Meet Max Schneider

We recently connected with Max Schneider and have shared our conversation below.

Max, 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.

The most powerful phrase in our language is “I don’t know.” And it is becoming shamefully little used.

I learned early in my life that I liked to be right about things, but I HATED being wrong. So I started approaching all conversations and situations from the perspective that there is knowledge to be gained. I learned to use the phrase “I don’t know” A LOT. After all, if you don’t commit to an answer you aren’t sure about, it’s pretty tough to be wrong.

In my early twenties, while working in restaurants, the advice “fake it until you make it” made it’s way to the common vernacular of all my coworkers and mentors. This advice felt, at first, the antithesis of of my philosophy of acknowledged ignorance. But with time I learned that the combination of these two makes for a competent, authentic, and confident demeanor.

There are two types of confidence. The first, and most dangerous, is the confidence that a person already knows everything. This is seen in sociopaths (and oddly dyslexics) often. The second type of confidence and the type we should all strive for is the confidence that we deserve to be in the conversations we are a part of.

By interpreting “fake it till you make it” to mean that you should approach all situations with gusto, confidence, and an approachable attitude and combining that with the hunger for knowledge that come from phrases like “I don’t know” I’ve been able to turn imposter syndrome into little more than a thirst for knowledge.

There is a reason why panels of experts and podcasts are rarely just a single person with a mic. We all have knowledge gaps. You can be the expert and still say “I’m not sure. Let me get back to you.” It will make you more confident and better at your job.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I had the unfortunate experience of working at an agency that actively asked me to lie to clients. I refused and left in a matter of weeks.

But it started conversations between myself and Denny Smolinski about how an ethical agency runs. This was the beginning of my career at beBold digital.

Three years ago I came on as the VP of Advertising. In the following years, we have built a business on upstanding moral commitment to do the best we can for our clients. This is what I love about my job. Getting to help brands grow. There is little better than getting to give good news to a client that puts their heart into their brand.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Be hungry for knowledge, which means be willing to accept the things you don’t know. You can’t grow in an area you think you’ve already mastered.

Read. Read every day. Fiction. Non-fiction. Classics. It doesn’t matter. Just keep your brain active and you will see benefits.

Meditate, go for walks, journal, see a therapist. Keep your mental health a priority.

If you can manage these three things, any skills, or qualifications will come in time and come much easier.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

There are too many books to mention but I will throw some great authors in here instead.

Malcom Gladwell: Help you look at things from a new perspective and ask interesting questions
Atul Gawande: Show you that industry knowledge is rarely industry specific
Vonnegut and Frank Herbert: Because life isn’t that serious and fiction is important
Sarah J. Maas: Because reading what my wife likes helps us connect
Emily Oster: Because pregnancy, childbirth, and raising a child can (and should be?) be data driven
Steinbeck, Bradbury, Kerouac: Even though they can be a little boring, the classics are important
Tolkien and J.K. Rowling: The world needs magic

The Saga of Icelanders: Because I want to know my ancestry

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bebolddigital.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/max-s-b43149130/