The Imposter Syndrome Files Podcast – Review.

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Imposter Syndrome as a Podcast 

We continue our Creative Battles review series with a new podcast, our second podcast review in this series. The Imposter Syndrome Files is a weekly podcast with over 300 episodes that run about 35-40 minutes. This podcast has a specific focus as the name indicates of the Imposter Syndrome and discussing careers, leadership, imposter Syndrome and how to navigate these elements in the current world and reality for people of all ages.  The interview-based podcast is hosted by Kim Meninger an executive coach and former executive in technology field. She brings a clear voice to the interviews she has with a range of people that cover the fields of coaching, authors, and corporate leaders, that have a long range of experience in the areas.  We’ve reviewed five episodes for this review, (episodes, Aug. 04, Aug. 11, Aug. 18, Aug. 25, Sept. 1). This podcast is well structured for our series on Creative battles for both the small business owner and professional as well. As imposter syndrome comes with people regardless of their career choice or path.  

If you want to learn more about imposter syndrome and good resources about imposter syndrome you can read any of our reviews on key books about the subject in any of the following reviews. The Gift of Imperfection by Brene Brown, The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women by Vivian Young, and The lmposter Cure by Dr. Jessamy Hibbard. All three are great resources read our reviews to find the book that best speaks to you, or reach out directly to us on DM or timh@department45.eu if you want a recommendation.

Careers, imposters, and Pivots 

Starting each episode with a very professional introduction, we are led into the topic the guest and the core featured narrative for each episode. The podcast is focused on the interview and dialogue that Kim our host manages to set up with her guest. Each guest varies weekly and most we found in the reviewed episodes were people with extensive history and experience. They were mostly coaches or mentors with a depth of career and experience that made them well suited for their topics. All the guests seemed very skilled and well communicating about their topics and their message were usually very well delivered with the support of our hosts questions and focus.

With each episode and the core of the guests we found that the subjects mostly focused on careers, development growth and pivoting your careers, as well as leadership within your roles. Most came with a focus on the traditional corporate, or larger company environment that many of the guests’ examples and personal experience seem to come from. I still found this relevant at the fears concerns and challenges faced by people in these careers are very similar to those for small business leaders and creatives business owners. We may not have a boss, but we still have deadlines, doubts, conflicts, and challenges within ourselves which is the same regardless of our org structure.

Centrally to many of these careers, and leadership conversations was the focus on imposter syndrome and the challenges that this brings. The burden of perfectionist personality types, as well as mention of expectations that some people will come into roles with being common heard drivers of imposter syndrome feelings. The host can bring the relevance of the given episodes’ topic back to the context of imposter syndrome and how to identify, work through/overcome or deal with the feelings of inadequacy, self-doubt, fear, or avoidance that can arise when we feel the imposter within.

I really appreciated within a couple of episodes that highlighted the clear difference in experience that gender brings to the common career story and imposter syndrome. It’s clear that women’s experience working inside of male driven businesses and framing contribute to common feelings of imposter syndrome and the highlighting of these experiences being common, environmental, and real helps to ensure that people know that these will be commonly experienced feelings that are not just ours alone or individually but common and very challenging.

I also appreciated the focus on career development with a focus on Pivoting which is where we make fundamental changes in our career be it in business segment, or working hours, or subject matter. I feel the traditional career ladder is much more a rarity or even dinosaur for most current Millennial and GenZ workers, and normalizing and labelling what this is and how to do it well is going to be key feature of their working lives. Knowing that Pivoting is both normal expected and how to ensure the proper transferal of skills will be critical for the successful navigation of work life going forward.

Summary

The content of the podcast is solid, the guests knowledgeable and the topics relevant. I felt that this podcast, is great for professionals and knowledge workers, that may be within a traditional employed, or corporate structure that are dealing with self-doubt and performance-based anxiety about careers, leadership aspirations or similar challenges. This podcast will help develop these skills while simultaneously focusing on the challenges and tenets of imposter syndrome that arise in parallel. I enjoyed my time with the podcast and see value in these career focused discussions as they evolve in context of the changing corporate landscape of new technologies and changes in people and values. 

If you’re looking at your career or your next pivot, then why not reach out to us for a free first consultation about careers, direction, and mentorship. We have 20 years of communicating with multi-cultural leaders and remote working. We would love to see you grow into your next phase. Reach out by email or DM.

Thank you for your time.

Tim H.

Lead consultant.