Featured on the Show:

• Renovation Management for Interior Designers – Expanding your business with a lucrative service

What you will learn in this episode: 

• Imposter syndrome is real and nothing to be ashamed about

• How to manage your imposter syndrome

• Positive affirmations I use to overcome imposter syndrome

Imposter syndrome has been a topic that I’ve heard overshadow conversations I’ve had with designers over the past weeks, months, and over a year now.

This is a topic I want to address so that we can all work on our imposter syndrome issues and then move beyond them so that we can be as successful as we want to be.

When I was in my twenties, I was working for internationally known firms, working with highly public figures. And of course, I suffered tremendously from imposter syndrome. We were working with such a high level of clients and design that I would have the thoughts, “How the hell do I deserve to be here? Why me?

This was during the 90’s, and frankly, the term ‘imposter syndrome’ didn’t even exist. 

When I went out on my own at 29 and started my own firm. I was met with a brick wall over and over and over again. I was drowning in the imposter syndrome when I first started out. Fast forward, and I grew my business and became very secure in my abilities. However, I still didn’t talk about what I did. In the town I lived in, everyone knew everyone, and people respected each other’s privacy. 

So there again, I had this problem where people didn’t know what I could do because I didn’t feel I could talk about it. But all that did was hurt me.  On top of this, there were no websites or internet, so I would lug around colored photos in my portfolio to each job site, and this didn’t convey the construction component of my business very well.

Then I wanted to start a podcast because I felt there was a void in the industry talking about renovation management……and then….hello, imposter syndrome! And it’s still under the surface all the time, but I’m able to push it down when I get emails or phone calls from designers looking for answers. And there are even seasoned designers who reach out asking for another seasoned designer’s point of view on something. That is what keeps me going, and that has moved the podcast forward.

Then what happened with the podcast? It sprung into a course. Renovation Management for Interior Designers. 

In today’s episode, I share how I found my niche, how all of this came to be, and how I would be on job sites or doing tasks and think, “Oh! This is something I need to share about. Or, how I learned steps from XY or Z along the way.” But don’t get me wrong, just because I felt confident about the steps I needed to share, I also had thoughts of, “Seriously, Renee, who do you think you are?” But I still pushed through. A big part of that was because of hearing from my team about how they didn’t know I did certain tasks or jobs. Then sometimes, they had no idea about certain terms I would talk about or topics I’d discuss. They weren’t in this industry. So it helped me to see that terms or steps I understood, not everyone understood – and most likely, not every designer knew about either. So it was really fascinating for me to break down what I considered ‘normal things,’ and that’s what I explored for the course. 

I keep going every day, every podcast, course material, and email, and I tell myself that I know enough to help someone. I may not help everyone, but I know enough to help someone – I know enough to help a lot of designers. 

So as you will hear today, I have not been able to avoid imposter syndrome, but I have learned how to manage it and break things down into bite-sized pieces. 

Be sure to stay tuned until the end because I am sharing my affirmation for 2023 which has made an amazing impact on me and my business!

Like this Episode?

• Be sure to check out Episode #99: Paying It Forward – Sharing the Knowledge Other Women Taught Me

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