28. Battling Imposter Syndrome - You're More Qualified Than You Think

Ever felt like you don’t belong or that you’re about to be “found out”? You’re not alone—that’s imposter syndrome talking. In this episode, we’re diving into what imposter syndrome is, why it happens, and how to shut it down before it holds you back.

What You’ll Learn:
✔️ Why even the most successful people experience imposter syndrome
✔️ The common ways it shows up in our thoughts
✔️ Why we doubt ourselves despite our accomplishments
✔️ 5 actionable ways to combat imposter syndrome

Key Takeaways:
1️⃣ Keep Your Receipts – Create a folder of positive feedback and wins to revisit when doubt creeps in.
2️⃣ Reframe Your Thoughts – Shift “I don’t know what I’m doing” to “I’m learning as I go.”
3️⃣ Talk About It – Find mentors, friends, or even podcasts (wink wink) that remind you you’re not alone.
4️⃣ Stop Moving the Goalpost – Celebrate your wins instead of always focusing on the next thing.
5️⃣ Take Action Anyway – Confidence comes from doing, not waiting until you feel ready.

Challenge for You:
Notice when imposter syndrome shows up, call it out, and rewrite your story. Keep going—you belong here.

Join the Conversation:
💬 DM me on Instagram – When has imposter syndrome tried to stop you? How did you push through?
⭐ Leave a review & share this episode with a friend who needs the reminder.

Until next time—keep showing up, keep pushing forward, and remember: there are NO imposters here!

Cheers! Thank you for joining us for another episode. Have a chaotic moment, question, or topic you want us to cover? Drop us a message or leave a review! If you loved this episode, share it with a friend who thrives in beautiful chaos too.

Let’s Connect:

• Connect with us via email at ccpodcast@aguonstudios.com
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Resources:

• Goal-Setting Template
• Podcasters Monthly Networking Meets
• Balancing Business Growth and Parenthood Workbook

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Transcript

0:00

Welcome to Caffeinated Chaos, where business deals happen between diaper changes and friendships are fueled by caffeine. I'm Whitney Uggen, your host, and I'm here to talk all things business, parenthood, and of course, keeping up with the BFFs. Whether you're juggling the boardroom, the playroom, or just here for some coffee fueled chaos, we've got you covered. Get ready for real talk, laughs, and a whole lot of heart as we dive into the beautiful mess that is entrepreneurship, parenthood, and everything in between. So let's embrace the chaos together. Caffeinated, of course. Welcome back to the podcast. All right, let's get real. Have you ever had a moment where you're about to do something? Maybe it's speaking at a meeting, launching a project, starting a new job, starting a new job, and suddenly your brain is like, who do you think you are? Like any second, someone is going to tap you on the shoulder and say, Hey, we've got you. We figured you out. You don't actually belong here. Does that sound familiar? Well, congratulations. You are human and also you are experiencing imposter syndrome. That little voice in your head that makes you question your accomplishments and doubt yourself despite overwhelming evidence that you're actually doing just fine. Here's the thing. Imposter syndrome doesn't just hit newbies or people who are still figuring things out. Some of the most successful, wildly talented people in the world have dealt with it. If you've ever felt this way, then maybe just, maybe imposter syndrome isn't a sign that you're unqualified, but a sign that you care. I'll be honest, I struggle with this all the time. Even with this podcast, there are moments where I think, who am I to be giving advice? Why would anyone even listen to this? And yet, here we are, and I thank you for listening. So today we're breaking down what imposter syndrome is, why it happens, and how to shut it down so it doesn't stop you from doing the amazing things that you're meant to do. Okay. Let's start with a little definition. Imposter syndrome is basically the belief that you are not as competent, talented, or capable as people think you are, and that somehow you've tricked everyone into believing that you belong. And one day you are gonna get figured out. Doubts, it can show up in a bunch of different ways. There's the feeling that you have to have everything be flawless or you failed. Maybe you think you need to know everything before you can be taken seriously. Maybe you believe that asking for help means that you are not truly capable. And if something doesn't come necessarily easy to you, you assume that you're not good enough or you know, you push yourself to do everything to prove that you are good enough. If any of these sound familiar? Yeah, same. And guess what? These are all thoughts. Not facts, thoughts. So why does this even happen to us? Why do we even question ourselves when we know that we've put in the work? A few reasons. Stepping outside your comfort zone is a huge leap. The bigger the leap, the louder the doubt. Imposter syndrome loves to show up when we are stretching ourselves. Two, comparison culture. I mean, it is so easy with social media these days, because it makes it so easy to compare our messy behind the scenes to someone's. Highlight reel, and we've talked about this before on another episode, how we should not be. Comparing ourselves to that quote unquote perfect mom on social media, it's a highlight reel. Okay? Three, lack of representation. If you don't see people like you, who look like you, who act like you in certain spaces, it's easy to feel like you don't belong. Four. Success doesn't feel like we expected it to. We assume success will feel like this huge validating moment, but often it feels like just another day. And the worst part, the more successful you become, the more imposter syndrome can creep in. Instead of thinking, I made it, you started thinking, what if I can't keep it up? What if this was all just luck? Well, okay. Let's get into the good stuff. How are we gonna shut this down, everybody? I'm gonna give you some actionable steps. Take what you like, leave what you don't, one, keep. A, we'll call it, I don't know, receipts folder, like create a folder on your phone. It can be an email, whatever notes that holds every kind word, every positive review, every win that you've ever received. So next time that imposter syndrome is starting to creep up, open your folder. Read through it. Remind yourself that you did not, you did not get here by accident. Two, reframe the story that you are telling yourself. Instead of saying, I don't know what I'm doing. Try, I'm learning as I go just like everyone else, instead of saying I'm not good enough. Try saying to yourself, I am constantly growing and improving the way we talk to ourselves Matter. Okay, everyone, the way we talk to ourselves. Matter three, normalized talking about it. Find people who will remind you that you are not alone. Whether it's a mentor, a friend, a podcast, wink, wink. Surround yourself with voices that remind you that feeling like an imposter does not mean that you are one. Okay? We are not playing among us. There is no imposter. Four, stop moving the goalpost. Do you ever notice how no matter what you accomplish, you immediately start focusing on the next thing? Well, you need to take a moment. You need to celebrate your wins. Give yourself credits on how far you've come. You deserve to acknowledge your success. Okay? And five, take action. Anyway. Here's the truth. Confidence doesn't come from feeling ready. It comes from taking action. If you wait until you feel 100% confident, well you'll be waiting forever. I know the best way to prove to yourself that you do belong is to keep showing up. All right, everyone. Imposter syndrome is proof that we care. It's not proof that we're unqualified. Every time you feel like it's creeping in, remind yourself of this. You are not an imposter. You are a work in progress just like everyone else. So here's my challenge for you this week. Pay attention to when imposter syndrome shows up. Call it out, rewrite your story, and most importantly, keep going anyway. Now I wanna hear from you. When has imposter syndrome tried to stop you, and how did you push through? Send us a DM on Instagram, comment on the episode or leave a review, and if this episode helped, share it with a friend who might also need this reminder. Until next time, everyone, you are doing amazing. Keep pushing. There are no imposters here. Love you all. See you next time. Bye. That's a wrap on another episode of Caffeinated Chaos. I hope you're leaving with a little more clarity, a lot more inspiration, and maybe even an extra shot of motivation. If you loved today's episode, don't forget to follow us, leave a review, and share it with a friend who could use just a little chaos and caffeine in their life. Until next time, keep embracing the mess, chase your dreams, and make magic happen. One caffeinated, chaotic moment at a time. I will see you all soon. Bye now.