Meet Angelique Collis

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Angelique Collis. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Angelique below.

Angelique , 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 suffered from imposter syndrome my entire adult life. There have been many moments where, whether it be at college, corporate jobs or social settings, I did not feel like my voice was worthy of being heard. It always felt like others understood so much more than I, and had so much more to offer. Even when I knew the answers or had valuable insight, I was easily intimidated. This was not even necessarily due to a lack of support from others – I usually talked my own self out of speaking up! Frustratingly, this caused me to take a back seat and miss out on opportunities.

Once I hit my 30’s, I became fascinated with the topics of self-disclosure, vulnerability and forging connections with others. This, and the wonderful work of Dr. Brene Brown, encouraged me to open up to others and show vulnerability when appropriate. To my shock and amazement, many of the people that I spoke to also dealt with their own form of imposter syndrome! This was shocking to me, as these were the very people that seemed like the ones who had the world in the palm of their hands. These were highly successful, smart and well-spoken people, many of them leaders at well-known Fortune 500 companies, which is where I made my career – how could they possibly feel this way?

Once I learned that this was a near universal experience, I began feeling empowered to push past my own insecurities. I began asking questions, and allowing curiosity to take the lead. Being humble, and listening more than speaking, allowed me to build the knowledge and confidence that eventually led to my husband and I opening a business, Zoom Room Woodland Hills, and me writing my first children’s book, Look Closely (out summer of 2024).

Imposter syndrome is not an easy beast to tackle. We are at a disadvantage in that we are in our own heads; we are intimately familiar with all of our flaws, mistakes, and perceived failures. Others have experienced their own unique setbacks, but we are not in their heads so we are never exposed to them. We only see what they want us to see. So, we see our own internal “worst” self and their external “best” self. This might make it seem like we are behind or lacking in some way. Yet we must remember that other people do not see any of the mistakes and criticisms that reside in our own minds. For all we know, they are thinking that we are the ones who have everything together! Appearances are very, very misleading. The quickest way to break down a wall with someone is to open up to them, be vulnerable if possible, and learn. Let curiosity lead. You may find that it takes you in surprising places!

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?

I was raised by a family of business owners, so it was inevitable that I came out with that same entrepreneurial spirit! I, along with my husband Mark, opened Zoom Room Woodland Hills in January 2023 We have a deep love for animals, and always wanted to work with them in some capacity. We offer group dog classes in Agility, Obedience, Puppy Training, Tricks, and Private Training and workshops. We love our clients, both furry and human, and receive intense joy from bettering their lives through training, socialization, and fun events that nurture and uplift the spirit. I always say that it is impossible to be in a bad mood at our store – how could you be, with all the wonderful dogs that come through every day? We’re in the beautiful Q Variel building in Woodland Hills, with bright open spaces, free parking, and lots of amenities. If you have a dog of any age, size or breed, come say hi and check out us sometime!

When I am not gamboling about with puppies and dogs, I am busy writing children’s books! My first picture book, “Look Closely,” comes out in the summer of 2024 (follow me on IG @angeliquecollis_ for the exact release date). The book is all about being mindful of and appreciating the small glimmers of natural beauty that surround us in our lives, no matter where you live. Nature finds ways of peeking out wherever you are, and Look Closely is a love letter, inspired by our 3 year old daughter, to all the hidden beauty that surrounds us every day. I had been working on this book ever since our daughter was born, so to see it finally be released is just pure joy. If you love nature, this one is for you.

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?

1. Be humble. Don’t talk yourself up, let others do it for you.
2. Be curious – listen more than you speak so that you can learn as much as you can from those who have forged the path ahead of you.
3. Be generous. This does not necessarily mean money; one can be generous with their time, their praise, their knowledge, their kindness. More often than not, people will remember this and it will pay dividends. The Maya Angelou quote has always stuck in my head: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

Honestly, everyone! It was a very scary decision to take a break from the corporate world and go all-in on our business and my books. For someone who has had steady corporate jobs for over 10 years, I was extremely nervous about making this leap (if you are thinking of doing the same and need support, reach out to me!) The love and encouragement I received from my husband, my parents, my friends and my neighbors has been a breath of fresh air and honestly vital to me feeling empowered to keep pushing forward and feeling confident. That brings me back to the three pieces of advice I gave, and a bonus one – be kind to people! It’s the right thing to do, but ALSO, if you are a kind person then others will be kind right back and be there for you when you need them. It sounds simple, but in a crazy and frenetic world sometimes this simple philosophy is forgotten. “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @angeliquecollis_
• Other: Zoom Room Woodland Hills Website: https://zoomroom.com/location/woodland-hills/
  Zoom Room Woodland Hills IG: @zoomroomwh
  Book inquires: IG, or email hellotobigdreams@gmail.com