Overcoming impostor syndrome : regaining your confidence as an entrepreneur

We talk about it, we talk about it, we talk about it. For several years now, we’ve been seeing regular magazine headlines on the subject. Many books also promise to help us make progress on this subject. Training courses are a dime a dozen!

And yet, there are still a lot of women entrepreneurs who feel that famous ‘impostor syndrome’.

With this blog post, I invite you to find out what it’s really like. Dare to put these problems into words. Let’s dare to admit that maybe it affects us too. And above all, let’s find solutions together!

Acknowledging your doubts and limitations is the first step in moving forward with respect for the person you are.

What is impostor syndrome and why does it particularly affect women?

To answer that question, I’m going to dare to give you an example and reveal myself here.

During my first training session on health in the workplace, in front of a group of managers (you know, the ones in suits and ties who look at young people with disdain), I felt an immense weight. I felt my cheeks turn red, my hands sweaty. A thousand questions raced through my head as I set up the room and they started to arrive: Am I really up to talking to them about this subject? I’m ‘just’ a little chick and they’re impressive… Will they listen to me? Will they learn from what I’m going to tell them? … And yet I had years of experience and a solid diploma in Occupational Psychology. But this little voice inside me kept criticising me and making me doubt myself. So much so that I had to drink water and do breathing and visualisation exercises before starting the course.

This feeling, which I later learned to identify as imposter syndrome, is a reality that many women share. Imposter syndrome manifests itself as a persistent feeling that you don’t deserve your successes, that you’re cheating those around you, and a constant fear of being ‘found out’. Women, particularly in male-dominated professional environments, are often more vulnerable to this phenomenon because of gender stereotypes, societal pressures and a cultural tendency to minimise their achievements. > Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is a real confidence thief, but once we identify it, we can start to rewrite our own history.

Imposter syndrome, first identified in 1978, is a deep-seated feeling of not deserving success, despite objective evidence to the contrary. It causes sufferers to attribute their successes to external factors such as luck, rather than to their own skills.

This phenomenon particularly affects women for a number of reasons: societal expectations, perfectionism, and the under-representation of female role models in many sectors. One entrepreneur I worked with told me: Every time I sign a contract, I tell myself that it might be my last, that others will end up finding out that I’m not up to the job ‘.

The impact of impostor syndrome on female entrepreneurship

Imposter syndrome can have far-reaching consequences for all of us women entrepreneurs, often far beyond our imaginations.

I remember a friend who had a brilliant idea for her company, but she didn’t dare talk about it in a meeting, fearing that she wouldn’t be legitimate in front of her colleagues. When I spoke to her about it afterwards, she said, ‘Who am I to be able to claim that I have innovative ideas? This self-doubt can be an obstacle to her career and to her long-term development…

This syndrome causes some women to play down their skills or doubt their success, attributing their achievements to luck rather than talent or hard work. This can have concrete consequences:

• Reluctance to seize opportunities**: An entrepreneur may refuse to enter a competition, pitch her business to an investor or apply for an ambitious project for fear of failure.
• Burnout**: In trying to compensate for this feeling of imposture, many redouble their efforts, work excessively and end up burning out.
• Self-sabotage**: Sometimes this constant self-doubt can lead to decisions that limit the company’s growth, such as not raising prices or not delegating important tasks.

Imposter syndrome not only affects individual confidence, it can also have an impact on the economy by stifling innovation and entrepreneurial daring. Yet it is possible to change this dynamic: by creating caring spaces and support networks, women can remind themselves that they are not alone in this inner struggle.

Freeing yourself from this burden opens the door to a world of immense possibilities !

5 steps to overcoming imposter syndrome

To be perfectly honest with you, overcoming impostor syndrome doesn’t just happen! It takes time, patience and work on yourself. But I can assure you that it’s an essential step towards regaining your confidence and serenity as an entrepreneur. Here are five concrete steps to take you forward:

1. Recognise and accept your emotions

The first step is to become aware of your limiting thoughts.

⇒ When you identify belittling thoughts, doubt creeps in: stop for a few seconds and ask yourself, ‘Am I really thinking this? Is it based on fact? Or is it just fear talking?’

By identifying these moments of doubt, you can start to question them.

2. List your successes: create your own positive notebook!

I have a habit of buying pretty notebooks with vibrant colours, pretty shapes or positive thoughts on them. I’m very old-fashioned and can’t manage to take my notes solely online.

One secret I’d like to share with you is to find THE notebook that makes you feel good just by looking at it. Don’t hesitate to personalise it with glitter, collages, pictures, etc.

Then take some time for yourself. A few minutes may be enough if you’re also running out of time. Sit down with some music and a cup of tea, for example, and think: what have you achieved? What are the things that make you proud? What did you think you couldn’t do, but in the end you did?

Achievements can be big or small. Managing to talk to a stranger, managing to send a file on time, having been contacted by the media for an interview, having dared to talk to so-and-so about an idea, etc.

Re-read this list regularly to remind yourself of your worth.

An entrepreneur friend once told me: ‘Every time I write down my successes, I realise that I’ve achieved a lot more than I thought. It’s a powerful exercise. and it’s good for my morale!

3. Talk about it with those around you

No, it’s not shameful to dare to talk about these thoughts that invade us.

Open up to people you trust: mentors, friends, professional networks.

Talking about your doubts can help you demystify them.

You’ll probably hear that many other women feel the same way….

Female support can be a formidable bulwark against imposter syndrome!

4. Learn to say NO to perfection

Perfectionism often feeds imposter syndrome. Give yourself the right to make mistakes: they’re part of the learning process.

A Japanese proverb says: Fall down seven times, get up eight ‘.

Adopt this philosophy and value your efforts, however imperfect!

5. Develop a confidence-building routine.

Get into the habit of encouraging yourself every day. This can be through positive affirmations, breathing exercises or meditation.

I also recommend that you surround yourself with people who inspire you and believe in you! Their positive energy is contagious and can remind you just how capable you are.

By following these steps, you’ll gradually build a new relationship with yourself, based on trust and esteem.

I’m convinced that each of us, whether an entrepreneur, a woman, or anyone in general, has a unique voice to make heard. Learning to release your doubts gives you the chance to express your full potential and dare to seize the opportunities that present themselves.

How can you turn your doubts into entrepreneurial strength?

Doubts, although uncomfortable, can become a real lever for personal and professional growth if you choose to tame them.

I’ve learnt that my doubts aren’t enemies: they’re signals. They remind me that I’m stepping out of my comfort zone and challenging myself!

Here are my 5 secrets for turning your doubts into entrepreneurial strength!

1. See doubts as an opportunity for reflection

Rather than fighting your doubts, question them: why do they arise?

Often, they reveal areas where you want to make progress.

For example, if you have doubts about your skills in a particular area, this could be an invitation to train further or seek advice from a mentor.

2. Use doubt to innovate

Doubts can also trigger innovation. They encourage you to question the way you do things, explore new ideas and anticipate needs you haven’t yet identified.

It’s by questioning my choices that I’ve sometimes found more creative solutions that meet my customers’ expectations.

3. Channelling doubt into action

Nothing dispels doubt better than action. Make a decision, even an imperfect one, and adjust as you go.

There’s a popular saying: ‘He who waits for everything to be perfect before starting never accomplishes anything.’ By taking action, you’ll find that your doubts fade as you progress.

4. Turn failure into learning

Doubt is often amplified by fear of failure. Yet every obstacle you encounter can become a source of learning.

I’d like to remind you of this idea: ‘Failure is not the opposite of success, but a step on the road to it.’

By learning from your experiences, you will strengthen your resilience.

5. Turn your doubts into a source of connection

Sharing your doubts with other women entrepreneurs can create sincere and enriching exchanges. Not only can these discussions put your own fears into perspective, they can also help you find inspiring solutions and build strong relationships.

By learning to use your doubts as springboards, you can transform what seemed like a weakness into a real entrepreneurial strength.

When properly understood, doubts become a compass. They show us what’s important to us and encourage us to become better versions of ourselves.