In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about getting out of our comfort zones. When was the last time you felt ready to do something scary? If you’re human, then probably never. My guest this week is Eddy Smits, a motivational speaker and communication and leadership expert. Because we’ll never feel ready, we have to just do it, which he likens to jumping into the pool rather than slowly getting wet. Having been a school teacher and a hospital clown in previous careers, Eddy shares powerful insights about what we can learn from children and childhood. We also talk about resisting the urge to conform, embracing our authentic selves and treating life with more playfulness.

About My Guest
Eddy Smits is a seasoned professional artist who spent 25 years captivating diverse audiences and, as a hospital clown, touched the lives of over 10,000 sick and palliative children.

His unique journey led him to become an expert in authentic communication and leadership, which he details in his book ‘Model C’. Since 2012, Eddy has applied these insights to the field of personal development, using the techniques of a hospital clown and positive intelligence to boost Mental Fitness and leadership.

As a speaker, Eddy shares powerful life lessons, challenging conventional thinking and inspiring creativity, resilience, and self-discovery in all who listen.

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Connect with Eddy:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eddysmits-publicspeaker-coach/

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Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:

Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:
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In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about boundary setting. Many of us who identify as people-pleasers, conflict-avoiders or just those who don’t want to rock the boat often find it challenging to say no. My guest this week is Suzanne Culberg, the “Nope Coach” who helps people say no without feeling guilty. Here Suzanne shares her own story of the pivotal moment in which she realized it was time to start setting boundaries. We also talk about actionable, practical steps you can take to make boundary setting feel less scary and shame-inducing. Suzanne brings great humor to this conversation, so whether or not you’ve mastered boundary setting, you’ll likely enjoy the conversation.

About My Guest
Suzanne Culberg is ‘The Nope Coach’ who helps over-givers and people pleasers learn to set boundaries and say 'No' without feeling guilty. Suzanne is known for her straight-talking and her wacky t-shirts. She lives in Sydney, Australia with her husband and 2 awesome children.

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Connect with Suzanne:
Website: https://www.suzanneculberg.com/
Newsletter: https://www.suzanneculberg.com/newsletter
YouTube: youtube.com/@suzanneculberg

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Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:

Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:
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In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about feeling too young at work. Have you ever felt too young at work? Maybe people thought they were complimenting you by pointing out how young you look. Or they made condescending comments that made you feel different or unwelcome. My guest this week is Leslie Alvarez, community management leader and author of the book, “When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Tamales”. Here Leslie shares her experience of regularly being made to feel too young. Having graduated from high school at 15, built a career in her teens and had her first child at 20, Leslie has consistently encountered people and situations that have made her feel too young. We also explore how she’s learned to manage these insecurities and what she recommends to others with similar experiences.

About My Guest
Leslie has been a community management leader for over 26 years. A native Texan and single mother of two, Arianna (26 years) and AJ (23 years), their small family of 3 has lived through multiple challenges that have brought her to her knees. But she believes in the magic of a big comeback, and that plotting the comeback begins while you are on the floor.

Leslie holds a BBA from Texas Woman’s University, having graduated as an adult learner at the age of 41. She hopes to help those struggling, recognize that they are not alone and their comeback strategy is in their hands.

Leslie self-published a short story of her life offering various tips on overcoming both imposter syndrome and anxiety by pushing through adversity on Amazon titled, When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Tamales. Scott served on the board of the International Leadership Association, Association of Leadership Educators, and Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society. He was named an ILA Fellow by the International Leadership Association in 2021.

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Connect with Leslie:
Website: www.lesliealvarez.com

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Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:

Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:
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Website:
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In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about leadership. Being a people leader is hard! It’s especially hard in a rapidly changing world where there is so much more to think about and so much less time available to us. My guest this week is Scott Allen, a management professor and leadership consultant who talks about what he refers to as the puzzle of leadership. Here we explore the challenges facing current leaders and how to approach them through curiosity and experimentation. Scott also shares three important action steps all people leaders should take to build their confidence and maximize their effectiveness. And, finally, we talk about some options to consider if you’re working for a difficult boss.

About My Guest
Scott J. Allen, Ph.D., is an award-winning educator passionate about working with people at all levels and across industries. He serves as an instructor in SMU’s Cox School of Business Executive Education and spent more than 18 years as a professor of management. His areas of expertise include leader development, the future of work, and executive communication.

Scott has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He’s the co-author of several books, including The Little Book of Leadership Development: 50 Ways to Bring Out the Leader in Every Employee; Emotionally Intelligent Leadership: A Guide for College Students; Discovering Leadership: Designing Your Success; and Captovation: Online Presentations by Design. Scott hosts Phronesis: Practical Wisdom for Leaders, ranked among the world's top 2.5% of podcasts. Along with the podcast, he publishes a weekly newsletter called The Leader's Edge.

Scott frequently serves as a keynote speaker. In addition, he consults, facilitates workshops, and leads retreats across industries. Recent engagements include Lubrizol, Key Bank, Progressive, Nestle, EY, Siegfried Group, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, Sherwin Williams, Whiting-Turner, Toyota Motor North America, Lexus, Gee Automotive, Crestron, NASA-Glenn, Elbit America, Oatey, Dominion/Enbridge, Endeavor Energy Resources, TransAlta, FedEx Custom Critical, Thompson Hine LLP, Nordson, and Cleveland Clinic.

Scott served on the board of the International Leadership Association, Association of Leadership Educators, and Management and Organizational Behavior Teaching Society. He was named an ILA Fellow by the International Leadership Association in 2021.

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Connect with Scott:
Website: https://www.scottjallen.net
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-j-allen/

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Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:

Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:
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Learn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:
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Join the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6

Join the Facebook group:
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Schedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-session

Connect on LinkedIn:
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Website:
https://kimmeninger.com

In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about career transitions. Career transitions can feel daunting for lots of reasons but they’re especially scary when you don’t know what you want. This week, I talk with Sarah JanTausch, founder of SRJ Coaching & Consulting and creator of the Values-Based Career method. Here Sarah shares her own career transition story that led her to the work she does today. She also offers practical tips for how to reach out to your network, how to maximize informational interviews and how to connect with your values to find the career path that’s right for you.

About My Guest
Sarah JanTausch is the Founder of SRJ Coaching and Consulting and creator of the Values-Based Career method. This method helps individuals to unlock the hidden job market and ditch burnout while creating a career move that is rooted in your core values, ideal work style, and goals. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio Wesleyan University and a Master of Science degree in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University.

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Connect with Sarah:
Website: https://www.valuesbasedcareers.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-jantausch/

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Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:

Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:
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Learn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:
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Join the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6

Join the Facebook group:
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Schedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-session

Connect on LinkedIn:
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Website:
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In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about what my guest this week, Melody Wilding, calls sensitive strivers. The term sensitive strivers refers to those of us who think and feel more deeply than others while also putting a lot of pressure on ourselves to set goals and succeed. This combination of traits tends to leave us more susceptible to self-doubt and impostor syndrome. Here we talk about strategies to help you set clearer boundaries, stop the constant worrying and overthinking, and better manage perfectionism so that you can achieve success on your own terms.

About My Guest
Melody’s work has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Oprah Magazine, NBC News, and dozens of other high-profile publications.

Recently named one of Business Insider’s “Most Innovative Coaches,” Melody’s client list includes hundreds of CEOs, executives, and top-performers at the world’s most successful companies, including Google, Facebook, IBM, Netflix, and more.

Her recent speaking engagements include Amazon, Stanford University Graduate School of Business, Walmart, Conde Nast, Rutgers University, Adweek, and many other distinguished organizations.

Melody is a licensed social worker with a Masters degree from Columbia University, and a former researcher at Rutgers University. She teaches Human Behavior at Hunter College and is a contributor to Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Fast Company, and Business Insider.

Her best-selling book, Trust Yourself: Stop Overthinking and Channel Your Emotions into Success at Work (Chronicle Books) debuted as a #1 New Release in multiple Amazon categories and was selected by Apple Books as a “Best Book of the Month” for May 2021.

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Connect with Melody:
Websites: www.melodywilding.com
Book: www.melodywilding.com/book

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Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:

Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:
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Learn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:
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Join the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6

Join the Facebook group:
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Schedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-session

Connect on LinkedIn:
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Website:
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In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about the trap of the comfort zone. It’s all too easy to get stuck in our comfort zones. Each time we choose not to take action, we reinforce the security of our comfort zones, which makes the outside world feel that much scarier. This week, I talk with Aaron Trahan, a former executive leader turned performance coach who now helps leaders reach their full potential. Here we talk about strategies to break free from complacency and the status quo to become the best versions of ourselves.

About My Guest
Aaron has a 15+ year progressive background as a senior-level executive leader within public-company corporate environments & early-stage startups. Aaron’s leadership roles have included overseeing GTM strategy, operations, key growth initiatives, people & organizational development, & performance management. Aaron is passionate about leadership development, and most especially, helping professionals find their path from good-to-great. As a certified leadership & executive performance coach - Aaron leverages his background & training to support leaders with the implementation of systems, mental models, frameworks, growth programs, & external accountability that allows them to accelerate their path to operating as the best version of themselves and reaching full potential.

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Connect with Aaron:
Links: https://linktr.ee/aarontrahan

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Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:

Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:
https://www.kimmeninger.com/challenge

Learn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:
https://www.kimmeninger.com/leadinghumansgroup

Join the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6

Join the Facebook group:
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Schedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-session

Connect on LinkedIn:
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Website:
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In this episode of the Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about networking. Some of us love connecting with others while others of us may be less interested in or even intimidated by networking. The good news is that, whatever your relationship to networking, there are steps you can take to make it work for you. My guest this week is Michael Morgan, author of the book, “The Power of Networking”. Here he talks about how networking, both internally and externally, has helped him to grow his career across some of the world’s largest companies. Michael offers practical tips to help you manage self-doubt and stay connected to your value when building relationships with others. We also talk about the ways in which building your network can help you to boost your confidence at work.

About My Guest
Michael Morgan obtained his BS from Penn State University and his MBA from Carnegie Mellon University. Coupled with his educational background, he has over 15 years of work experience across companies such as Amazon, Walmart, J.P. Morgan Chase, and Chevron. His ability to build and maintain his network throughout his educational and career journey has been fruitful in his success. He has a passion for teaching and inspiring others to achieve their goals, which led him to write his first book “The Power of Networking” and begin his journey as a motivational speaker. “The Power of Networking” has won the Literary Titan Book Award, Global Book Award, International Impact Award, PenCraft Book Award, and Firebird Book Award.

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Connect with Michael:
Website: https://michaelvmorgan.com/

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Connect with Kim and The Impostor Syndrome Files:

Join the free Impostor Syndrome Challenge:
https://www.kimmeninger.com/challenge

Learn more about the Leading Humans discussion group:
https://www.kimmeninger.com/leadinghumansgroup

Join the Slack channel to learn from, connect with and support other professionals: https://forms.gle/Ts4Vg4Nx4HDnTVUC6

Join the Facebook group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/leadinghumans

Schedule time to speak with Kim Meninger directly about your questions/challenges: https://bookme.name/ExecCareer/strategy-session

Connect on LinkedIn:
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Website:
https://kimmeninger.com