Claim OwnershipThe Impostor Syndrome Files
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Description
Do you ever feel like a fraud? Struggle with chronic self-doubt? Wonder if you really deserve your role?
You’re not alone. As a leadership coach who’s battled impostor syndrome myself, I created this podcast to provide a place where professionals can share their stories, shed the silent shame and feel seen.
Each episode features honest conversations with professionals from all walks of life who’ve faced impostor syndrome and found ways to move through it. We’ll also hear from experts who share practical strategies for managing ourselves and shaping environments that reduce the threat of impostor syndrome.
Let’s erase the stigma. Let’s stop pretending we’re the only ones. And let’s come together to share, support and rise above the fear that keeps us playing small.
305 Episodes
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In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we explore the power of the subconscious mind and its profound influence on how we show up at work and in life. My guest this week is Roberta Fernandez, a board-certified hypnotherapist and consultant who has spent nearly two decades helping individuals and organizations transform limiting beliefs into empowering action. Roberta shares how her work bridges the science of emotional intelligence with the power of hypnosis to help people uncover t...
In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about the pressure to be perfect and the freedom that comes when we shift our focus to progress instead. My guest this week is Maria Rincon, a public speaking coach and former communications consultant at the United Nations. Maria shares her story of growing up as an overachiever in an immigrant household where perfection was expected and external validation became the measure of success. In our conversation, we explore how perfectionism...
In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about creating better workplaces. My guest this week is Ivonne Furneaux, a former corporate executive turned solo speaker and consultant who spent more than two decades leading communications, DEI, and change management efforts at companies across industries, including most recently as VP at Weight Watchers. She now helps companies and individuals navigate change with more clarity, intention and humanity. In our conversation, we explore ...
In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we look at self-empathy as a practical skill you can use in everyday life. My guest, Melissa Robinson-Winemiller, is a former professional musician and university professor who later founded EQ via Empathy where she works today. Melissa shares how a tough career pivot pushed her to study empathy and write the book, The Empathic Leader. Here we talk about how to build your self-empathy muscles in easy moments first so that you have the skil...
In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about why authenticity is overrated and what to do instead. My guest this week is Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, psychologist, professor, Chief Science Officer at Russell Reynolds Associates and author of the new book Don’t Be Yourself. Tomas argues that it’s not raw authenticity that makes you a good leader. Great leaders care deeply about what others think of them. They leverage their emotional intelligence and engage in strategic impres...
In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we explore what it takes to create teams that are not only high-performing but also deeply connected and resilient, especially in today’s fast-changing workplace. My guest this week is Daria Rudnik, a former Chief People Officer turned leadership consultant, who draws on her experience leading tech and telecom companies to help organizations transform how they lead and collaborate. Daria shares her personal journey from being the only woman in t...
In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we explore what it really means to lead with authenticity in a world that doesn’t always welcome it. My guest this week is Judy Hoberman, a trailblazing executive coach, speaker and author who built her career in male-dominated industries like commercial roofing and financial services. Judy shares stories from her early days climbing ladders in skirts, navigating bias and building unexpected alliances, and how those experiences shaped her belief...
In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we dive into what it really means to lead with courage and integrity in complex and sometimes disheartening environments. My guest this week is Dr. Jodi Vandenberg-Daves, historian, women’s leadership expert and author of Leading with Courage: A Career-Long Guide for Idealistic Women. Jodi brings decades of experience in higher education, feminism and mentorship, and shares how she’s translating these values into community leadership and career ...
In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we explore how to make friends in an era of loneliness. My guest this week is Dr. Linda Lin, a psychology professor at Emmanuel College who has spent more than two decades researching and teaching about mental health, happiness and well-being. Through her course, The Psychology of Wellness and Happiness, Linda helps students move beyond surface-level wellness tips to better understand what it really means to live a meaningful and connected life....
In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we dive into the psychology behind high performance with developmental theorist Max Stephens. Max’s work is rooted in a bold premise: the greatest chokehold on any business or career isn’t the market or the competition, it’s our own personal psychology. And until we understand and address that, we’ll continue to get in our own way. Together we explore the hidden forces that shape high performers, from early emotional wounds that fuel relentless ...
In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about experimenting with your own growth. My guest this week is Jen Wilson, a coach and consultant whose nontraditional career path has taught her that confidence doesn’t come from perfection; it comes from trusting yourself to handle whatever happens next. Jen shares how she built her career through unexpected twists and turns, including co-founding innovative schools, burning out and then reinventing her work on her own terms. We expl...
In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we explore whether to pursue an MBA. My guest this week is Ellin Lolis, founder of Ellin Lolis Consulting and a career coach who’s spent more than a decade helping professionals tell their stories, clarify their goals and navigate the competitive MBA admissions process. Ellin shares her journey from working behind the scenes in admissions to building a thriving global consulting practice. Together, we unpack how to decide if an MBA really fits ...
In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about burnout, not just feeling tired or having a hard week, but the deeper, chronic exhaustion and self-doubt that so many high achievers experience but rarely name. My guest this week is Alison Campbell, founder of unBurnt and a former senior corporate leader who turned her own health crisis into a mission to help others recover from and prevent burnout. Alison shares her journey from fast-paced corporate roles in finance, retail, and ...
In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about charisma, and not the slick or manipulative version we sometimes imagine. My guest this week is Milam Miller, leadership development and sales consultant and author of The Charisma Craft: A Modern Leadership Guide to Enhance Your Riz Factor. Milam shares how his own journey from Texas football to New York sports to European soccer and now entrepreneurship taught him that charisma is not an inborn trait but a skill we can all devel...
In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we explore what it takes to create a fulfilling professional life while also protecting our well-being. My guest this week is Bree Groff, a seasoned consultant, transformation expert and author of Today Was Fun: A Book About Work (Seriously). Bree shares her unconventional career journey from teaching middle and high school math and physics, to acting, to consulting and culture change and ultimately to authoring a book about joy at work. Along t...
In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about learning to manage impostor syndrome by recognizing how your hard work has led to your success. My guest this week is Dr. Julien Willard, Chief Economist at Arcstone Private Intelligence. Julien’s path from medicine to healthcare economics to corporate strategy and economic intelligence offers a fascinating window into how high achievers wrestle with impostor feelings even as they build extraordinary careers. We explore how growing...
In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about what it really takes to lead when the stakes are high. My guest this week is leadership coach and author Kathy Archer. Here we explore two leadership lows that shaped her path, the flow from competence to courage to confidence and how values alignment fuels integrity. We also dig into practical tools like vulnerable narration, weekly reviews and micro-moments for learning so you keep growing even when time is tight. About My Guest ...
In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about finding your purpose. My guest this week is Dave Chauhan, author, speaker and former corporate leader who walked away from his established career to pursue a deeper connection with purpose. Dave shares his personal journey of reflection, the signals that told him it was time to make a change and the painful yet transformative process of rediscovering his values. We explore how purpose often reveals itself in times of discomfort, wh...
In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about allyship. My guest this week is Julie Kratz, founder of Next Pivot Point and a longtime inclusion and allyship strategist. Julie pulls back the curtain on why words like “inclusion” and “ally” have become so charged, what’s actually legal in this space, and how leaders at every level can use the power they already have to create cultures where people belong. We explore “power with” versus “power over,” how to spot your own sources ...
In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about early messages, the ones that shape how we see ourselves and what we believe is possible. My guest this week is Jodi Bondi Norgaard, author of More Than a Doll and creator of the Go! Go! Sports Girls, a line of empowerment dolls and books designed to challenge gender stereotypes in the toy industry. Jodi shares how a single moment in a toy store with her daughter opened her eyes to the narrow, and often damaging, images marketed to...
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