The Winner's Playbook: How to Build Confidence and Overcome Self-Doubt
This is what I'd do 30 years ago if I had to beat imposter syndrome again and build a daring version of myself for career success.
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Friends,
Quick story: Last month, I was chatting with a Design Lead at Stripe who had just shipped a massive feature. Instead of celebrating, they were spiraling with self-doubt. Sound familiar?
Today, I'm excited to share something special. I've invited Cami Travis Groves – one of the sharpest minds in professional development – to break down a dead-simple technique that's helped hundreds of founders and tech leaders deal with imposter syndrome—no fluff, no BS, just actionable insights you can use immediately.
Some context on Cami: She's coached executives at companies from Fortune 500 to startups—with over 30+ years of experience, helping them transform paralyzing self-doubt into sustainable confidence. She is also the Author of Get Out of Your Rut! and Inner Growth Workbook for Creatives. What makes her unique? She focuses on leveraging imposter syndrome rather than trying to eliminate it (trust me, this is a game-changer).
Let's dive in 🏊♂️
What you can expect
What It Is: Persistent self-doubt despite success, common in creatives.
Why It Happens: Subjective work, constant iteration, comparison, and fast-paced change.
How It Shows Up: Perfectionism, overworking, hesitation, avoiding help, expecting effortless success.
Why It Matters: Limits creativity, erodes confidence and leads to burnout.
Key Strategies: Share struggles and seek support. Celebrate wins and progress. Reframe negative thoughts into empowering ones. Embrace growth and curiosity over perfection. Practice mindfulness and self-kindness.
Big Picture: Shift from fear to love, value your unique strengths, and reframe imposter syndrome as a growth signal. “You don’t need to be perfect to be valuable.”
This is what top performers know about imposter syndrome.
You’ve heard the saying, “Fake it until you make it.”
But let’s be honest: Faking it can leave you feeling like a fraud, worried that someone will expose you as an imposter. Sound familiar? If so, you’re not alone. Imposter syndrome — the persistent feeling that you’re not as competent as others perceive you to be — is a common experience among creative professionals, especially UX designers.
In my 30+-year career, I’ve faced it myself more times than I can count. Early in my career, I questioned whether I truly belonged in rooms filled with talented peers. Even with a BFA degree in design and illustration, my inner critic constantly asked, “What if they find out I’m just winging it?” Even with positive feedback, promotions, and accomplishments, my doubts persisted.
Imposter syndrome thrives in silence. When you feel stuck in self-doubt, it’s easy to believe you’re the only one struggling. But the truth is that many of the most successful creatives and professionals experience imposter syndrome. They won’t talk about it openly. The good news? Recognizing and addressing it can transform this internal struggle into a powerful opportunity for growth.
Why Creatives Feel *It* So Strongly
UX designers are especially prone to imposter syndrome for several reasons:
The subjectivity of design: Unlike math or coding, there’s no single right answer in design. Every solution is open to interpretation, making us second-guess whether our work is excellent enough.
Iteration Culture: The nature of UX is iterative — there’s always room for improvement. This focus on revision can blur the line between striving for better and feeling inadequate.
Comparison: In an industry that thrives on showcasing portfolios, it’s easy to compare yourself to others. Social media can amplify this, making others’ polished designs look effortless compared to your behind-the-scenes struggles.
Fast-paced Innovation: The tech world moves so quickly. New tools, trends, and frameworks emerge constantly, leaving many designers feeling like they’re perpetually behind.
The result? A sneaky voice in your head whispering, “You don’t belong here. Everyone else has it figured out. You’re not good enough.”
“Imposter Syndrome is part of every human being, since the beginning of time, because we are all born to create. Especially so for designers, as we create from nothing. There are no playbooks, and the results are subjective even though we tried our best to measure them by value and impact.
“Recognizing this core nature of Imposter Syndrome will help us to Reframe & Reevaluate who we are and the values that we bring to the table — from Imposter to Innovator, from Syndrome to Superpower, from Unsure If We Are Good Enough to Surely We are Iterating Towards Greatness.” — Michael Tam
Let that sink in.
How Imposter Syndrome Shows Up
Imposter syndrome can sneak into your thoughts and behaviors in surprising ways. In her book, The Secret Thoughts of Successful Women and Men, Dr. Valerie Young identifies five archetypes of imposter syndrome. Each reflects a specific way self-doubt manifests. Recognizing these patterns is the first step to overcoming them. Do any of these sound familiar to you?
The Perfectionist
The Perfectionist believes every detail must be flawless. If this is your archetype, you might endlessly rework a design, worrying it’s not quite right. You might even feel that anything less than perfect proves you’re not talented enough.
Reality check: Perfectionism can stifle your success and creativity. Sometimes good means it’s “good enough. Ask yourself, “Does this truly need 100% of my effort, or can I move forward as it is?”
The Superhuman
The Superhuman thinks taking on more roles or responsibilities will prove their competence. You might say yes to every request, stretching yourself thin to the point of burnout.
Reality check: Competence isn’t measured by how much you take on. Give yourself permission to say no. Focus on what truly matters — tasks that align with your strengths and priorities — and delegate the rest.
The Expert
This archetype believes they need to know everything before speaking up. You might hesitate to share your ideas or contribute in meetings, fearing you’ll be exposed as lacking knowledge.
Reality check: Creativity thrives on experimentation, not expertise. No one knows everything, and the best ideas often come from collaboration. Give yourself permission to share before you feel 100% ready.
The Soloist
The Soloist believes asking for help is a sign of weakness. You prefer to work alone, fearing that collaboration might reveal your shortcomings.
Reality check: Asking for help is a strength, not a weakness. Surrounding yourself with skilled teammates doesn’t diminish your value; it enhances your ability to grow and deliver your best work.
The Natural Genius
This archetype assumes success should come effortlessly. If you have to work hard at something, you might interpret it as proof that you’re not genuinely talented.
Reality check: Effort is not a sign of inadequacy — it’s the path to mastery. Reframe challenges as opportunities to grow. Every struggle teaches you something valuable for your next experiment.
These archetypes, and imposter syndrome in general, can affect more than just your mindset; they can impact your job performance and creativity. How can you fully engage with your projects when you're constantly second-guessing yourself? You might be hesitant to take creative risks or advocate for a unique idea because you fear it might not be good enough. Over time, this can chip away at your confidence and make it harder to grow as a designer.
The key is to notice these patterns as they show up and remind yourself that you don’t have to have all the answers or be perfect to contribute meaningfully. Each designer, each person, brings a unique perspective to their work, and creativity flourishes when we allow ourselves the freedom to be imperfect.
“…impostor syndrome was blocking me from realizing that I deserved to be doing the job I was doing. And more so… this was actively making me a less effective and successful person…
“…folks who have been recognized to be some of the best at what they do, and their initial reaction towards this isn't to celebrate… or lean into this point of validation. Instead, a lot of us choose to make ourselves small, minimize our achievements, and downplay our accomplishments. All because there's this lingering thought in the back of our heads that ‘we don't deserve this.’” — Mark Manalaysay
Imposter syndrome doesn’t just affect how you feel — it also impacts how you work. Left unchecked, it can:
Limit creativity: Self-doubt makes you less likely to take risks or experiment with new ideas.
Erode confidence: Hesitating to share your work or advocate for your ideas can create a feedback loop of insecurity.
Cause burnout: Overworking to “prove yourself” can lead to exhaustion and disillusionment.
Recognizing these effects is essential for breaking free. When you acknowledge how imposter syndrome is holding you back, you can begin to disrupt its influence and reclaim your confidence.
What’s Happening In Your Brain
When experiencing imposter syndrome, our brain responds in ways that heighten self-doubt and resistance to new challenges. Neurobiologically, this response involves your amygdala, which regulates fear and emotional responses.
When the amygdala perceives a situation as threatening (such as feeling unprepared or fearing judgment), it triggers your fight-or-flight response. This makes us overly self-critical and anxious, leading to classic imposter thoughts of not being good enough. Your prefrontal cortex, the brightest part of your brain, is offline while you’re in fight-or-flight mode.
The brain also prefers what is known and familiar and wants to do things on repeat. Doing new things increases your cognitive load, which is why taking on new tasks or responsibilities can feel overwhelming or mentally taxing — it is! Your brain must work harder to adapt and learn, which can feel uncomfortable. This discomfort is one reason imposter syndrome is particularly prevalent in creative or highly skilled fields where innovation and learning are constant. With every new iteration, there’s a good chance you’ll feel that discomfort again.
But this is not the doom sentence it may seem. Fortunately, neuroscience also suggests ways to manage these responses.
Once you notice the monologue of fear, you can intentionally disrupt it and get past it and the sensations it brings. The only way out is through. Relax to get your prefrontal cortex back online and get back to higher thinking. Noticing is always the first step.
How often do we believe it when we tell ourselves that we’re not good enough, smart enough, brave enough, old enough, young enough, experienced enough, enough enough? If your best friend spoke to you the way you speak to yourself, would you still be friends? How could you be so mean to yourself?
There’s so much to love and appreciate about yourself! Let’s dig a bit deeper and uncover some of those things.
Love versus Fear
Imposter syndrome stems from fear — fear of failure, rejection, or not being enough. But fear isn’t the only option. By choosing love — curiosity, gratitude, and self-acceptance — you can shift your mindset toward abundance and growth.
Here’s how:
Practice gratitude daily. Reflect on what you’re proud of and what you’ve learned.
Approach challenges with curiosity, asking, “What can I discover from this?”
Focus on progress over perfection. Celebrate small wins along the way.
The more you operate from love instead of fear, the less power imposter syndrome will have over you.
Reclaim Your Story
At its core, imposter syndrome is a narrative problem. It tells you a story about yourself that isn’t true. The challenge is to rewrite that story — to replace self-doubt with self-trust and recognize that your value isn’t tied to perfection or external validation.
Start by identifying the limiting beliefs fueling your imposter syndrome. Ask yourself: