How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome and Embrace Your Success

Ever felt like a fraud despite your achievements? You're not alone. Join me on Living the Whole Picture as I share my personal journey battling imposter syndrome in my roles as a photographer, educator, influencer, and podcaster. Discover how I've transformed the crippling fear of being exposed as a fraud into a catalyst for personal growth. We'll discuss the significance of managing imposter syndrome rather than attempting to eliminate it and explore practical strategies to celebrate our wins and build a network of supportive individuals who uplift us.

Embracing your unique voice is a powerful antidote to self-doubt. This episode emphasizes the importance of valuing your contributions and encourages you to share your gifts with the world authentically. You'll learn that you already have everything you need to succeed, and by connecting with others and sharing our journeys, we can all rise above our insecurities. I invite you to connect with me through social media and support the podcast by sharing it with someone who might need a confidence boost. Together, let's break free from imposter syndrome and live our lives fully and confidently.

https://www.jamapantel.com

Chapters

• 0:10 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome Together
• 8:57 Share Your Voice

Transcript

Jama: 0:10

Hey y'all, welcome back to Living the Whole Picture, the podcast where photography, business and inspiration collide. I'm your host, Jama Pantel, a luxury portrait photographer turned educator, author, influencer and dream chaser. Each week, we'll dive into topics that help you shine in front of the camera, build confidence in your brand and take bold steps towards your biggest goals. Whether you're here to improve your photography skills, grow your business or find the courage to show up authentically in life, you're in the right place. Let's get started as we work on living the whole picture together. Today we're tackling a topic that I know many of you, myself included, have struggled with imposter syndrome. You know that sneaky little voice in your head that whispers who do you think you are the one that makes you feel like you're not enough, even when you've worked your you-know-what off to get where you are? Yeah, that voice. If you've ever felt like you don't deserve the success or that someone's going to find you out, this episode's for you. So grab your coffee or, if you're like me these days, tea and especially matcha. Let's dive into how we can identify, manage and eventually overcome imposter syndrome. Let's start with the basics. What is imposter syndrome? It's that overwhelming feeling that you're a fraud, that you don't belong in the spaces that you've worked hard to enter. And if you're, like me, simply not good enough, it's feeling like your achievements are just luck or timing, rather than actual skills, talent and hard work Sound familiar For me. Imposter syndrome has shown up in almost every stage of my journey as a photographer, as an educator, as an influencer and even now as a podcaster. I can't tell you how many times I've thought what if people realize I'm just winging it? Well, guess what, y'all, I am just winging it a lot of the time. And then I also wonder why would anyone want to listen to me or my podcast when there are so many others out there? But here's the thing those thoughts are lies, the stories we tell ourselves, and they don't reflect the actual truth, my personal battle with imposter syndrome. I'll let you in on a little secret, which probably isn't a secret if you're listening.

Jama: 2:33

When I started my photography business, I had no clue what I was doing. I knew how to take pictures, I knew I was a photographer, but no one was teaching how to run an actual business where I grew up or in school or anywhere along the way. I didn't have this big studio or anything fancy. But I had those years of experience under my belt and I knew I had passion for capturing those moments and helping people feel beautiful and confident on camera. I constantly compared myself to all the other photographers out there who seem to have it all together. Their work looked flawless, their business model looked successful, and here I was even wondering if I belonged. And guess what? That same feeling has crept in over and over and over in my journey, especially in the world of online influencing. Here I was getting an opportunity to partner with a billion dollar run brand, but I couldn't shake the thought why me? There are so many other runners out there who had a way better run story than mine, and I kind of felt like I had to prove myself every single day, even though I was there for a reason. So, recognizing imposter syndrome for what it is One of the first steps for overcoming imposter syndrome is recognizing that it is fear Fear of failure, fear of judgment and, if you're like me, fear of not being enough.

Jama: 3:58

It's your brain, or, if you're like me, your heart, your body, every fiber of your being, trying to keep you safe by holding you back from putting yourself out there. But here's the truth. The fact that you're even questioning yourself shows that you care. It shows that you're passionate and invested in what you're doing, and that says a lot. When I started working on my book Picture this Quick Tips for Social Media of Portraits. When I started working on my book Picture this Quick Tips for Social Media of Portraits, which you can find on my website, jamapantel. com, under the tab Photo Resources, that little voice of doubt crept back in. What if no one reads this? And honestly I don't know if anybody has. What if people think it's terrible? Maybe they do. But then I remembered why I started in the first place to help people build confidence in front of the camera. That purpose was so much stronger than my fear. So overcoming imposter syndrome isn't about eliminating self-doubt completely. That'll never happen. It's about learning how to manage it and move forward anyway. Here are some of the strategies that I use Celebrate your wins.

Jama: 5:04

We are so quick to downplay our own achievements, aren't we? We can be the biggest fans and biggest cheerleaders of all of our friends, of anybody online, those social media friends we've never met. But when it comes to ourself, when something goes well, we tell ourselves it was just luck or timing, it's no big deal. But that's not it. It is you. Take a moment to acknowledge your hard work, whether it's booking a new client, hitting a milestone or simply showing up yet again. Celebrate that win for what it is. For me, that meant celebrating the first time I was named best portrait photographer in Austin, or that time I was published in the New York Times. Heck, I didn't even respond to their first request. It was my little sister who saw the comment and said that's a real publication. You should really get back to them and I thought this must be a mistake. But then I realized no, I earned this. So here we are.

Jama: 5:59

Tip number two talk to your tribe. Talk to your tribe. Talk to your people. Surround yourself with people who lift you up. What I always say in real life surround yourself with the good ones. Let everyone else go.

Jama: 6:12

When I was struggling with self-doubt during my influencer days, my running community and friends reminded me why I was there. They knew I was a runner and they saw that I put in the work even when I couldn't see it. Same thing with photography and writing these books. I have friends every day that remind me to keep putting myself up out there. Who forced me to put myself out there and who've encouraged me along the way, with this podcast, with everything else in life. I have my crew. I run everything by them. They probably hear from me more than they want to, but they encourage me to keep going and they talk me off the ledge when I need it.

Jama: 6:48

Tip number three is to shift your perspective. Instead of focusing on what you don't know, because we don't know everything, focus on what you bring to the table. You have unique perspectives, skills and experience, and that's what sets you apart. I remind myself all the time that there's room for all of us. Just because someone else is successful doesn't mean there's less success available for me. It's not a competition. We're all in this together. Tip number four and I say this often keep showing up. Action is the best antidote for imposter syndrome. The more you show up, the more you put yourself out there, the more evidence you'll have to prove to yourself that you belong. Start small, start messy, but just start and keep going and keep showing up.

Jama: 7:38

One of the most powerful ways to combat imposter syndrome and I say this a lot too lean into authenticity. Be real about your journey, the highs and the lows. It's when I started putting the lows out there, which I didn't for the longest time, and only showed those highlight reels. That's when people started seeing me, when I started showing up as my true self flaws and we all have them flaws, and all I realized that people connected with me more. They weren't looking for perfection. Something in my younger days I tried to put out there was this perfect view, and I kept so much to myself and I don't do that anymore. Maybe that comes with age, wisdom, I don't know, but people are looking for someone who is relatable. Authenticity isn't about being perfect. It's about being real and being you, and when you're real, it inspires others around you to do the same, and we need so much more of that in the world.

Jama: 8:36

So my final thoughts for this if you've ever felt like an imposter, remember this You're not alone. Every person you admire has likely felt that way at some point in their journey, and if they're authentic, they'll probably admit it too. The difference is they didn't let it stop them. They kept showing up. They kept doing all the things, and you should do the same.

Jama: 8:57

You belong here. Your voice matters. Your work has value. What you put out there has value. Don't let self-doubt hold you back from showing up and sharing your gifts with the world. We all need to see them and you need to share your voice. So thank you for joining me today on Living the Whole Picture. I hope this episode reminded you that you're not alone in your struggles and that you have everything you already need to succeed. If this resonated with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Tag me on social media or send me a message. I respond to everything, and don't forget to hit like or subscribe on the Living the Whole Picture podcast. That helps me, and if you know someone who needs to hear this, share this episode with them. We all need a little help sharing and getting out there. So until next time, keep chasing your dreams, showing up for yourself and living the whole picture.