We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amanda Painter. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amanda below.
Amanda, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I never encountered the feeling of imposter syndrome in my career, until my business partner, Brenda Haire, encouraged me to coauthor our first book series with her. I know what my talents and strengths are, but writer/author has never been on that list. The top two strategies I used to overcome imposter syndrome were:
1. Celebrating the small victories: Instead of solely focusing on the end goal, I celebrated the small victories along the way. Recognizing and appreciating each step forward, whether it was completing a chapter or meeting a writing deadline. Acknowledging these accomplishments along the way helped boost confidence and help counteracted feelings of inadequacy.
2. Surrounding myself with a supportive network: Brenda was the first and main person of my support. As a published author, she knew how imposter syndrome can creep in, and would know just the right type of encouragement I needed to overcome it and validate my ability to become an author.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
Last year, we published our four-book series, “The Team Solution Series: HR Coaching to Grow Teams and Profit.” On the heels of that success, this year’s focus is a course that takes a deeper dive into the content of those books. The course guides you through the employee journey and provides tools to implement successful HR processes. While businesses of any size can gain insight from this, it was specifically created with small businesses in mind. The majority of small businesses do not have a dedicated HR employee — the HR Course for Small Businesses is the solution for those in that position. The course provides tools, methods, and strategies to help businesses recruit the right people, onboard for success, and create a culture — positioning the business for success.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
For me, the top three traits that have impacted my journey the most are my ability to focus, my practicality, and my self-discipline.
My ability to focus has been a key asset in my entrepreneurial journey and book publishing endeavors. By honing in on important tasks and prioritizing my time effectively, I have been able to consistently make progress toward my goals. This focused approach has allowed me to maintain productivity, overcome distractions, and achieve significant milestones in both my business and author endeavors.
Being practical has been instrumental because it has allowed me to make informed decisions based on realistic assessments of resources, market demand, and potential risks. By focusing on practicality, I have been able to navigate challenges, adapt my strategies, and achieve tangible results—most significantly publishing my 4-book series.
One of my favorite life lesson quotes is “Motivation isn’t what gets things done. Self-discipline is.” This is applicable to all facets of life — building a business, parenting, exercise, etc. If we wait to be motivated, we won’t accomplish all that we need or want to. Self-discipline is getting it done even when not motivated. That’s the actual key to success. My self-discipline is something I depend on consistently to continue to grow my business and to grow as a person.
Self-discipline is a skill that can be developed and is my top advice to anyone wanting to accomplish something new or challenging in their life.
What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? Any advice or strategies?
When I feel overwhelmed my go-to solution is exercise. Movement helps clear my mind and regulates feelings of stress. In addition to movement, I prioritize other self-care—plenty of rest, eating healthy, allowing time for hobbies (gardening for me), and spending time with friends. Once I have allowed myself time for these priorities, I can come back to work or whatever is overwhelming me with more focus and energy to surpass the challenge.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thejoyofpursuit.com/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/joyofpursuit/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amandajpainter/
https://amazon.com/author/amandajpainter
