We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Madison (madi) Walser a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Madison (Madi), 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.
To be honest, I haven’t fully overcome imposter syndrome, and I’m not sure it’s something anyone ever completely conquers. One of the common misconceptions is that you’ll eventually reach a point where those feelings of inadequacy simply vanish. In reality, life is constantly evolving, and every time I step into a new role or challenge, those moments of self-doubt inevitably reappear.
That said, I’m 26, and I think part of this may be the stage of life I’m in. I’ve come to view imposter syndrome as a sign of growth rather than something to fear. When I feel uncomfortable or out of my depth, it’s an indication that I’m pushing beyond my current boundaries and expanding my skill set. As a society, we often misinterpret the discomfort of feeling out of place as something negative, but I believe it’s a natural part of evolving in life, career, relationship – everything.
My strategy for dealing with imposter syndrome is to embrace it fully. Lean in. Life is about ebs and flows, it’s the one constant. We have such a finite amount of time here – why not learn to appreciate all the times, even the difficult? And honestly being not perfect is fun. You’re always going to feel like an imposter because you’re never going to be perfect. I’m learning to accept that. Over time, with experience, my confidence builds, and what once seemed daunting becomes more manageable. Life grows around the challenges I face, and I gradually feel more grounded. That said, I’m sharing this as advice I often need to remind myself of too, as it’s an ongoing process.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Sometimes I feel like I’ve living a split life. On one hand, I work a corporate job in technology consulting. Aiming to one day become some sort of technology strategy for a company. I’m still building my career on that side and I’m excited to see where that takes me. I’m currently working on a software prototype with a friend. My goal at this stage of my career is to take every opportunity, build a rounded knowledge, and keep moving forward until
On the other, I recently started standup comedy. I’ve loved performance art and writing since I was a kid. But oddly, I ended up being quite embarrassed by it, especially in college. It took me a while to feel comfortable pursuing art in any form again. Not sure why I decided to take the most nuclear option but about a year ago I decided to start pursuing stand-up comedy. My goal is to make people laugh, of course, but also to get them to think in ways they might not have before. In reference to the earlier question, I definitely still feel imposter syndrome even calling myself a comic, especially since I’ve only been doing it for eight months. But I think that feeling is just part of putting yourself out there in any new venture, whether it’s in tech or on stage.
I’m hoping to focus more on writing over the next year. I love the art of telling stories and I think I’m currently exploring the mediums for that. I will be helping out with a few shorts in the coming year. I’m looking forward to learning more about the video production side of things.
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?
Looking back, the three qualities that have been the most impactful in my journey are flexibility, honesty, and tenacity.
Flexibility has been key because, let’s face it, life rarely goes according to plan. Being able to adapt when things don’t work out the way I expected—whether in my career or my side pursuits—has made all the difference. For anyone early in their journey, my advice is to embrace change. Don’t cling too tightly to one path, because the detours might take you somewhere even better.
Honesty is another big one, not just with others, but with yourself. I’ve found that being clear about what I want, what I’m good at, and—more importantly—what I’m not good at has been crucial for growth. It can be hard to admit when you don’t have all the answers, but owning that allows you to actually learn and improve. I had to learn how to be honest about my interests to even begin to improve on them. Be curious? For anyone just starting out, I’d say: don’t be afraid to ask questions or admit when you don’t know something. It’s way better than pretending and missing out on a chance to figure it out.
Lastly, tenacity. I mean, no one gets where they want to go without a lot of persistence. Whether it’s working in tech, writing comedy, or anything else, there are going to be setbacks. The key is to just keep going.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
“Maybe You Should Talk to Someone” by Lori Gottlieb
Amazing book! It does an incredible job of showing that we’re all human and that we all have our own struggles. I highly recommend it to anyone dealing with any kind of mental health challenge. It really drives home the point that we’re more alike than different, and there’s absolutely no shame in having shortcomings.
Another book I love is “Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind” by Yuval Noah Harari.
This one’s a classic. It had a huge impact on me by teaching me about our history as a species. I’ve always believed knowledge is power, and this book offers a brilliant overview of the science behind our existence
Both books played important roles in shaping my perspective—one from an emotional lens, and the other from a logical one.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.madisonwalser.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/m.a.a.di_city/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madisonwalser/
Image Credits
Main Photo – Jared Fix @jared.fix.studio
Black & White Photo – Jason Siegel @jsiegelphotography
Jersey Photo & White Top photo – Brandon Andrews @brandonwithcanon
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
