Imposter syndrome has a way of finding you no matter how far you've come. Keith and Laura revisit a topic they first explored back in 2023. Two years later, the feelings are back. And this time, the conversation goes deeper.

The "Who Am I?" MonsterAfter spending several long drives through Wisconsin listening to podcasts by Gary Vee, Ethan Suplee, and Amy Poehler, Laura found herself doing something she didn't expect: comparing herself to them and feeling like she didn't measure up.

What struck her wasn't that she wanted to be them, but that she started feeling like she couldn't justify doing what she does without their level of credentials or platform. The "who am I?" voice got louder. And she recognized it immediately, because she'd been there before.

Earlier in her career, Laura navigated imposter syndrome by becoming undeniable. She put in extraordinary hours as a Dean of Institutional Research while pursuing her PhD, and building expertise that silenced the doubt. But that drive came at a cost. There were kid’s first day of school pictures captured in the dark after a 15-hour workday and other school programs missed. Trying to be the expert and the superhuman eventually caught up with her.
Accepting the ImperfectionKeith approaches imposter syndrome from a different angle. He's made peace with the idea that self-doubt around the things you care most about is probably never going away and that's not a bad thing. What matters is what you do with it.

For Keith, the instinct when self-doubt hits is to withdraw, hide, or avoid. He names this honestly and says the work is in recognizing that signal and choosing to lean in instead. He's even kept early podcast moments like a recording where he openly said he didn't think what they were doing was good enough, precisely because that kind of authenticity is the point.

He pushes back gently on the idea of "pushing through" imposter syndrome, noting that some people are carrying much heavier loads, and relentless pushing leads to the same burnout Laura described. The better path, he says, is to move with grace, patience, and mindfulness and to get clear on what truly matters. When you know what matters, the things that trigger doubt lose their grip.

"Why Not Us.”If you're in a season where the "who am I?" voice is getting louder, this episode is for you. Laura is learning to ask "why not us?" It's a small shift with a significant impact. No need to reach the top of the mountain and look down. She wants to be on the journey with people. And that, she says, is exactly what this podcast is about. Imposter syndrome may not disappear, but it doesn't have to stop us either. Instead of asking "who am I to do this?”we can start saying, “Why not us.”

Thanks for Joining Us.
From "Who Am I?" to "Why Not Us?” | Reframing Imposter Syndrome

00:00 - Intro03:24 - Who am I to do this? The comparison trigger04:11 - Revisiting imposter syndrome10:03 - Working hard to become undeniable11:31 - You don't need to be an expert to show up15:41 - Lean in vs. withdraw: how to handle the signal23:22 - Why not me? Why not us?24:29 - The parent tension: career, family, and identity31:08 - Labels are for awareness, not identity32:04 - Accepting imperfection as a path forward35:43 - Letting the "who am I" monster get smaller36:31 - You are a unicorn — your story matters37:08 - Outro

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The show notes were created with assistance from Perplexity AI, which helped generate and organize key points based on the podcast transcript.