Episode 591 Conquering Imposter Syndrome and Unleashing Your Inner Expert With Christine Blosdale

Show Summary

In this podcast episode from “The SDM Show,” host Rob Cairns interviews Christine Blosdale, an expert authority coach, about imposter syndrome. They discuss how this feeling of inadequacy impacts entrepreneurs and why individuals struggle to recognize their own expertise. Blosdale shares her personal background and explains how her childhood experiences shaped her ability to identify strengths and weaknesses, which she now uses to help clients overcome self-doubt. The conversation emphasizes the importance of narrowing down one’s message, focusing on serving others, and surrounding oneself with positive influences to combat imposter syndrome effectively.

Show Notes

Hey everybody, Rob Cairns here and today I’ve got Christine the expert authority coach with say. Hi Christine, how are you today?

Christine, the Expert Authority Coach, is from New South Wales, Australia.
Rob Cairns mentions doing a podcast with someone 14 hours away and that he’s becoming more familiar with Australian rock music.
They discuss bands like Men at Work and Air Supply, as well as the band ABBA.
Rob shares that he’s seen the band Air Supply 25 times on their 50th anniversary tour.

Christine’s Background and Approach

Christine has been an expert authority coach since she was a little kid. She was able to look at a situation, a restaurant, a store, and find ways to improve it.
Christine’s mother encouraged her to have an opinion at a young age, even at five, by asking her for her opinion on outfits.
She now works with authors, creatives, and coaches to help them find and promote their expert authority through different platforms like podcasts, TikTok videos, and websites.
Christine emphasizes the importance of narrowing down your focus as an entrepreneur. She uses the analogy of calling a plumber to fix a toilet to illustrate the need for clear, specific messaging.

Public Speaking and Overcoming Shyness

Rob, a high school debating champion, shares a tip for public speaking: practice in front of a mirror.
Rob’s final debate was won after he dropped his notes and chose not to pick them up, a decision the head judge said would have resulted in a loss if he had picked them up.
Christine, who was shy as a child, found her home in play production and theater.
She found it difficult to remember her lines while on stage. She realized she does better with communication style rather than remembering exact words.

Impostor Syndrome and Its Roots

Rob and Christine discuss impostor syndrome, a common problem for entrepreneurs.
Christine explains that impostor syndrome is often linked to a belief system formed during childhood due to negative feedback from parents or authority figures.
She notes that it doesn’t matter how many degrees or years of experience a person has; imposter syndrome can still appear.
Christine shares her own experience of being shy as a child but eventually became a broadcaster, which forced her to overcome that shyness.
They also discuss how a negative mindset can contribute to impostor syndrome. Rob shares his perspective on having a half-full glass mindset.

Overcoming Impostor Syndrome and the Importance of Boundaries

Christine’s process for helping clients overcome impostor syndrome is to shift the focus from themselves to the people they want to serve.
They discuss the importance of showing up for your audience, clients, and customers.
Christine gives an example of how she helped a psychic client re-focus her skills from helping people with trauma to guiding business owners.
They talk about the importance of being aware of where negative voices are coming from, whether from within, family, or society.
Rob shares his strategy for dealing with negative influences, which involves cleaning out his professional and personal life.
Christine agrees, noting that she is selective about who she works with and is not afraid to say no to clients who aren’t the right fit.
Rob adds that he doesn’t feel the need to qualify his “no,” simply stating, “because I don’t want to.”
Christine mentions that she is 60 years old and has no problem saying no.

Working with Christine

Christine’s process for working with clients begins with a free 30-minute discovery call to understand where they are and where they want to go.
She then offers two ways to work with her:
- A la carte sessions: Two-hour sessions focused on a specific goal.
- Accelerator program: A minimum of three months of weekly, two-hour sessions to work on branding, messaging, and overall business strategy.
Christine emphasizes that she doesn’t believe in long-term contracts. If clients are happy with her, they’ll come back.
Rob points out that the client has to do the work outside of the sessions to get the full benefit.
They both agree that the most rewarding part of their job is seeing a client take the tools and inspiration they’ve been given and create amazing things.

Episode 591 Conquering Imposter Syndrome and Unleashing Your Inner Expert With Christine Blosdale

Show Summary