🎁 New tool for you
If you’re a high-performing mom stuck in survival mode, it can feel like you’re failing at work and at home.
I’ve created a 1-minute quiz to reveal what’s draining your energy and the simple shift that helps you feel more present and in control.
Hi {{ Name | there }},
We all know that nagging feeling that you’ll never be good enough, no matter what success you achieve.
I’ve felt it at different career stages, when I joined PayPal, when I was promoted to Product Lead, and even when I launched my first business.
That voice would never quiet down:
“Who are you to speak up in a meeting with the VPs?”
“You just got lucky.”
“You don’t actually know what you’re doing. Stop before you fail.”
“Of course, they won’t give you the promotion.”
“They won’t hand you the high-stakes project, so better not to volunteer.”
I felt that if I worked hard enough, if I achieved one more milestone, it would go away.
It didn’t.
When self-doubt hits hard, what's your go-to move?
So I began digging into how the world’s most extraordinary women navigate imposter syndrome.
Turns out → High performers don't eliminate imposter syndrome. They build systems to outgrow each version of it.
This is why every time I leveled up (new role, bigger responsibilities, higher expectations), the doubt showed up again. Just dressed differently.
That's not failure. That's growth.
Here are three strategies that have actually worked for me:
#1 Borrow Confidence
When you don't feel ready for something, borrow confidence from past-you.
Remind yourself: "I didn't feel ready for [X] either. But I figured it out. I'll figure this out, too."
You don’t need to manufacture confidence out of thin air. Just use evidence from your own history.
Past-you has already proven you can handle hard things you didn't feel ready for.
#2 Competence Documentation Protocol
High performers suffer from "achievement amnesia" - a cognitive bias where we forget what we've accomplished. So we need an external memory system.
Create a simple document with three categories:
Operational wins (projects delivered, problems solved, goals hit)
Strategic contributions (ideas that shaped direction, decisions that moved things forward)
Relationship capital (who you've mentored, partnerships you've built, trust you've earned)
Then, update it monthly. Whenever doubt hits, open it.
#3 Flip Perspective
Ask yourself: "If my colleague with my exact experience did this, would I think they were unqualified?"
Your answer about them reveals how others likely see you.
We hold ourselves to impossible standards while giving others the benefit of the doubt.
This question helps you see yourself the way others actually do.
The doubt will show up again. At the next level, the next challenge, the next big thing.
But now you have a system to not let it paralyze you.
Cheering you on 🤍
Shivani
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