Legal Imposters

When you have confidence in who you are, your whole experience of being a black lawyer is going to change.

You won't just know you're capable of anything you set your mind to. You're going to believe it enough to keep overcoming Imposter Syndrome and perform to your potential.

You're going to stop thinking of yourself as the only one and start believing you're the first.

You're going to stop being in your head so much and start being more present, making it easier for you to get started on the task and just get it done.

You're going to stop second guessing yourself and worrying you'll get it wrong. Instead you'll make decisions thoughtfully and easily and, no matter the outcome, you will always have your own back.

But the best thing about being confident in who you are is how you'll feel about being a black lawyer in a white world -

Instead of feeling powerless and that your life and your career are things that happen to you, you are going to feel so POWERFUL. You're going to feel you have so much CONTROL. You're going to FEEL LIKE YOURSELF again. And you will know, and believe it at your core, that the circumstances you find yourself in will never be big enough to stop you.

In this episode of the Legal Imposters Podcast I talk about what it means to have confidence in who you are and all the ways your life will be transformed when you have it.

I cover:

1. The difference between confidence in what you do and confidence in who you are (and why you should focus on the latter)
2. What it means to have confidence in who you are
3. The 5 step process that helps you build it; and
4. The difference it will make when you have it.

All of this is available to you and you can start having it the minute you begin building confidence in who you are.

To get started on your confidence journey, come to my live webinar on Friday 15th November 2024 at 1pm UK: How To Be Confident.

It's free but you must register to attend. Click this link to register now: https://caroline-flanagan.mykajabi.com/how-to-be-confident-masterclass

If you're a black lawyer, the chances are you have Imposter Syndrome or will experience it at some point in your career. Because for you Imposter Syndrome is different. It's not just internal. It's environmental.

So even if you know you deserve to be here and remember how hard you worked to get here, there a good chance Imposter Syndrome is showing up in your career and holding you back as we speak.

It is showing up in how you feel - isolated, alone, not enough, other than

It is showing up in how you work - overworking, overthinking, playing small, self sabotage

And it is showing up in the results you have in your career right now - feeling undervalued; being left behind, not getting the recognition you deserve, feeling constantly overwhelmed and stressed.

However Imposter Syndrome is showing up for you and whatever the cause, there's a way to overcome it so that instead of holding you back it gives you the confidence to succeed:

All you have to do is, Remember who you are

This is it. This is the answer to overcoming Imposter Syndrome that you've been searching for. It's as powerful as it is simple. And it's the only answer you'll ever need.

When you Remember who you are you connect to the version of you that is capable of anything you set your mind to. This gives you confidence in who you are and empowers you to get to work. And every result you create from that place just increases your confidence further. This is how confidence is built. This is how you succeed.

This session is a masterclass on Imposter Syndrome. In it I teach you everything you need to know about Imposter Syndrome and the only thing you need to do to answer it PLUS I offer you an irresistible way to take this understanding and make it work for you in the real world: CONFIDENT Black Lawyers.

CONFIDENT Black Lawyers is the new foundational programme for black lawyers that helps you build the confidence to succeed in a white world. This programme is suitable for every stage of your career - whether you're a paralegal, a trainee, an associate, a partner, an inhouse lawyer at any level. It's never too soon or too late to build confidence in who you are.

Here's what you get for an entire 6 months:

• on demand access to the 5 step process and practise of Remembering who you are
• membership of the CONFIDENT Black Lawyers community
• 20 live group coaching calls
• downloadable worksheets for each lesson

PLUS, the option after 6 months of staying in the community and having ongoing access to the materials and live coaching calls on a monthly basis.

The programme costs 600 for 6 months

With ongoing monthly membership at just 48 a month (not available separately)

Black lawyers - whatever your career stage, be ready. Doors open Friday 15th December 2024.

Every senior black lawyer will tell you: if you want to progress in a white world, you must have a sponsor - someone invested in you, willing to advocate for you, champion you, mention you in rooms you don't have access too, positively influence the views of those who don't know you. But winning a sponsor isn't always easy. For many it happens by chance. For most it doesn't happen at all. So what do you do when you want to progress your career but you can't find the sponsor to support you? The answer is, sponsor yourself. That's right. YOU be the one to put yourself in rooms you don't have access to and to win opportunities that wouldn't otherwise go to you. This isn't as hard as it sounds. All you have to do to sponsor yourself is to proactively progress your career. That's it. Just decide you are going to progress to your goal and follow a proven strategy that will get you there. In this session I outline what that strategy is and show you how following even just one of those steps is going to not only create forward momentum in your career, it's also going to invite an endless flow of micro acts of sponsorship and attract that sponsor that you so eagerly await. Here are the 6 steps to take to proactively progress your career:

1. Get clear on the goal
2. Implement feedback
3. Build your brand
4. Build relationships with people different to you
5. Be visible
6. Showcase your value

All of this I teach you in BE THE FIRST Progression for black lawyers. We work together to help you choose the right goal. I teach you the Feedback Formula, Intentional Brand Curation, Relate-Agility, High Visibility and the Value Equation - unique tools and concepts designed to progress your career in a way that is both measurable and sustainable. You won't find this anywhere else. P.S. If you are a mid to senior level black lawyer and you want to progress within the industry, BE THE FIRST is the room you want to be in. Book a free call with me and find out if BE THE FIRST is for you. Book your call here: https://calendly.com/carolineflanagan/bethefirst P.P.S. If you're a practising or aspiring lawyer at any stage of your career and imposter syndrome is holding you back, I want to invite you to join CONFIDENT Black Lawyers, the new foundational programme for black lawyers where you build the confidence to succeed in a white world so you can keep progressing, all the way to the top. Doors open Friday 15th November 2024. Follow me on social or subscribe so you don't miss the details.

Imposter Syndrome is different for people of colour. It's not just internal. It's environmental.

You know about regular Imposter Syndrome - the one where you think you're a fraud, tell yourself your success is down to luck and think that any minute now you're going to be exposed - but do you know about environmental Imposter Syndrome and are you aware of how it's holding you back?

In this episode I explain how Imposters syndrome can hold you back as a black lawyer, even when you don't think you're a fraud. I introduce you to the concept of "environmental imposter syndrome" the feeling that your an imposter that results from working in a firm or organisation that is neither diverse nor inclusive and / or where you're subjected to racism or feel you can't be your true self.

Here's what you'll learn:

1. What environmental Imposter Syndrome is and how it is different and yet the same as regular Imposter Syndrome
2. The 4 different levels that we experience any form of Imposter Syndrome
3. What you are doing or avoiding doing right now which shows Imposter Syndrome is holding you back
4. The simple solution to your Imposter Syndrome and how you know it will work
5. What to expect when you got to implement the solution plus how joining CONFIDENT BLACK LAWYERS, my upcoming programme will solve your Imposter Syndrome and give you the confidence you need to succeed in a white world.

Happy listening.

P.s. If you are a practicing or aspiring lawyer, whatever your level, and you want the confidence to succeed in a white world, join CONFIDENT BLACK LAWYER, the online coaching programme that connects you to who you are and gives you the confidence you need to succeed. For details of when this programme launches, hit subscribe and sign up to my newsletter here https://carolineflanagan.com/newsletter-signup/

#blacklawyers

#attorneys

#careerprogression

#confidence

#bethefirst

You're good at what you do. So why don't you feel it? Why does your confidence lag so far behind your accomplishments?

Knowing you're a good lawyer is one thing. But having the confidence not to overwork or second guess yourself, to speak up in meetings and to seize opportunities before you're 100% ready - this is something else entirely and it requires confidence in who you are.

As a black lawyer striving to succeed in a white world, you spend a lot of time either thinking you're an imposter or being made to feel like one. But whether your Imposter Syndrome comes from telling yourself your success is down to luck and that you're going to be exposed, or from the public school banter and bonding over what your white colleagues did over the weekend, the effect is the same: you lack confidence in who you are in the moments you need it most and this stops you performing to your potential.

If this is you, you're in the right place. I'm here to help you change that.

In this episode I tell you exactly what to do when you want to speak up more in meetings but keep telling yourself "I don't know enough" or "I'm not articulate enough".

I explain the difference between internal and external Imposter Syndrome and give examples of some of the ways Imposter Syndrome is holding you back right now.

I talk about the gap between "knowing" you're great at what you do and "believing" it enough to be visible, showcase your value and build relationships with people different to you.

Last but not least, I introduce you to Confident Black Lawyers, my new online programme for lawyers at every level that builds confidence in who you are and gives you a practical tool for connecting to that confidence everytime you need it.

If you're a black lawyer - practicing or aspiring - and you want the confidence to succeed in this industry, Confident Black Lawyers - coming soon - is for you.

Details to follow. Join my mailing list to make sure you don't miss the launch. Join here > https://carolineflanagan.com/newsletter-signup/

Should I stay or should I go?

Should I go for partnership or should I stay where I am?

These are just some of the questions you've been asking yourself for months, maybe even years now, that are keeping you stuck in the Confusion Stage.

The Confusion Stage

The Confusion Stage is the stage in your career where you've stopped moving forward and are just treading water stuck in indecision over where you should go next in your career.

Going through the motions

I see alot of you getting stuck at this stage and allowing too much time to go by before you make a decision. So you spend alot of time going through the motions of your day job feeling restless and unmotivated, confused and disengaged. Not challenging yourself, not being proactive and with no focus or direction. The result is that the months and years go by and you are left with what I call the pain of unfulfilled potential - that inner knowing that you are capable of more that is crying out to be heard.

A simple choice

If this is you, you're in the right place. In this session I explain how the decision about which direction to go in your career is a really simple one: stand still or keep growing. And the decision I encourage you to make every single time is growth. You've got to choose growth!

Choose growth

Choosing growth means looking at the choices in front of you and finding the one that will require the most learning and development from you. It's the option you're most afraid of. It's the one that triggers your Imposter Syndrome. The one that creates the most discomfort. That's the option you want to go for.

Who you become along the way

Choosing growth isn't just about the goal and how your life will be different when you get there (bigger salary,, more status, more independence for example). It's about who you become along the way - the skills you will uplevel the new tools you'll acquire and everything I teach you that will ensure you don't just progress to the next level, you also thrive at that level.

You will have everything you need to keep progressing, all the way to the top.

Mid to senior black lawyer?

If you're a mid to senior black lawyer and you have been stuck in the Confusion Stage unsure about where to go next in your legal career, I can help you with that. Book a free consult call with me and I'll help you make the best decision for your growth, your potential and the longevity of your career.

Click here to book

In BE THE FIRST we are changing the industry, from the inside out

We are being the change we want to see

We are breaking down barriers

We're changing the narrative

We are overcoming bias

We are being who we can't see.

We're doing all of this and more inside BE THE FIRST Progression for Black Lawyers. This is no ordinary coaching experience. There is a scope and a magic to it that makes it like no other. Who we are in this room, the transformations in this room, the connections and experiences made and built in this room are extraordinary. In past episodes I've talked about the practical strategy, the tools and concepts I teach in this room. I've talked about the Coaching container (the standard) and how I create safety in this room (#55 Vulnerability in Group Coaching) I've talked about the results and how I've built it to ensure you achieve your goal or transcend it in this room (#56 Transcending Your Goal)

Now I'm going to try and capture what's so special and important and magnetic about this room and why, if you're a mid to senior level black lawyer, this is the room you want to be in. Tune in to hear more.

When someone tells you you're "not like normal black people"; when they note with surprise "you're very articulate" or comment on how well spoken you are or well put together you are - it's a micro-aggression rooted in negative racial stereotypes that is hurtful and offensive.

But don't let micro-aggressions like this wound you and undermine you. Take control of the narrative and use them to empower you.

"You're not like normal black people" doesn't diminish you. It doesn't condemn you to play small.

It doesn't mean you're the only one.

It proves you're the first.

Tune in to discover how to make this micro-aggression empower you.

P.S. If you're a mid to senior level black lawyer and you want to progress within the industry, BE THE FIRST is the room you want to be in. In it I teach you how to navigate the challenges of being a black lawyer in a white corporate world so you can keep progressing, all the way to the top. Prepare for the next enrolment by joining the waiting list here: https://carolineflanagan.com/be-the-first-coaching/waiting-list/

When someone tells you you're "not like normal black people"; when they note with surprise "you're very articulate" or comment on how well spoken you are or well put together you are - it's a micro-aggression rooted in negative racial stereotypes that is hurtful and offensive.

But don't let micro-aggressions like this wound you and undermine you. Take control of the narrative and use them to empower you.

"You're not like normal black people" doesn't diminish you. It doesn't condemn you to play small.

It doesn't mean you're the only one.

It proves you're the first.

Tune in to discover how to make this micro-aggression empower you.

P.S. If you're a mid to senior level black lawyer and you want to progress within the industry, BE THE FIRST is the room you want to be in. In it I teach you how to navigate the challenges of being a black lawyer in a white corporate world so you can keep progressing, all the way to the top. Prepare for the next enrolment by joining the waiting list here: https://carolineflanagan.com/be-the-first-coaching/waiting-list/

You know the one thing that's better than achieving your goal?

Transcending it! 🤯

🏁When you join Be The First the promise is you either achieve your goal or you transcend it

🧐 How do I make such a promise? And what does transcending your goal mean?

One of the biggest reasons people hesitate to sign up with a coach is their fear that the coaching won't work for them and they won't get results.

Not in Be The First.

🎯In the very first session we agree your 6 month goal and we lock it in as a clear objective for your coaching.

👀This means you know exactly what you're working towards, whether you're still on track and what that goal will look and feel like when you get there.

And there's more.

💞 In Be The First I don't just give you the strategy for achieving your goal, I coach you on everything that comes up along the way - imposter syndrome and any other type of self doubt, overwhelm, not enough time, fear of being exposed, not knowing the answer, risk of burnout, a difficult relationship with a tricky boss, not being taken seriously ...

✨ You experience it, I coach you on it.✨

This means that on the way to achieving your goal you are:

• developing a life long skillset and toolkit for navigating your career as a black lawyer;
• growing your self concept as a lawyer at a higher level
• taking ownership and control of your life as a whole
• inspiring your children to believe in what's possible for them
• being a role model to and blazing a trail for your community
• being the change you and I both want to see in this industry

🔥When you join Be The First it's not just the goal that counts. It's everything you learn and who you become along the way that sets you up for success in a white world.

🎧Tune in to Episode# 56: Transcending Your Goal now.

P.S. If you're a mid to senior level black lawyer and you want to progress within the industry, Be The First is the coaching programme to join. Book a free consult with me and let's talk about progressing you to the next level. Book here: https://calendly.com/carolineflanagan/bethefirst

⚡️P.P.S. If you're a black lawyer and you've ever felt like a fraud or questioned whether you belong, my upcoming new programme will give you the confidence you need to succeed in a white world. Details coming soon. Join my email list to be the first to know: 👉🏾https://carolineflanagan.com/be-the-first-coaching/waiting-list/