I was able to shake the feeling of being an imposter by having a very hard conversation with myself. I sat down and made a list of why’s. When I noticed that the common words of the list were Fear, Scared and I don’t — that was when I had to check myself. I had to become fearless and stop being afraid of being what I knew I could do. I had no choice but to be fearless if I wanted to be successful.
As a part of our series about how very accomplished leaders were able to succeed despite experiencing Imposter Syndrome, I had the pleasure of interviewing Chandra Gore.
Chandra has built successful and profitable businesses through her boutique consulting and public relations firm, Chandra Gore Consulting, working with entrepreneurs to help them create foundations to ensure longevity and growth. Quietly making strides with placements for small businesses, entertainment, authors, therapists and motivational speaking clients on local and national news outlets she has also been leaving her mark as a publicist in the industry. She is also an author, speaker, podcast host, festival founder and producer.
Thank you so much for joining us! Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’?
My entrepreneurial spirit started at an early age. Working alongside my father within his many businesses as well as his colleagues; I was a sponge soaking up the ins and outs of how businesses are started, ran and sometimes fail or succeed. I used this knowledge at the age of 18 when started my own baking company which blossomed into a full-service catering and event planning company. I used this same drive while working in the private sector in various careers that allowed me to learn more and grow.
Can you share with us the most interesting story from your career? Can you tell us what lessons or ‘take aways’ you learned from that?
The most interesting story at the moment in my career was when I was able to secure a placement on a major podcast and work with some amazing producers to help with the placement. I mean it took months to get the placement on this national podcast for Wrongfully Convicted persons. I was unsure if I would be able to land it but that was the moment I knew I had to stop letting fear dictate my thoughts. My former client also got to attend an event with some of the most amazing people.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
I feel my company, Chandra Gore Consulting stands out because we are more than just business development consulting, we are also a public relations firm. I have the ability to assist businesses and individuals in creating successful businesses and then securing media placements to showcase their great work.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?
The persons who I am most grateful towards are my grandfather (Father) and Great Grandmother. Without the love and guidance from them I would not have been able to stay focused or to even learn from some the mistakes I have made. My grandfather who I will forever call my Father raised me. He used to push me to always follow my dreams. I remember when I was 18 and was unsure on if I should launch my baking business. He said words that have remained with me to this day, “If you don’t believe in you then no one else will”. This has been my mantra from that day forward.
Ok thank you for all that. Now let’s shift to the main focus of this interview. We would like to explore and flesh out the experience of Impostor Syndrome. How would you define Impostor Syndrome? What do people with Imposter Syndrome feel?
My definition of Imposter Syndrome is the fear of knowing you are worthy and knowledgeable of your craft and yourself. People with Imposter Syndrome will have extreme self-doubt, appear to be envious of others and have a negative mindset.
What are the downsides of Impostor Syndrome? How can it limit people?
The downsides of Imposter Syndrome are not being able to complete projects (quitting), constant negative demeanor and no forward progression. It can severely limit growth and elevation from a starting point.
How can the experience of Impostor Syndrome impact how one treats others?
Imposter Syndrome can cause one to treat others with mistrust and skepticism. It can cause someone to push those who believe in you away and when people try to show they care they will be met with rejection and aggression.
We would love to hear your story about your experience with Impostor Syndrome. Would you be able to share that with us?
My experience with Imposter Syndrome has caused me to miss out on so many opportunities. I would pass projects that were created for me to others or not give 100% or quit. I felt that my voice would not be heard or that I did not have the experience needed to make an impact. I would intentionally miss deadlines because I did not have faith in myself. It became draining and made me want to quit.
Did you ever shake the feeling off? If yes, what have you done to mitigate it or eliminate it?
I was able to shake the feeling of being an imposter by having a very hard conversation with myself. I sat down and made a list of why’s. When I noticed that the common words of the list were Fear, Scared and I don’t — that was when I had to check myself. I had to become fearless and stop being afraid of being what I knew I could do. I had no choice but to be fearless if I wanted to be successful.
In your opinion, what are 5 steps that someone who is experiencing Impostor Syndrome can take to move forward despite feeling like an “Impostor”? Please share a story or an example for each.
If someone is experiencing Imposter Syndrome the 5 steps I suggest they take are to:
- Remember why you started your journey — I have had to take my ideas and businesses back to platform to rebuild and remember why I even embarked on the journey to bringing my idea to life.
- Self-Care is important — To avoid burnout and the feeling of wanting to give up. Take time to care for yourself — Mentally, Physically and Emotionally. There were times when I did not sleep and thought if I took a break I would not be successful. This will help you to work with a clear mind and see your worth.
- Avoid comparing yourself to others — I used to always pay attention to other consultants and publicists and wonder why my brand did not look as polished as theirs. You have to put your blinders on and understand that you deserve to be where you are. You have the knowledge and skillset and you determine the metric of your success.
- Be realistic in your goals and plans — I would write down these lofty goals and plans that I knew in the back of my mind were unattainable. The moment I began to be real with myself that is when my feelings of being an “Imposter” began to dissipate.
- BE FEARLESS — Fear is the largest contributor to the mindset of Imposter Syndrome. At the beginning of my journey to overcome Imposter Syndrome, I found that fear was the root of my feelings of being an imposter. I would self-sabotage by not giving my full efforts or even backing out of projects giving into my fear of not being worthy. I found that when I conquered my fears about success and became comfortable with knowing and owning my greatness I broke the hold and became unstoppable.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the greatest amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
The movement I would want to inspire is community outreach and activism. Being connected to your community is key to growing as a person. Where you make your home should be very important. You have the ability to have your voice and help others have their voices heard by participating in your local community. Be it a town council, farmers market or grocery co-op, you can create a bond with your community.
We are blessed that some very prominent leaders read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US, with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them 🙂
I would love to sit and have a meal with Karen Civil. She has been my mentor in my head since I saw what she did with Lil Wayne in keeping him connected to his fans while he was in jail. Karen is the ultimate branding and marketing strategist. She has written books that have helped others and myself and is a brand of her own. Just to be able to sit and discuss with her what I have planned for my entrepreneurship journey and how I am able to create strategic plans for others would be amazing.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
facebook.com/chandragoreconsulting
facebook.com/chandragore01
instagram.com/cgoreconsults
instagram.com/conversationswithchan
twitter.com/cgoreconsults
This was very inspiring. Thank you so much for joining us!
Chandra Gore: How To Thrive Despite Experiencing Impostor Syndrome was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.