My story is about Imposter Syndrome. I was in my early 20s when I started my first job in sales, I found myself working with amazing clients and colleagues who had more experience both in age and professionally. This made me second-guess the value of my ideas and vision often, and as a result, I stayed quiet in group settings. This is something that many women experience throughout their careers. The best advice I received during this time was from a mentor at my company; she shared her understanding of my feelings and at the same time, she warned me that I may be holding myself back from opportunities by not being confident in myself. She coached me to see and believe in the value of what I brought to the table. My confidence continues to be a work in progress, but I find surrounding myself with positive mentors who share in celebrating each other’s successes has helped enormously. I believe that THRIVE will open doors for more women supporting women conversations to happen.
Women in Travel THRIVE is a proud member of the Women in Hospitality Leadership Alliance, a gathering of organizations all aligned on advancing women in hospitality.
3 Responses
Thanks you for sharing your story. What you identified is very true, especially so in the current corporate environment with the expectation is that one is a subject matter expert on EVERYTHING!!! Sending prayers for your strong and successful journey!
Thanks Melissa for sharing your story with us!
P. Ajuah
Thank you Melissa for sharing your story. I can empathize with how challenging it is to find your place in your team, company, and industry when overcoming impostor syndrome.
Our Director of Marketing at Flip.to has invited me to be part of this initiative and I’m excited to take advantage of it.
M. Rodino