The Women in Energy series is a joint project between USEA and USAID to help improve the visibility of women's participation and leadership in the traditionally male-dominated energy sector and their active participation in policies and gender outcomes in organizations.

Every month we feature a woman who has shown exemplary leadership. The women highlighted come from diverse backgrounds and roles, and they bring with them a unique perspective on gender equality within the energy sector. We believe that increasing women's leadership and participation in decision-making for climate policies needs active communications campaigns and championing that catalyze behavioral change and urgent action.

1. Your career path is unusual. You began in private sector and switched to being a leadership coach and consultant. What role did your education have in your career path?

My career path has been a series of unexpected twists and turns. I studied psychology in college and always dreamed of becoming a therapist. I spent a couple of years after college preparing to apply to a Ph.D. program but, ultimately, decided not to commit to additional education. Instead, I entered the high-tech industry as a relationship manager where I managed partnerships with various third parties in our broader ecosystem.

My psychology background served me well in this role. My natural people skills allowed me to build trust, connection and influence quickly. But I had never taken a business course and knew nothing about technology when I joined. This led to extreme feelings of impostor syndrome! Initially I considered studying software engineering (I took 3 courses before deciding that was not the path for me!) but eventually I decided to get an MBA.

I had no visions of ever becoming an entrepreneur. While working in high-tech, I aspired to climb the corporate ladder from within. But when I had my first child 14 years ago, I decided not to return to my job. I no longer felt meaningfully connected to my work and longed to do something that better leveraged my natural skills and talents. I was on maternity leave when I discovered coaching. During that time, I went through a certification programming and slowly began my coaching career. Fourteen years later, my business is still expanding. I’m now a coach, consultant and speaker who is on a mission to make it easier to be human at work. And while it wasn’t a master plan, this role brings together all aspects of my education and work experience.

2. You have a podcast titled “The Impostor Syndrome Files”. Can you share your top strategies or any assertive action to effectively release limitations that women often struggle with during their career growth journey?

I was first introduced to the term “impostor syndrome” when I was studying psychology many years ago. I remember the relief I felt when I realized there was a name for the feelings that had been such a big part of my academic experience. As I mentioned previously, impostor syndrome struck even more forcefully when I transitioned to the high-tech space.

When I left my corporate career and started my own coaching business, I did so with the intention of becoming the resource to others that I wished I had had during my career. Nobody ever talked about impostor syndrome back then and there were limited resources to help women navigate self-doubt in heavily male-dominated fields. I wanted to normalize the experience so that people felt less alone and would have tools to manage their feelings. The podcast is one way in which I offer this support.

Practically speaking, there are a few strategies I like to share:

• The inner critic – that voice that tells you that you’re not good enough and others are going to find out you’re a fraud – is not truth, it’s fear. The inner critic is the brain’s way of keeping us in our comfort zones. It hopes that by telling us we’re going to fail, we won’t take that risk and we’ll be protected from danger. When we hear the inner critic, it’s important to recognize that we’ve just stepped into a situation that our brains find scary. Instead of accepting the inner critic’s message at face value, ask yourself, “What am I actually afraid of?” Name your fears as specifically as possible, then devise a plan for each one. When you have a plan, you feel more confident and in control.
• Balance your self-awareness – Because our brains are hard-wired to look for threats, we have a negativity bias that over-focuses our attention on our perceived faults while barely noticing our strengths. To counter this, we need to adopt practices that consciously acknowledge what we do well. One strategy is to consistently keep an accomplishments journal. When you write down your accomplishments daily, you train your brain to seek out your strengths, which changes the way you see yourself.
• Adopt a growth mindset – We weren’t born with any of the strengths we take for granted today. Everything we do well today was once scary and new. So, rather than pressure ourselves to know everything immediately, remember that learning is a journey. If you don’t know something, that doesn’t mean you’re an impostor, it just means you haven’t learned it. Ask yourself whether making the investment to learn it is worthwhile – will it serve you in the short and long-term – and if not, leverage the resources around you who already have those skill sets.

3. How would you define impostor syndrome?

The simplest way to describe impostor syndrome is the feeling of being a fraud. It’s that belief that, despite the fact that you’re doing well by all external measures, internally there is a disconnect. It feels like it’s only a matter of time before someone finds out that you’re not as good as they think you are.

Impostor syndrome can strike anyone. While it was initially believed to only affect women, more recent studies have shown that it affects all genders. It’s most common among high achievers – those who consistently step outside of their comfort zones and take on new responsibilities.

Impostor syndrome also tends to more commonly strike those who feel different from the majority culture around them. This is why we see it so often in women in male-dominated fields, as well as people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community and anyone from an underrepresented group.

4. How did you carve out the career path you are in now and what would you say to those who want to build their career in leadership development especially for those in energy, climate or sustainability?

At a high-level, I built this career path because I saw (and personally experienced) a problem that wasn’t being addressed. Too many talented, high-achieving professionals are crippled by self-doubt, which keeps them from reaching their full potential, undermines their overall satisfaction and deprives their teams of their unique value. My personal and professional experiences, combined with my passion for the mission, have allowed me to speak to this issue with credibility and authenticity. People often say to me, “I feel like you’re speaking directly to me.”

At a tactical level, I’ve built my business primarily through speaking. I’ve always loved public speaking and have found it to be a great way to share my insights and expertise at scale. When I began speaking, I sought out unpaid speaking opportunities at libraries, professional organizations and other communities who were looking for content. Gradually I began speaking to corporations as well. I am now primarily paid to speak to corporate women’s employee resource groups. My speaking engagements have led me to other work, including individual coaching, group coaching and leadership development programming.

For those interested in building similar careers, I recommend seeking out opportunities to share your expertise. This might include speaking on a panel at a conference or event, or leading a workshop or presentation. Professional and industry groups often need content and welcome outreach from professionals interested in speaking to their communities.

Today, it’s easier than ever to build your brand. Consider becoming a guest on podcasts, sharing your thoughts on social media or starting a blog. Consistency is important, so rather than trying to be on all social media platforms, choose the one where your community is most likely to reside and regularly post content there.

Once you’ve established yourself as a thought leader in your space, you’ll find that people reach out to you organically. While I would never claim that forging this career path has been easy, it’s remarkable how well people respond when you pursue opportunities to make your voice heard around issues you care deeply about.

5. Having worked on a couple of women in energy sector programs empowering mid-career women in Southeast Asia, Pacific, and the United States, how do you think your work supports women’s empowerment goals or to advance gender equality?

Having worked as a woman in a heavily male-dominated field, I’m highly committed to women’s empowerment. I strive to empower women in three ways:

• Normalize the experience – Many women believe they’re the only ones who face the challenges they experience. They assume they must be doing something wrong or that everyone else has it all figured out. This undermines their confidence and reinforces their impostor syndrome. My programs help women understand that they are not alone and that the challenges they face are not their fault. One of the most common refrains I hear in my women’s group programming is, “I’m so glad to know it’s not just me!”My work in Southeast Asia, a region that remains heavily patriarchal, has reinforced the importance of these conversations. While women in the U.S. have access to an abundance of women’s empowerment resources, there are countless women around the world who are not steeped in these discussions. It’s very powerful and deeply rewarding to bring this information to women who may be hearing these messages for the first time.
• Understand the environment –  My programs help women understand the gender stereotypes and structural biases that influence their experiences in the workplace. I share this information not to instill pessimism but to ensure that women can anticipate and prepare for the unique challenges they face. There is a delicate balance between respecting current cultural norms and challenging the status quo. If we’re afraid of being true to ourselves for fear of gender-based backlash, we will continue to perpetuate systems that hold us back. I strive to offer women insights and tools to help them effect change at a pace and in a manner that feels right for them.
• Provide actionable strategies –  Because I’ve proverbially walked in the shoes of many of the women I support, the strategies I share are realistic and actionable. I provide insights, tools and action steps that empower women to become more confident, visible and influential leaders. These action steps can be customized to align with the individual values and personality styles of the women implementing them.

6. What are some of the practical recommendations you have for younger women looking at pursuing a leadership position in their career as we speak?

I encourage younger women to remember that leadership is not a title that’s granted, it’s a set of behaviors. If you want to be a leader, seek out opportunities today to demonstrate leadership. Examples might include:

• Mentoring others – Find ways to teach others what you know by offering to support new or more junior colleagues. You can also consider offering an informal lunch and learn to teach others about a subject you know well.
• Solving a problem –  Identify a problem that nobody has had time to address and take the initiative to solve it. This could be documenting or improving a process, researching alternative options, or building new relationships that bridge different aspects of the business.
• Getting involved in non-work leadership activities –  Taking on a leadership role within one of your company’s employee resource groups is a great way to strengthen your network and demonstrate leadership skills. You could also explore leadership opportunities within external professional or industry groups, strengthening your ties to the broader community while deepening your expertise in your functional area. Sharing what you learn with your company will increase your value even further.

Most importantly, it’s important for these women to be having regular conversations with their managers about their career goals. Don’t let others control the narrative; be direct about what you want and don’t want. Then ask for support in achieving these goals.