Taming Imposter Syndrome with Sydnea Lewis

Imposter syndrome can strike anyone, leading to battles with self-doubt and an inner voice who notices every fumble so it hisses unhelpful things like, “you don’t know what you’re doing” or “you’re an idiot.”

After 20+years as a speaker, I know first-hand that voice never quite goes away. But, I’ve also learned there are plenty of ways to shush it. 

And that’s what Sydnea Lewis, a Signature Talk Accelerator alumni, joined me to discuss. 

Sydnea is an experienced brand and marketing strategist and college professor, yet a year ago she found herself sharing her ideas and avoiding social interactions with peers and on social media.

Yep, imposter syndrome had Sydnea in its grips, but her experience in the Signature Talk Accelerator gave her practical tactics to embrace the fear of speaking and move forward despite it.

Fair warning: As always, you’re in for a real discussion. None of us has it all together. We’re all works in progress, but the insights you’ll take away from our conversation will propel you forward on your journey to becoming a more confident speaker.

In this episode, Sydnea and I discuss:

• The imposter syndrome struggle experts face
• One mindset shift which hugely dials down your nerves
• The messy middle of getting your first talk done
• A strategy to keep your talk focused even when you go off on a tangent
• To script or not to script
• Why critiques are a crucial part of improvement, even though they feel scary
• The joy of the speaking snowball effect
• How getting comfortable with discomfort leads to growth in your personal life

EPISODE  SHOW NOTES👇
https://heathersager.com/episode212

Chapters

• 0:00 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Seeking Feedback
• 9:17 Overcome Social Anxiety, Speak Publicly
• 19:01 Overcoming Nervousness in Public Speaking
• 22:24 Overcoming Self-Focus in Public Speaking
• 27:19 Overcoming Impostor Syndrome in Public Speaking
• 37:44 Overcoming Fear and Taking Small Steps

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Okay, you know what you're talking about. They are coming to talk to like, listen to you because you know what you're talking about. I just kind of have to keep telling myself that, Um, and then just going and doing it, and then getting, getting, getting that first you know messy one out, and then doing it again and maybe it's a little bit less messy.

Speaker 2: 0:40

Hi, I'm Heather Sager, former executive turned entrepreneur, and I've spent the last 20 years working with premium brands on sales, marketing and communication, and I've learned that when you become a magnet with your message, you only need a hint of hustle to achieve your goals. Get ready to be inspired and ignited each week with tangible strategies on sales, speaking, marketing and so much more. This is the hint of hustle podcast. Let's go Well. Hey, friends, welcome back to another episode of the hint of hustle podcast. This week, I'm coming at you with another inspiring interview from one of my graduates of the signature talk accelerator. Her name is Sunnea Lewis and she is a professor. She is a design agency owner. She also has her personal brand that she's really been kicking off over the last six months and she has won a heck of a story for you.

Speaker 2: 1:48

This episode is all around dealing with imposter syndrome, the releasing perfection, the messy middle that comes from getting your ideas on paper or in a Google Doc to actually present in the world. We talked about what it truly takes to seek out and receive critiques. Now, this is probably my favorite part of this conversation, because I don't know about you, but I've noticed in this online world with digital courses. It's really easy for us to hide in these programs, and what I mean by hide is we can be visible by asking questions to the Facebook group or submitting questions to, potentially, the teacher on a Q&A. But a lot of times when you're in these peer-based groups it doesn't always feel like you are like everyone else, meaning that in your head it's like why is everyone else so farther along? Why is everyone else seem to be getting it? But for me it's just not clicking. And we deal with these inner battles of feeling like we're not enough or we're never going to make it and it's all comes from this comparison with other people. Well, the harsh reality is we're comparing ourselves to the persona that other people are projecting into the group, and we all want to look good, we all want to look impressive. So of course we're all trying to put our best foot forward. But the challenge with this is it doesn't always help. Everyone feel seen and you don't really get a clear picture around the inner struggles that everyone has in learning a new skill and doing something new or getting to a breakthrough they've never gotten to before. So in this interview we talk about that, we talk about being open to critiques and we talk about how important it is to model what you expect in your students and your clients inside your programs. This is an incredible interview.

Speaker 2: 3:42

If you've ever had any level of discomfort with putting yourself out there or you feel a little like why is this so hard for me? Or you have these inner battles that happen to all of us as we are growing and learning and changing in our businesses, this episode is definitely for you. And, hey, friend, before we dive in this episode, be sure that you head over to check out the new Heather Sager dot com. We just launched our brand new website here this month and it is the hub for you to get all of the resources that you need to become more magnetic with your message. On the website, you're going to get my latest tools and resources to help you be more magnetic when you speak, how to become more profitable from speaking, how to nail it.

Speaker 2: 4:28

As a podcast guest. You're also going to find a suite of over 230 blog posts, all curated in marketing, speaking, business, inspirational personal development and growth, making money and monetizing your voice. There is an article or a podcast episode there for you to help you on this journey, so please do not shy away from your own growth. Do not shy away and just think like, oh, I'm going to read one thing and get better In my world. What I hear so often is people listen to this show and then they are hungry for more. So if you want to dive into some more episodes that are really going to be specific to you, head on over to Heather Sager dot com. Poke around a little bit.

Speaker 2: 5:11

If you need some help here, ready to a playlist for the podcast that meets you where you are and helps you take action, just shoot me a direct message on Instagram. I am at the Heather Sager. I love hearing from you all. I love hearing what's resonating on the shows. I want to know what you're working on, what niche you're in in your business, why using your voice matters. So always, always, please send me a message and tell me a little bit more about you. It helps me show up to this message. So it helps me show up to this microphone with more intention, and it helps me show up in a way that serves you best exactly where you are. All right, friends, I hope to hear from you on Instagram, and for now, let's jump into the interview.

Speaker 1: 5:55

Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh oh.

Speaker 2: 6:06

Well, hey, sonia, welcome to Hint of Hustle. Officially, we are doing this interview. We are making it happen. I am so thrilled to hear your hair. Thank you, I'm really excited to be here. We worked hard to make this happen. Between schedules and tech and wildfires, as we were just talking about, this is, this is happening, and I am so excited for everyone to hear your story today. You and I had the pleasure of meeting about a year ago virtually a little over a year ago, in person, a little less than a year ago and I am just a huge fan of your story and a huge fan of you and your work, so let's just dig on into it. So why don't you share a little bit about what your business is? And if it looks different today, then it used to look like. Feel free to share a little bit of that too.

Speaker 1: 6:54

Yeah, so I have a graphic design and branding marketing business and been doing that for quite some time. So usually it's been working one on one with people. And I'm also a yoga teacher, again working one to group, but just as you know, classes, and before we met I was actually I'm actually also a professor teaching graphic design and business to students. I'm college, college courses, and so I was doing a lot and I'm still doing a lot. These days I have the business has kind of transformed in that where I am no longer doing really long term projects. I do more of intensive, like day day in a week long intensive to be able to account for what I really want to do with just the teaching aspect. Mm, hmm.

Speaker 2: 7:46

And that just brings up an interesting point. I remember what, six months to even almost a year ago, you didn't really tell people that you were a professor. Tell us a little bit about, about that piece.

Speaker 1: 8:02

Yeah, I think that for me it's just the I'm a new professor, I've been doing it for going through two years. Next week, next week really and I think for me, because I'm also younger, I'm in my early 30s I just felt that imposter syndrome. So I've been doing the business, but now to be able to teach to students and help them, I just felt, oh, maybe people would not take me seriously and so I didn't talk about it. But on my social media I would say I'm just a graduate of the University and not an actual teacher. So now I'm like, yeah, I teach people how to do what I do, and do it mindfully, you know, with a study of don't start their businesses feeling crazy.

Speaker 2: 8:53

Yeah, it's interesting how our minds play tricks on us. I still think I'm in my 20s, even though I'm very much not. I still have flashbacks to like, oh, I'm just like a young kid who would listen to me. And then I write down the years of experience. I'm like, whoa, when did I get old? It's interesting how our minds play those little tricks on us. All right, let's talk about how visibility and speaking was showing up with you a year ago. So what did it look like for you? Were you speaking on stages beyond the classroom? Were you showing up on social? What did that look like?

Speaker 1: 9:33

A year ago I had removed myself.

Speaker 1: 9:36

So once upon a time I was doing more like networking and kind of getting out there, but I kind of went through a like social anxiety phase and someone like the outside of it, but where I didn't really want to be in public spaces, I didn't want to talk to people and so which is why being, as a graphic designer, be working one on one, was fine, and I found that even with teaching yoga, it's a different type of mindset or two different type of teaching, because I'm teaching to a group who's come to to like learn from me, but it's not a like conversational really, you know.

Speaker 1: 10:14

So I make it lighter, make it fun. And then I translated that to teaching my Harvard classes. Right, they've come to learn, make it light, make it fun, but it was not so much as like teaching colleagues, not teaching those who are, who don't have to be there, you know. So I felt safer in that environment, but I knew that. I knew that I eventually wanted to like speak on a stage like that little, like, you know, as I'm coming out of this like whole, like experience of not being able to talk socially, you know, to be able to come in, go from a classroom to different events, even going back into the networking and like peers was a huge thing for me. And so, yeah, a year ago none of that was happening.

Speaker 2: 11:05

And what changed for you, what made you decide that you finally wanted to do, you wanted to work on this. You wanted to get more comfortable, being social again, getting out there with your voice, talking with people.

Speaker 1: 11:16

I had been getting comfortable talking in terms of this classroom. But I remember the first day we met in person and we were asked what we wanted to do. Right, would we probably want to speak to people? And for me, I knew I wanted to do a retreat. Right, that was, I want to do a retreat. But by the time we finished talking that like that, you know, as time we spent together, I was like, oh, I want to speak on a stage because I know that what I have is so powerful and what I'm doing I can do this to the like a larger group and share with people more than the people who just come into my classes. I can do it like bigger.

Speaker 2: 11:56

So you, oh, that's so sweet. This makes my heart so happy not because it's a gush fest about me, but we all have that story of we meet someone and, whatever we hear them say or there's something that happens, it lights a fire in us. It's like a spark and it's such a beautiful thing. I think everyone has a similar story of a mentor or a teacher or someone who's done that for them, and it's just so. I love it.

Speaker 2: 12:28

You know, what's what's cool about our story of meeting is you came into my world in a little bit of a different way. So a lot of people come to me because they're very like I want to get started with speaking. But you came to me actually through program them, an affiliate for that you. So you came in another way, so you didn't initially raise your hand and be like I want to be a public speaker. You came for more of the business side and more of the let me get comfortable on camera and putting myself out there a little bit. And then you said, hell, yeah, let's do this speaking thing. So I'm curious around that. I don't even remember we talked about this before, but how did we initially connect?

Speaker 1: 13:07

So, with the affiliate that you mentioned, I had signed up for them and signed up to another affiliate and I stole that. I guess it's in the group. You were like Heather, heather, heather, and I'm like, oh, and I went to your page and I and I saw that you were there. I saw that you were talking again about, like, helping with their business and getting comfortable speaking, and because I, because I had just started teaching, it's like, oh, like I'm classroom studying, I'm like, oh, I want to be able to be better for my students, you know, and I want to be able to have you know also with the slides and the presentations that I'm doing. I want that to be great as well. I'm like, oh, this makes so much more sense. Let me go talk to see him. Heather, this is wonderful.

Speaker 2: 13:51

This is how you know you're doing a good job is when other people market on your behalf. This is like the key of being referred by others. So, to my students in the past who have talked so highly about me so that we could connect, I'm just, I'm so grateful. So let's, let's talk about uh. So we connected. You came through that program. You went through some of my bonuses, part of which is you got to come to a live retreat that I hosted, which is what you were describing before, um. At that retreat, you made the decision of let's, let's try the speaking thing. So let's talk a little bit about what happened next. So, inside the program, you started working on your talk, kind of getting more comfortable, um, and I know that you also then jumped into my very first round of the signature talk accelerator this last spring, which you were really really took and you just went for it. So why don't you talk a little bit about your experience with uh, creating a talk, getting more comfortable speaking? What was that like for you?

Speaker 1: 14:52

I think, going into it, I was in my head and I'm just like, oh, I don't know what to say. I don't know what to like, what am I supposed to be talking about? But during that retreat we got clear in the fact of like, what is it that I'm passionate about, teaching to my students, and so let's make that my talk right. And so, going from that into the next, like last semester, I'm like, oh, I can use my students as my guinea pigs and start working my talk out with them. And so that's what I did. And then the accelerator actually really helped it out because I was able to really outline it and get clear on it, because I had also signed up to do a actual talk at a conference, like a month after the accelerator that I realized was like my like a one night stand talk.

Speaker 2: 15:49

Okay, just clarify for those listening. Y'all know I'm a little cheeky with my language so I teach weird terms to label things in my program. So we talk about different kinds of talks a lot of times around here. I'm talking about a signature talk, but what's the name I just hit on is? We have some that we call a one night stand talk, which is they still want it to be a damn good talk, but it's not like what you're known for and probably not something that you're going to be doing a lot, but you still want it to be, I mean, fun and really good. So I love that you brought that up. It's my very weird and probably inappropriate vernacular.

Speaker 1: 16:26

It makes so much sense because so that talk and you talk about imposter syndrome, because that talk went from. You know, I've been teaching students, those who are trying to learn from me and those who are, you know, not necessarily on my quote, unquote level, but trying to get to where I'm trying to get to. This talk was to my peers and those who were above, and so I was totally freaked out and like what am I supposed to say to these people? I signed up to teach them about like business and mindfulness and teaching it or not, and again the imposter syndrome came. You know, because I'm like I don't know, why did I sign up with this? Like what am I supposed to do? But again, you know, we went through it and I realized, oh okay, and so I did it.

Speaker 1: 17:11

And the crazy thing about that is the going into the classroom, going into the room, the presentation room. I had to like change a lot on the fly because when I was supposed to be towards other professors or the teachers, when I got into the room, of the 20 people there were like four professors, the rest were administrators and the people who worked for the conference that wanted to learn about the mindfulness aspect of what they're doing, I'm like, oh okay, no problem, let's go ahead and switch it up, and so it's. There was this moment when I just felt so calm, like this is, it's fine. You know, this is a talk I probably won't do again, so let me just go ahead and have fun with this. And I really got that from that accelerator that we did, you know. So it's again to say, doing that going from last year was amazing. Then I turned around and did a TV interview about my business and another podcast interview, like all within like a month time span.

Speaker 2: 18:21

Yes, I love it. You owned the speaking snowball and like doing them in close proximity to really hone in that I can do it. The word that you brought up, I love it. I've been hearing this so much from people lately and it's been just making my heart so happy that sense of calm when you're in the room, even when things go wrong or things are different or whatever else. Let's talk about that contrast between what it was like for you before having that talk structure how you felt before versus that moment on your one night stand talk how you were able to kind of flip things on the on the fly. So let's think about before. I know that speaking to peers was a relatively new thing for you, but can you think of another time, of when you were not so calm approaching a speaking opportunity?

Speaker 1: 19:11

Well, teaching at teaching at the university classes definitely not calm at all. I was just very like, what do I do? Like, but just go for it. Really, yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah. I was like, yeah, just go for it. But it's interesting because I'm so grateful that I had the teaching yoga classes experience first.

Speaker 1: 19:35

You know, I've been doing that for a very long time and so because I know what that feels like to be calm in there, right, and because sometimes it's like I get into the room and like, okay, we just hit. I know we're just gonna just go for it, but for me it was going into the class, university classes. It was different for me because I'm like, oh, I have to actually be a little bit more prepared and that we talked about before about being scripted versus not scripted, and even though I have slides for university classes, it's not really scripted because you don't know what the students are going to say back, so it's always like this bundle of nerves and so that was had been very like, oh, I don't know. Which is why working with you was so important to me, because I wanted to be able to speak better to my students, because even though I could get through a classes, fine, and they don't see it. I'm just like, oh my God, I'm just messing up, I'm just I'm up with the two.

Speaker 1: 20:35

So yeah, teaching classes happen. You never do something, a lot.

Speaker 2: 20:40

Isn't it interesting how, on the outside, no one would ever guess the inner questioning we have about ourselves, or the nerves or the just the wild thoughts we have in our heads, but your students would have never guessed it. But for you, of going all right, I don't want to feel this way anymore as I'm teaching. I want to feel more calm, I want to feel more confident. First of all, just kudos for you for saying all right, I'm going to do something different. I'm just curious if you can remember back what were some of the specific things that really helps you grow that confidence and really feel more prepared getting in front of the classroom or for your other talks.

Speaker 1: 21:19

So I had a teacher one of my yoga teachers years ago when I first started teaching who, when I used to be really freaked out about teaching because, again, I was coming into the yoga studio as a 20-something, teaching people who have been doing yoga for 20 years and the teacher was just like it's not about me, right, it's about me showing up and serving and offering a practice to them, and if they receive what they do and if they don't, that's okay too.

Speaker 1: 21:50

But all I can do is my best. And so, in terms of what I had to do prior to really getting the structure over the last year, it's just kind of remind myself that I'm going to do my best and the students are going to get what they need to get, and so it's okay if I'm feeling nervous, like it's not about me, it's about them. And so that really helped me get into, like out of my head, even though I was in my head. But it helped me get out of my head in terms of just being able to say, okay, I'm just gonna do it and just figure it out along the way.

Speaker 2: 22:24

Yeah, it's so easy for us to get caught up in our own, like our own reality and make it about us. Even though we're so focused on wanting to help other people, our brains play tricks on us and that's where a lot of nerves come from and a lot of apprehension about speaking or any of those like jitters and stuff. It's really when we're self-focused, even though we're trying not to be so, that shift you're talking about around in the day. You really just have to focus on the people in the room and that helps you step out of those nerves. Is it easy? No, not at all. You mentioned that the scripting versus not scripting piece. That was something that came up. Can you talk a little bit about the difference around how you approach speaking now versus how you did before?

Speaker 1: 23:15

Before I actually didn't know the difference right. So when I first started again my yoga classes, I was teaching children and I had a script the first day. That went out of the window when they were like we don't care about your script, we just wanna do what we need to do. So I had to learn how to speak for specifically to yoga, speak on the fly, for just okay, we're gonna go for it and I translated to my adult classes. The panic came in when I realized I could not do that for university classes and so I really had to be a little bit more prepared. It's still like and still have some type of outline talk and go from there even though sometimes I go in a tangent but be more outlined when it came down to taking to the next level and speaking at on a stage or for an actual presentation, because I again in my head, I did script At that first, I think when we practice, I had a full script.

Speaker 2: 24:16

Oh you sure did girl, you sure did.

Speaker 1: 24:20

I remember there were times when like after we came to review, when I was told that I looked more comfortable when I kind of went off the script. So what I try to do now is really to speak good with my talking points, but also practice, I think, with the. Again, the downside to me teaching the yoga for so long is that I cannot go into a class and just go for it because I've been doing it for so long. I'm in a new space, I'm learning something new, so it's getting back to the idea of practicing before I get into the space and really being intentional about it. That's what I'm trying to do over there.

Speaker 2: 24:57

Yeah, I love that you brought that piece up. It's the practice piece. A lot of times people think practice means that I'm going to nail the script. So practice is a different way that they say memorization, let me practice as it memorized. But what you brought up is the practicing is you use the script as a guide to make sure that you're hitting on your talking points. We're a little bit more well thought out when we're typing, when it's a little safer in our Google Doc, but when we go into the saying it out loud in front of a group, that feels a little scarier because we never know what's going to fly out of our mouth. So you have to really practice to start trusting your voice a bit. So can you share a little bit about how that felt in the practicing process as you started learning to trust your voice a bit more Well at first?

Speaker 1: 25:45

again in my head. I'm like I can point out all the errors I messed up or didn't say it, but Did you totally do the like ah, I'm an idiot.

Speaker 2: 25:55

Ah, like, ah, like wow.

Speaker 1: 25:58

You know, I can hear the noise, I can hear this and this, but the more that I got used to it, the easier it became in that voice, just kind of it's there but it's not prominent, you know, like I know that it's a voice that's like the downside, but we're going to focus on what can I do better, in a more positive way, and next time do that or at least try to do that. So, yeah, the practice definitely helps and it also helps with my timing and also with the tangents that I like to go on, you know. So just kind of keep it in, you know, in the little, not quite the box, but in the time frame. I realized that when you are on a stage or you're doing a presentation or a workshop, you have to be within your time frame, you know, because you want to respect the respect, your audience as well as the people who are putting on the presentation.

Speaker 2: 26:47

Yeah, Okay, that's so freaking good. I love how you brought up that. That voice is still there. You just know how to tame it, or you just know how to put it like, instead of it being center of your focus, it's just there and you know how to now focus on more positive feedback and more. Okay, we're going to work on this. Like, I think a lot of people think that that voice is going to go away, but it I mean, here we are 20 years later still doesn't go away, y'all. Is there anything that you had to do? Did you have like power, like pep talk yourself or anything to like get through those practice rehearsals when it felt really awkward?

Speaker 1: 27:28

Definitely part of prep talk, definitely like shakes, like do some shakes, like the energy out, you know, and you know move my body, or just like go from movement to stillness and back and forth, until I just like really just thought myself okay, you know what you're talking about. They are coming to talk to like listen to you because you know what you're talking about. I just kind of have to keep telling myself that. And then just going and doing it and then getting rid of getting getting that first, you know, messy one out, and then doing it again and maybe it's a little bit less messy. And then and then also what I did I not only recorded myself, but I had people come in. Like so I would just have like my sister come in to like a FaceTime and I go through it with her and see what she says. I'd have my another friend like another time, like I'd have get live feedback to. That really helped.

Speaker 2: 28:25

Yes, I love your bringing in some of our advanced strategies once we get through that first round, right, I think a lot of people were like, how do I make this the best possible out of the gate? Like if I just do the work on the planning, if I do the practice, then I'm going to knock it out of the park. And what we adopt in our community is the. You know, we just got to get to that first stage, get that crappy rough draft, which is never, never crappy, just to be clear is we get that out and then we start refining. Then we start saying how can I make it better? Then we start bringing in okay, more critiques because we're ready for it.

Speaker 2: 28:58

We've built up the ability, I think, to hear the critiques. I mean, I know for you. So you went through the VIP track of the accelerator and part of that is we practice for weeks and then we actually do a rehearsal in front of a group. I'm actually curious. I'd love to hear your insight on that. It's a little nerve wracking, right, and in that process we get critiqued by our peers and then you also get a critique from me. Talk to us a little bit around one how that process was like knowing that you were going to do a pilot for a group of peers before your event and then just how it was to receive feedback.

Speaker 1: 29:37

It was definitely nerve wracking, but I'm really grateful for it because it's the same type of group that I actually gave the real presentation to peers. And so I remember I think you and I had talked and I'm like it's nerve wracking because I'm like these are people who are learning the same thing. I'm learning, and maybe even you know more. So, again, who am I to be giving this talk? Again, that past syndrome. But the more that we went through it and the more that we talked about it.

Speaker 1: 30:12

I remember there was one point when I sent you a message and I was like I almost like left the conversation that day because I'm like I'm feeling very like, not overwhelmed, but very like oh, everybody knows more than I know and I'm like so far behind and like I don't know what to do.

Speaker 1: 30:28

But you know, just being in the room and listening to the people, listening to the other people, it was definitely encouraging and it's like, oh, we're all in the same space and the fact that people could actually say it really helped. And so by the time we got to the actual pilot, again it was just that idea. I'm nervous, I'm kind of low key, freaked out, but I'm gonna do it because I know that any feedback that I get is going to be good and even if it's like to help me like be better, like it's going to be what I need. And you know, I'm not new to getting feedback for my stuff. That's what I do as a designer, as an artist, but it was a little different. I was really nervous but I appreciated everything, everything that I received, because then it helped me be better in terms of the actual live talk that I gave.

Speaker 2: 31:28

I love how you describe that. Around the it's easy to get caught up in the who. Everybody else has their ish together and I'm not but then realizing that nobody has their ish together and we're all in this together. You know, what's interesting is, as entrepreneurs especially those of us who teach other entrepreneurs it's kind of hard to play that role of being the student while staying in that mentor, teacher role, like holding space for both, and it's easy sometimes to be like, well, I don't want to receive feedback or I'm open to feedback, but we kind of reject it because it makes us feel like imposters if we're then turning around and teaching other people.

Speaker 2: 32:09

So there's not a lot of spaces or programs that really allow for safe criticism and like true critiques for growth, because a lot of times it's very I don't know. I think a lot of times we protect ourselves because we're trying to posture how we come across. I don't know if you, like have had that experience too, but that's something that I thought was really cool around seeing this particular group go through it together. You all were like all right, baby, we're just gonna like bear it all and grow together, and that's really what made those critiques and those pilots work so well, just like. So, so good. I don't know if you have any comments on that.

Speaker 1: 32:51

Yeah, no, I think that it's important and, again, like, for me, I'm critiquing is something that I do, like it's something that we do, is it's something I teach my students to not be afraid of having information given back to them, because there's always room for improvement.

Speaker 1: 33:07

And so I think, going into the VIP of the accelerator, it was just like okay, I signed up for this because I want to get better, which means that you, as my coach, you know what you're talking about. And so I have to be honest, I have to be actually do my best so that you can see where I need help at. And but, yeah, there are times where I've been in spaces where it's like I don't, people are putting on the front of like oh, I'm so great and everything's perfect and like, but we're here to learn and we're here to grow, you know, and for me, if I'm teaching my students to be open, be open to hear the feedback I also want to be able to project and be able to to literally do what I'm saying for them to do as well. So, and I love the feedback- so it's the power of modeling.

Speaker 2: 34:01

I love how you said that If you expect your students to be able to be open to you, kriseke, or being an environment of that, we have to model that too. Oh, I freaking love that. Okay, this is so good. Okay, I'm curious around you. Okay, so we talked about that speaking snowball. That you had right. You gave the talk. You had a TV interview, another podcast interview. Can you talk a little bit about how things have just felt business-wise or any other impact of those things since? Cause this was just recent. This was within the last four months or so. Three months, yeah.

Speaker 1: 34:36

I think for me, I think I know I have been working on my communication right and just being able to stand in the things that I know, when talking to not only my clients but just in people relationships and living in that Cause, I realized that that imposter syndrome not only has been permanent in my speaking but also just a lot of areas in my business and we changed that. You know, letting it go and just being okay with setting the boundaries, sticking to the boundaries and going forward and actually using my voice to do so. A lot of times I hadn't you know, it's like I said, for me, the one-on-one in terms of getting uncomfortable had not been something that I was used to, but now it's like really owning that and being okay, moving forward. So, yeah, every day, every day.

Speaker 2: 35:36

Yeah, it's this okay. So the imposter syndrome has been a word or a phrase that have come up a lot in our conversation. I'm curious how do you just look at and handle imposter syndrome now versus how you did even six months ago?

Speaker 1: 35:51

I think it's just been a again, that reminder of all I can do is my best, and the reminder it's just like accepting me, you know, I think at the retreat, that last day, when I'm like again balling in front of you because you're like, you're dope, like you have all the you do the things, and for me it's just that reminder of, oh, I'm dope, like I do the things, that I'm more than qualified for any room that I'm in.

Speaker 1: 36:24

You know, and I can learn and I can grow and that's what I'm doing, but where I'm at is where I need to be, you know, and just kind of that constant reminder to myself that it's good, you know, and then putting myself out there and just seeing what happens and people who flock to me or who come to me, that's great. If they don't, that's okay too, and I think also just being okay when people don't. You know, I realized that the last couple of months, like I have a whole thing of being perfect and being like, you know, on point, but it's okay, I don't have to be and that's fine.

Speaker 2: 37:02

So yeah, how is that owning that identity of not feeling like you don't have to be perfect with your words or with how you show up? How has that, how has that experience been for you?

Speaker 1: 37:15

It's been very rollercoastery, you know. Some days are like yes, and it's like, oh wait, do we do? We, for the one, do that. But for the most part it's just been a journey, you know, and again the constant reminder that it's okay, I'm not behind, I'm not, you know, I'm not, you know, I'm not behind, I'm where I'm at, so I'm just where I'm supposed to be and I'm doing what I need to do to move forward Beautifully said, beautifully said.

Speaker 2: 37:42

I think it's so fascinating. This is why I love having these conversations is so often we hear when people have guests on that are case studies right, have come through their programs or have had some kind of transformation. A lot of times they're talked about of ooh, look at the problem I had. I went through this thing and now look how awesome it is. And the reality is it is a daily rollercoaster and it's the ups, it's the down, whether it's perfectionism, whether it's a new speaking opportunity at higher stakes come up and you got to start the process over again. It's the recognition that you're never really going down, like it's a constant up, but there are dips, but like the I don't know if this is making sense, but your level is always climbing.

Speaker 2: 38:27

I think I talk about it often as like a twisty cone. We think we're going in circles and we're never going up, but we're really we're rising like a spiral up it. Just often we don't see a lot of examples of people talking about how hard it is and how rollercoastery it is for those things. So thanks for the openness on that. Okay, do you have any advice or recommendations for anyone listening who is in that phase of going all right. I have to been hermit-y in my business, maybe hiding a bit and not out there networking or putting my face or my voice out there as much as I would like to to reach my goals. So they're kind of where you were a year ago, even six months ago. Do you have any advice for them around how to find the courage to take that first step?

Speaker 1: 39:19

Just starting small, like if it's, I think, for me would. Before I posted my face again, I just posted, like, just started posting, right, it may be something, a meme that I saw, but eventually it was just I'm gonna post a thought against black background, right, I'm not gonna say it verbally, but I will type it out. So it's my thought. And then, okay, let me see if I'm posting this as a my face. But literally it just started with me sharing, you know, and just seeing that part, and it wasn't my face. Now I am posting my face a little bit more, but it just started with just let me post a thought and getting okay with if people like it or not, it's, they don't have to like it. I'm just posting it for me. It's something that I love and I want to share with the world.

Speaker 2: 40:18

Honestly, that is some of the best advice I have heard in a very long time. It's one of the simplest things. But when we think about having the courage to show up, people jump straight to face to camera or they they don't start small. They think it's small. But that little piece right there of use your voice but use it in a different way, that's safer. Right, it feels a little more psychologically safe to put it out there, but if you're the one doing it, it's still scary. But I love that you said do it for yourself. You were doing it for you, just to establish that, that confidence, so that you can keep going. Oh, that's so good. That's so good. Where can people follow you, connect with you, learn more about what it is that you do?

Speaker 1: 40:59

So I am at my name's Siney Lewiscom. Everything actually just read did my website.

Speaker 2: 41:07

You've been working hard on that.

Speaker 1: 41:09

It actually has all the things that I do on it now. It has links to my socials and it like a full bio, all that, but it it links to my my businesses in general, so Okay that's great.

Speaker 2: 41:21

We're gonna link to all of that in the show notes. Siney, I'm so proud of you. I am so excited for what's to come for you. You have worked your tail off over the last year really getting clear around what your message is and how you want to show up in this world, and I have no doubts that you're gonna continue to do really, really big things. Thank you, alright. Friends, we hope you enjoyed this conversation today. We will see you on the next episode.

Speaker 2: 41:57

Well, thanks for listening to another episode of the Hint of Hustle podcast. That flew right by, didn't it, gosh? I hope I didn't say anything super embarrassing today, but if I did, it's pretty much on brand. If you love today's episode, be sure to scroll on down wherever you're listening from, and if you haven't yet left a review, it would mean the world. Hit those five stars. Tell other people who are prospecting podcasts how awesome this show is. Give us a little love. We would appreciate that. And hey, if you're hungry for more of what we do here on this show, you can peruse all of the past episodes, grab the show notes and find out the latest free resources to help you get seen, heard and paid for sharing your expertise. Head on over to heathersegarcom. You can also grab the link. Wherever you're listening to this episode, and we'll see you in the next one.