Shedding The Grip of Imposter Syndrome — From Berkeley Doubts to Boardroom Belonging

I’m pulling back the curtain on imposter syndrome—how early labels shape who we believe we’re allowed to be, why that “I’m-a-fraud” voice screams loudest the moment we don’t have the answer, and what an impostor spiral feels like in real time. I’ll share a colleague’s story of kids who never questioned their college destiny, the semester I spent at UC Berkeley waiting for someone to tell me admissions messed up, and the boardroom flashes where I still catch myself posturing instead of admitting I don’t know (yet). Then I’ll dive into my three go-to tools for loosening impostor syndrome’s grip: a quick naming practice that snaps me out of autopilot, a commute-time audio journal that drains the spiral of its power, and a curiosity script that turns “I don’t know” into genuine inquiry—and credibility. Hit play, and let’s trade posture for presence and claim the space we’ve earned.