Reboot Podcast Episode Wisdom for Work #24 – Unlocking Imposter Syndrome – with Miriam Meima

The Reboot podcast showcases the heart and soul, the wins and losses, the ups and downs of startup leadership. On the show, Entrepreneurs, CEO’s, and Startup Leaders discuss with Jerry Colonna the emotional and psychological challenges they face daily as leaders.

Wisdom for Work #24 // June 18, 2024

Guests

Miriam Meima

Miriam Meima

Coach & Facilitator

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Ali Schultz

Ali Schultz

Co-founder of Reboot & Coach

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Episode Description

In this episode, Ali Schultz reunites with coach Miriam Meima for a heartfelt conversation about imposter syndrome. They move beyond simply acknowledging the phenomenon, and instead, share practical strategies for managing it effectively.

Miriam offers a fresh perspective, framing imposter syndrome as the gap between our perceived capability and perceived expectations, and provides advice for making those situations feel less overwhelming. The duo emphasizes the power of choice, and how when we recognize the stories we tell ourselves, we can break free from their grip. Ali and Miriam share simple techniques like breathwork for managing fear and highlight the importance of celebrating our growth edges when we push our boundaries.

We hope this conversation will equip you with actionable tools to silence self-doubt and reclaim your capable mindset.

Show Highlights

Memorable Quotes:

“I believe that imposter syndrome lives in the gap between our perceived capacity and perceived expectations and whatever we think other people are expecting of us in a certain role or moment. Tha delta of the two is usually the amplitude of someone’s imposter syndrome.” – Miriam Meima

“If I could rewind time, I would have probably lowered the expectations of myself which would have helped me feel like you’re just going to do the best you can, and that’s enough. Rather than feeling like the best I could do was never going to measure up” – Miriam Meima 

“So often I’m in front of someone and I trust them more than they’re trusting themselves in that moment. That’s our job as humans is to trust one another. Until we can trust ourselves. I mean, like really on behalf of other people who are deserving of that trust, we have to hold space for that for one another until we can do it for ourselves.” – Miriam Meima

“If we can remember that we have a choice to keep going or not, then we start to get out of victim mindset and into a more empowered place and feeling more in control.” – Miriam Meima

“Being with the nervous system, I think, is so important in those moments, because our fear reaction is so contracting. But to be able to recognize, ‘Oh, here I am at the edge. I am not breathing anymore.’ It’s so huge for folks and then to just bring breath into that situation. You’re telling that part of your brain that really cares about survival, ‘It’s okay. We can survive this thing. We can survive this presentation. We can survive this strategy planning session.’” – Ali Schultz

“When I’m anxious, I just suddenly start doubting what I at one point in my life may have known to be incredibly true and solid about myself.” – Ali Schultz

“Let’s figure out the strategies that help us find our ground in the midst of imposter syndrome. Figure out what type of imposter syndrome is this? What do I need to do in order to support myself? What support do because I really believe it’s so much more fun to be moving through life when we’re not in our head.” – Miriam Meima

“So if we notice that we’re feeling imposter syndrome, we shouldn’t just accept it. We should find our way out or find our way through and remember that we have a choice and that we can reclaim the state of mind that we are in, the state of our being and return to a place where we feel capable and set up for success. And that can be sustained if we keep using the tools.” – Miriam Meima