Kicking Impostor Syndrome to the Curb

I thought I would start my first official post discussing the topic of Impostor Syndrome. There are several reasons I’m choosing this topic, and I’ll get into those as we go along, but first let’s start with what it is.

Google AI summarized Impostor Syndrome as the persistent, internalized fear of being exposed as a fraud despite evidence of success, often causing high achievers to doubt their abilities. Symptoms include chronic self-doubt, attributing success to luck, and perfectionism.

I first heard about Impostor Syndrome at a conference on homelessness. As soon as I heard the description, I thought, man, if that doesn’t describe so much of my life.

And yet—even as the definition mentions “high achievers”—I immediately find myself wondering if it actually applies to me.

Hmm…that might be the problem.

Over the last few months, as I’ve been exploring the idea of starting Serve and Grow Consulting, I’ve second-guessed myself more than once. I’ve even thought about giving into the doubt and quitting at times.

Thoughts like these creep in:

• No one will actually read anything I write.

• I don’t have anything of real value to offer businesses or nonprofits.

• Not everything I’ve tried has been a success, so maybe I’m failing.

• I can’t even keep up with my own household sometimes…why would anyone listen to me?

When these thoughts come up, I have to stop and refocus.

Sometimes that means turning to God and scripture:

It reminds me that I don’t have to be perfect to move forward.

Sometimes it means pulling out old resumes and bios and reminding myself of the things I’ve done and accomplished.

And sometimes it simply means taking a deep breath and choosing to take a leap of faith anyway—with as much strength and perseverance as I can muster (and with God’s help, of course).

One of my Clifton Strengths is Ideation, which basically means I’m always dreaming up new ideas. In fact, one thing I say often is, “I have an idea.” My old team used to laugh and ask, “What’s next?”

But this strength has also helped me see problems and challenges differently. Instead of only seeing obstacles, I often see opportunities—to grow, meet a need, or solve a problem.

If you read the About section on my website, you’ll see that I’ve done many different things throughout my life. All of those experiences have given me skills, knowledge, and perspective. More importantly, they’ve given me opportunities to keep learning and growing.

I’ll probably spread some of these thoughts out across several posts so they stay short enough to read easily.

But today, Impostor Syndrome stands out to me for two reasons in this current season of life.

First, I’m currently in a season of being a full-time mom and grandma. I still have two kids (15 and 5) at home, and I’m raising my two-year-old grandson. I also babysit my two-year-old and three-month-old granddaughters Monday through Friday.

If there’s ever a time in life where you question whether you’re doing anything right, it’s when you have several little ones having full meltdowns…which sometimes sends me into meltdown mode too.

At the end of each day, I remind myself of the laughter and the moments when they learn something new with pure joy. I remind myself that some of these kids have higher needs, and that I need to give myself a lot of grace.

And I remind myself of something important: I also have several adult children who are responsible, loving, and kind human beings. They still come home for dinner when they can. They still call when they need advice, encouragement, or just someone to listen.

That alone tells me I must not have done everything wrong.

Which brings me to the second reason this topic feels so important right now.

Starting this consulting business has been a leap of faith. Honestly, I’m doing it not only for myself, but in hopes that I can connect with others who may be walking through similar challenges.

Being a woman in leadership can feel lonely at times. Having a dream and stepping into it takes courage. And the truth is, running a business or nonprofit requires many different skills—far more than any one person can master alone.

Over the years, I’ve learned how important it is to build strong teams and seek help and knowledge when needed. Along the way, I’ve gained experience in bookkeeping, marketing, fundraising, grant writing, and program and operations strategy.

I don’t claim to be an expert in all of it. But I do have the perseverance to see a need and find ways to meet it.

So I’ve decided it’s time to kick those Impostor Syndrome thoughts to the curb and take this leap of faith.

Because the truth is, Impostor Syndrome is real—and most of us experience it at some point in our lives. Recognizing it takes humility. But so does admitting that we all have weaknesses.

And sometimes those very weaknesses become our greatest strengths when we choose to grow through them.

If you’re walking through a season of doubt, leadership challenges, or simply trying to figure out the next step in your journey, that’s exactly why Serve and Grow Consulting exists—to encourage, support, and help leaders move forward with clarity and confidence.

Have you ever struggled with Impostor Syndrome?

If so, I’d love to hear your story.
Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email.

Let’s connect.