Overcoming Imposter Syndrome — Jen Coken
She's Talking Back
English - June 23, 2020 07:00 - 52 minutes - 47.7 MBManagement Business Careers bestpodcastsforwomen leadership vulnerability Homepage Download Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Jen Coken is an executive coach and recovering stand-up comedian. Jen at an early age knew that she had to be the funny one because she never fit into the traditional archetype of the ‘pretty girl.’ She went down a journey of self-discovery a few years ago and discovered all of this was a byproduct of imposter syndrome. Today’s episode covers what is imposter syndrome, why everyone has it, and how to overcome these thoughts that are weighing you down.
Key Takeaways
What is imposter syndrome? When our brain feels a signal that we’re threatened, we start to develop coping mechanisms to help us overcome them. Jen learned early on that she was going to be the funny side-kick. She didn’t fit into the model of the ‘pretty one.’ Everyone has imposter syndrome. Jen takes the lead and begins to coach Michelle on her own show! Men struggle with speaking out just as much as women do. However, they’re not as verbal about it as women are. When Michelle’s in a meeting, what is she afraid of? Don’t let your inner upset eight-year-old ruin your entire life. It’s only natural that we develop brain patterns to protect ourselves and to play it safe. If you didn’t have these thoughts holding you back, what kind of person would you be? What we see in others, a lot of times, is what we see in ourselves that we don’t like. What you can’t be, robs you of your power. If we are angry and reactive, our power gets robbed from being proactive. How do you get your power back? You look within. Jen shares a childhood story about anger when she was 15. The desire to help women overcome imposter syndrome and the framework to empower women started a long time ago for Jen because of what she had to overcome.
Resources
The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, by Julia Cameron
Quotes
Michelle’s quote: “As you further yourself on the ladder of success, the better chance you have that you will struggle with imposter syndrome to a greater degree.”
“If you feel like you have to do it alone because if you asked for help, people would know you really didn’t have what it takes — that’s imposter syndrome.”
“She is looking for people to be critical of her, which is completely shutting down her voice.”
“If I wasn’t having all of these stupid thoughts questioning myself, who would I be?”