Meet Shloka Reddyreddy

We were lucky to catch up with Shloka Reddyreddy recently and have shared our conversation below.

Shloka, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.

I’ve always considered myself to be a rather lucky person.
In school, this meant high test scores were attributed to good guessing skills.
In competitions, wins were associated with easy judges and optimal competition slots.
In creating my own business, too, my mind often scrambled to find traces of good luck in my accomplishments.
It wasn’t until I had the opportunity to hear a presentation by Dr. Amanda Ramirez at the University of Texas Health in San Antonio that I could put a name to this game of luck blaming. The Imposter Syndrome. Simply put, the imposter syndrome is a phenomenon in which high achieving individuals experience self-doubt of their intellect, skills, or accomplishments. I resonated with Dr. Ramirez’s words so intensely, that I sought her out to talk with her on an episode of my podcast. Here, I learned not only more about the imposter phenomenon, but also how prominent this condition is in today’s world. I was motivated to talk further about this phenomenon with Dr. Deva Chakraverty, who is currently conducting research on the imposter phenomenon, its effects, and treatments. Following the advice of these wonderful women, I was able to recognize the battle I was facing and begin the steps to overcome it. I surrounded myself with a good support system of friends and family. A support system that I could speak to when I felt uncertain about my capabilities and could count on for reassurance. I spread the word about the imposter syndrome on my business platform, the Cucumber Podcast. In episode 3 with Dr. Amanda Ramirez, and on episode 4 with Dr. Deva Chakraverty. Perhaps most importantly, I stopped giving so much credit to my good luck and started giving more credit to myself.
When I scored well on tests, I would remember the long hours I spent studying and the hand cramps I got from taking notes.
When I won in competitions, I would remember the script that I’d put through 4 rounds of revision and several mock presentations to perfect.
And when I look back on all the great things I have accomplished with my business, Ederm, I know that it was my hard work that brought my dream to fruition.

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?

Ederm is a student-founded company that strives to create more accessible, reliable and convenient dermatology diagnosis aid in the absence of proper systems thereof. In light of this mission, Ederm works to produce biweekly blog articles, monthly podcast episodes, and maintains a social media page to spread awareness of current issues. We also hold events and sponsor research projects to combat skincare issues. Soon, we will be launching a long-coming project of ours to the Apple App Store for iOS! If you would like to follow us on our journey, we invite you to visit our site www.edermofficial.org or our podcast “Cucumber Podcast” on spotify. We operate on all social media platforms with the handle @edermofficial. Join us in our journey towards an equal skincare experience!

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?

Diligence, Perseverance, and Open-Mindedness. People say that all you need to succeed is a strong drive or passion. But in truth, that drive is only as formidable as the hard work it powers. Your drive should push you to be diligent with your work. Even when life’s got you down and tired, stay consistent and don’t do anything half-heartedly. Your drive should push you to persevere. Even when your diligence seems to fail you and results are slow to show, stay confident and focused. And as strong as your drive may be, never allow yourself to be ignorant to others’ ideas. Be open-minded when given criticism or suggestions. The key is not let your passion lay dormant inside yourself, but to let it show in your work ethic.

As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?

If you give a mouse a cookie by Laura Numeroff is definitely one of my favorites. At face value, it’s just a silly picture book about a needy mouse. In fact, as a kid, the mouse in this book reminded me of my younger siblings and cousins. But I’ve grown to learn that there is a lesson in this book. A lesson that teaches us that our kindness can be taken advantage of, even by well meaning people. It emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries while still sharing your kindness with others. There’s a balance there that took me a while to get the hang of. I think there are a lot of lessons from children’s books that are applicable to us, perhaps more so, in adulthood.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.edermofficial.org
• Instagram: @edermofficial
• Other: Spotify: EdermOfficial – Cucumber Podcast
  https://open.spotify.com/show/78XzmmpDVFhpA5eyc0F2l3?si=15e08376f3bc4571