We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Julie Alsaker a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Julie, 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.
As a traditional naturopath without the kind of credentials most people recognize, I used to think the only way to be taken seriously was to collect more certifications. I attended trainings, conferences, sometimes several in a month, while reading five or six biology/health books a week.
Then I realized something: my clients weren’t coming to me because of the letters after my name. They were coming because I got results.
I have an innate ability to listen, not just to people, but to what their bodies are trying to say, and that’s something no degree can teach. And the beauty of not being a ‘doctor’ in the traditional sense is that I get to work without the constraints of that role. I form deep, authentic friendships with my clients.
So, how did I overcome imposter syndrome? I stopped trying to prove my worth through credentials and started measuring it through transformation. When you consistently help people change their lives, you don’t need permission to know you belong…you simply do.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Looking back, the three most impactful qualities in my journey have been:
1. Unshakable belief – I’ve always been a dreamer who believes anything is possible, and if there’s a barrier, there’s always a way around it.
2. The courage to be the outsider – I don’t fit in the mainstream system, and I don’t entirely fit in the alternative one either, because I believe both serve important purposes. Standing in that in-between space has given me a perspective that’s rare and powerful.
Connection with other changemakers – The other ‘outsiders’, the ones who don’t fit anywhere, often find each other. We don’t fit together perfectly either, but we create the BEST kind of community: one built on innovation, respect, and shared vision.
My advice for those early in their journey is this: don’t fear going alone. The ‘alone’ is where you meet yourself, deeply and honestly. It’s where you discover your unique strengths, values, and voice. And once you truly know yourself, you’ll find your people. Not because you went looking for them, but because your authenticity will draw them in.
So dive deep into yourself. Question everything. Learn from everywhere. Be willing to walk through seasons where no one seems to get you, because on the other side of that is the most incredible, aligned community you could ever imagine. And when you get there, you’ll realize the path you took wasn’t the hard way, it was the only way to create something extraordinary.
Do you think it’s better to go all in on our strengths or to try to be more well-rounded by investing effort on improving areas you aren’t as strong in?
I believe you should go all in on your strengths and then collaborate with others whose strengths fill in your gaps.
When you try to be well-rounded by fixing every weakness, you dilute the time, energy, and brilliance you could be pouring into what you’re exceptional at. Your strengths are where you create the most value, the fastest transformation, and the deepest impact.
In my own work, my strength is pattern recognition in the body. I can look at blood markers, genetics, and symptoms and instantly see connections that others miss. That’s where I get extraordinary results for my clients. But I don’t try to become an expert in everything…lab tech, supplement formulation, or marketing, for example. Instead, I partner with people who are brilliant in those areas, so we can each do what we do best.
Early in my career, I thought I had to know everything to be credible (imposter syndrome rearing its ugly head). I’d spend months studying areas I wasn’t naturally gifted in, thinking it would make me more legitimate. All it did was slow me down. When I finally gave myself permission to go deep instead of wide, my business grew faster, my confidence soared, and my clients got better results.
So my advice? Triple down on your strengths. That’s where your genius lives. And don’t be afraid to build a network of people whose strengths make you even stronger. That’s not a weakness, it’s how you create extraordinary impact.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.luxbioanalytics.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julie.alsaker/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julie.alsaker
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-alsaker/
Image Credits
KATINA ELIZABETH PHOTOGRAPHY
