you become it. When Jacob quit his full-time job and made the jump to being an entrepreneur, he didn’t feel qualified to pitch his ideas or ask people for money. But over and over he repeated in his head that he was a successful entrepreneur creating something great. He kept that mantra going until the story became true. Your internal voice matters, so create positive thoughts for yourself until they become reality.
2. Focus on your value. Instead of focusing on your own nerves and insecurities, focus on the value you bring to your customers and audience. When you are humble enough to put yourself in a service-oriented mindset and find ways to better the lives of the people around you, you can get rid of the ego and your feelings of insecurity.
3. Recognize no one is perfect. Imposter syndrome happens when we put ourselves against expectations to be perfect, but the reality is that no one is perfect. Everyone faces doubt and insecurities. You are harder on yourself than other people are on you. 
4. Know your stuff. It’s easier to feel confident when you have facts and quotes to back up your ideas. Jacob learned the difference being scared to share an opinion blog versus feeling more confident when he had statistics and data to back up his argument. Knowing your stuff can give you an added boost that you’re sharing a good message or product.
5. Learn to like yourself. Be friends with your flaws and embrace what makes you unique. When you’re caught up in all the things you think are wrong about yourself, it takes away from your natural talents. When you like yourself, other people will like you and you’ll see more success.

Nearly everyone experiences imposter syndrome, but it doesn’t need to be crippling. Throughout our journeys as entrepreneurs, we’ve learned what it takes for each of us to overcome self-doubt and insecurities. Get out of your head, visualize success and own your message!