In this episode, Filipino-American actor and comic, Nico Santos, joins Alec for a no-holds-barred discussion of Imposter Syndrome, the feeling almost everyone has of not being good enough. It’s only when Alec is doing standup that he’s free of his overwhelming anxiety because he’s in control. Nico reveals the paralyzing fear he experiences auditioning for big roles, like the mega hit romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians and NBC’s “Superstore”, something he has never talked about before. The comedic actor says he is scared to fail and scared to succeed. When he does win a part, he is sure he’ll get fired.

Another story Nico hasn’t told is the horrifying experience of losing his eyesight while just beginning to work on an Off-Broadway play. What started with haziness in one eye, got worse as rehearsals went on. He would eventually go blind during one performance. Luckily he was treated and has regained much of his sight, but it fed into his anxieties about not being good enough to do the work he loved. 

 Psychotherapist and co-host, Matthew Dempsey says the feeling of not being good enough, or of being a fraud, is common. He jumps in with good advice for all of us: “Your fear is not you. It’s a part of you. Think of success as an island and enjoy it. You deserve it.” If you’ve ever felt inadequate to the task at hand, this is the show you should hear and take to heart.

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