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In an industry where so few AAPI women make it into the private equity world, what’s the secret to Jennifer Lee’s success? She shares her story.

Nicole and Jennifer get into why Jennifer wanted to change the world right from early childhood, what it feels like to be awarded a bunch of industry accolades, and how she’s working to lift other women, especially from under-represented groups.

You’ll also hear how self-reflection has led to her colossal success and why it’s important to bring all your human and vulnerable elements into business

And if you love listening to Humans of Fintech, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/humansoffintech

Thank you so much!

Follow Jennifer

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jennifer-lee-2a5b9716

You can keep up-to-date with everything Humans of Fintech at https://workweek.com/brand/wtfintech/

And if you’ve enjoyed Humans of Fintech why not try: Chicks of FinTwit, Tech Unlocked, Breaking Banks or Fintech Insider.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction

03:31 Why Jennifer Lee Was Always Going to Change The World

06:55 The Worst Kept Secret

08:44 Going Through Changes

14:17 How to Be All Things

21:10 Mentoring Towards Belonging

23:09 Why Jennifer Always Has Time to Pay it Forward

27:55 The Power of Authenticity

36:17 Choose Your Change

39:19 And What Next?

How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome

Imposter syndrome is the feeling you’re not actually worthy of your achievements or that you’re just faking it until you make it. It’s when a person is unable to internalize their success, always feeling like they faked their way into their current position.

Imposter syndrome can be extremely isolating. You might feel like the only person who struggles with impostor feelings, but rest assured that nearly everyone experiences them at some point in their life. In fact, research shows that 70% of people experience imposter syndrome at some point during their career.

To help you get over those feelings and keep them from coming back, here are five strategies for overcoming imposter syndrome and embracing your successes as well-deserved recognition of your abilities.

Recognize The Causes of Imposter Syndrome

Before you can overcome imposter syndrome, you need to know what it is and why you feel it. Here are some common causes of imposter syndrome:

– Fear of failure. If you’ve ever failed at something, imposter syndrome can be your brain’s way of protecting you from the pain of future failure.

– Pressures of perfectionism. Perfectionism and imposter syndrome often go hand-in-hand. Perfectionists are always looking to do things perfectly, which can be both a gift and a curse. It’s a gift because you’re always striving to be your best, but it’s a curse because you can never let yourself off the hook.

– Lack of self-worth. If you don’t feel like you deserve the success you’ve achieved, imposter syndrome can be a natural consequence.

– Past experiences with impostorism. If you’ve had impostorism in the past, you may have conditioned yourself to feel this way.

Watch Your Self-Talk

One of the best ways to identify and address the root cause of imposter syndrome is to watch your self-talk. Self-talk is the conversation taking place in your head, and it’s often the most unguarded part of our psyche. That makes it a great place to look for clues about what’s really going on in your mind.

Imposter syndrome often follows a negative pattern of self-talk. For example, if you’ve just gotten a promotion, imposter syndrome might show up in your thoughts as, “this isn’t really deserved” or “I’m going to get found out and they’re going to fire me”. Imposter syndrome is sometimes related to anxiety. If you’re experiencing a high level of anxiety, it could be covering up some of that imposter syndrome. Self-talk can be a helpful tool for both recognizing and addressing it.

Celebrate Your Wins

You can’t overcome imposter syndrome without recognizing your successes. If you’re feeling like you don’t deserve the recognition you’re getting, you can’t fight it by trying to be humble. If you’re trying to silence your achievements, you’re just feeding the imposter syndrome.

Instead, you need to put those achievements out there and embrace them. Imposter syndrome thrives on secrecy and silence.

Imposter syndrome can be a powerful and destructive force. If you let it win, it can wreck your self-confidence, your relationships, and even your career. But with the right tools and some dedication, you can turn it from a crisis into a reminder to keep improving.

Seek Support From Others

Imposter syndrome thrives in isolation. When you’re keeping your feelings to yourself, you’re keeping them in a dark place where they can grow and spread.

But when you start bringing your imposter feelings out into the light, you’re fighting imposter syndrome with the only thing stronger than it: the power of human connection.

Celebrate your successes with the people you trust and love. Let them know when you’re proud of the work you’ve done. What’s more, let them know when you feel like you don’t deserve it. Talking about imposter syndrome with people who understand what you’re going through can help you break the silence and start to overcome it.

Conclusion

Imposter syndrome can be a difficult thing to overcome because it thrives on secrecy and silence. If you never talk about it, you’ll never have a chance to overcome it. If you’re feeling like you don’t deserve the successes you’ve achieved or the praise you’re getting, it’s important to break the silence and start to address the issue head-on.