As entrepreneurs, no matter the experience under our belt or the achievements to our credit, at some point we’ve felt like an imposter, like we’re out of our league. I’ve been there so many times. I run successful businesses, I have received awards and recognition and my career spans 14 years as an entrepreneur, but there are still days when I feel like an imposter.

What Is Imposter Syndrome?

Imposter syndrome is an "emotional cocktail" that can make us hit the brakes way too soon and set our bars way too low. It can riddle an individual with self-doubt, making them question their own abilities

Part of Kathy Caprino’s series “Leading Entrepreneurial Success Today”

According to the latest data female entrepreneurship, more than 11.6 million firms are owned by women, employing nearly 10.1 million people and generating $1.8 trillion in sales (as of 2018). But only one in five businesses with revenue of $1 million or more is women-owned, and only 4.2% of all women-owned firms have revenue of 1 million or more. 

Over the past two years, stay-at-home orders and lockdowns have tested the strength of many American merchants. During the height of the pandemic, 23% of small- and medium-sized businesses closed their doors to customers.

While vaccines have brought hope to reopening plans, the post-pandemic landscape comes with a new set of challenges.

Right now, more workers than ever are willing to walk away from their jobs or switch employment, causing widespread labor shortages throughout the supply chain. For small businesses that rely on their employees to open their doors, this is especially crippling during a busy holiday season. 

There is no such thing as a typical day for a marketing technology consultant. Eight great years into my consulting life as Chief Strategy Officer with Digital Pi, I liken my work to a puzzler working a dozen puzzles spread out on the table at the same time. I love my work helping companies get more ROI from marketing technology (MarTech) because I get to work with an ever-changing variety of people, process, technologies, and challenges. I like to joke about trying to “unsee” some of my experiences – but I’ve come to learn that those are some of the most valuable lessons to share we can all learn from.