Everyone has imposter syndrome.
Last week, I was on a call with a cohort of venture capital fund managers — and I was surprised at what they shared.
These are people who've helped launch unicorns (companies with valuations of $1B) and zebras (companies driving profitability while focused on social and environmental impact), and who have $10Ms to $100Ms of assets under management.
“I don’t know how to position myself or talk about myself. ”
The first comment came from a successful woman of color, echoed by another woman on the call.
Then, the men chimed in.
“Yeah, I don’t want to be seen as one of those douchey fund managers that we’ve all worked with. That’s not who I am. So I don’t know what to say without coming across as egotistical.”
Finally:
“If it helps, I’m always thinking, ‘They’re going to find out that I’m a fraud at this and I don’t know what the f*ck I’m doing.’”
My brain went 🤯.
These people who have unbelievable credentials, regularly collaborate with global and industry leaders, and impact countless lives were feeling imposter syndrome, too??
That's when the host of the call pointed their attention to me.
“If you all want personal branding and thought leadership help, Judy’s the person to go to — and, if you want her to do a workshop on breakthrough mindset techniques, we can do that, too.”
I'd been quiet on the call to start, knowing that I was there to help facilitate these masterminds in the future, so observing more than participating.
I had no idea I didn't have to stay silent.
That, as it stands right now, I'm enough to begin contributing in the room.
We all have expertise that's valuable in this moment.
If you're like me, you're a high-achiever and continually putting yourself in rooms of people with even greater caliber, merit, and status, so you might always find yourself a little uncomfortable.
Have you had these thoughts recently?
Do I belong?
Do I have anything to contribute?
I got lucky — it wasn't because of my skills.
They're going to find out I don't know what I'm doing.
I'm not as smart or capable as my counterparts who seem so confident.
I don't deserve a seat at the table.
What if I fail and prove them right about me?
I don't want to be the face of anything.
I'm not as good as others in my industry.
If that causes any anxiety for you, and you don't know what to do to get through it, here's a technique:
Be in the question.
To experience your full potency, you have to move from judgment/belief/expectation to asking a question...
Asking a question opens up a different point of view. It moves you into the possibilities.
If you get stuck in your own thinking, here's the truth:
When you are operating from your conscious rational mind, you are a LIMITED BEING.
You immediately close yourself off to all of the opportunities around you that you may not realize exist because you're not allowing yourself to see them in a different way. Said another way, in order to keep your belief system, you have to exclude everything else in existence.
You then enter into a contextual reality versus a non-contextual reality:
Remember, in every single second, you are being bombarded by 2M bits of information, but your conscious mind can only take in 126. Do the math on that. What answers could you be missing right now?
Everything that's come into your life has likely come in ways you didn't expect — if you became attached to how you thought it was going to look (to stay in control), would you have achieved or received what you wanted?
If you need help being in the possibilities and asking the right questions, just book a call here to gain unshakable confidence quickly.
Imposter syndrome hits differently for women of color.
Tomorrow, I'm leading an event with Misa Chien, one of the top voices on LinkedIn, a featured entrepreneur in Inc. Magazine, and founder of The Authentic Asian. I'm also her selected coach to work with her 250 high-achieving community members on experiencing breakthrough mindset shifts in career and life.
Every event we host is highly attended and extremely impactful. Here's an opportunity to gain access to the free guide and recording of the webinar I hosted on imposter syndrome — and how to truly free yourself from it.
Mahalo,
Judy
P.S. Remember to ask the questions every moment you can. That makes you unlimited!
"My life can be divided into before working with Judy and after working with Judy..."
Janis Vogel loved how I helped her cut through the chaos — and bring the spiritual prowess to build confidence and self-trust.
She especially loved the cutthroat business strategy that helped her escalate quickly:
“The sheer volume of progress we made with each session has given me a new level of understanding of what it is possible to achieve.
In just 4 sessions we created a new strategy for my business, honed a new niche, and I received a beautiful brand deck that informs every move I make in my business.
Since working with Judy I have launched my first group coaching program, I have raised my rates, I have booked multiple speaking engagements, and doubled my social media reach. I have set solid boundaries, I have valued my time and myself more deeply than ever before — and I am reaping the rewards daily!
”
Ever experience spirit medicine?
In the latest F*ck Saving Face podcast episode, I dive into Step 8 of my book, How to Disappoint Your Parents in 10 Shameless Steps: A Modern Asian American Guide.
I share personal insights and transformative stories about exploring altered states of consciousness through spirit medicine, breathwork, and unconventional healing modalities — totally taboo for most people.
Two new audios released in my Shop!
Sometimes, you have to get out of your head. Most of the time, you'd like for it to happen quickly. These two audios are newly released to do just that...
Welcome to NiceTiger: Uncage your brand potential.
Clients love working with me and my team, a small group of thoughtful humans who create mighty results for your branding, marketing, sales, and platform.
You’re receiving this email because you signed up on my website, booked a call with me, or joined one of my events — and you're curious how to create a life and business you love, especially one that may not look like the one you were told you were supposed to live.
Judy Tsuei
Encinitas, CA
