We were lucky to catch up with Cynthia Stringham recently and have shared our conversation below.
Cynthia, 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.
Oooo- the imposture question! Currently, the best way I control my imposture syndrome or self-talk is thanks to age. I’m forty, and my attitude has shifted to a, “I don’t care” mentality. In all seriousness, it’s taken me 40 years to reframe my negative thoughts of focusing on my shortcomings, to acknowledging accomplishments and the skills that got me to where I am today. Overcoming impostor syndrome is a personal journey that varies from person to person, but there are several strategies I use to manage these thoughts of self-doubt and inadequacy. Two of my favorites is taking time in the morning to really think and meditate on the positive in life, not just mine, but within this amazing world. Sometimes I will even write my gratitude down on paper when I really need to remind myself that we are all on this incredible journey of life. It’s also nice to read through those thoughts and see that some days (or years) are better than others.
I also am surrounded by some supportive friends, family members and unique people that all bring so much to my life. Thankfully, we have created a space where I can be vulnerable to discuss my failures, feelings, along with those pesky mean thoughts I think about myself. My support system help me negate the negativity.
Lastly, ditching perfectionism or that mindset has been the best thing I’ve ever done. I’m a gardener, so I relate a lot of life lessons to what I observe in my garden. One of the biggest things that comes to harvest time, is realizing not every fruit is Instagram worthy, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still delicious and good enough to enjoy. I try to apply that same grace to my work and give myself a pat on the back for a “good enough” job.
The more I can shift my attitude to cultivating a learning environment and trying to be more curious than fearful, I notice that the imposture attitude tends to quiet, or disappear.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I live and breathe gardening. I can thank my parents for instilling this in me at a young age. My dad loved growing veggies, and my mom loved growing flowers. This created a magical childhood as I lived my younger years barefoot, with fresh peas in my hand and flowers in my pocket. Who knew my parents were cultivating what would become my passion and life’s work in that small moment.
I’ve always grown plants no matter where I lived. Whether it was in a rundown apartment complex during college, or potted herbs on my window sill in NYC. But it wasn’t until leaving my corporate job to focus more on my young family that my hobby became something more. While home with small children, I started a finsta account dedicated to gardening. I shared (or overshared) my love of gardening there. It grew (pun intended), and now I respond to both my real name Cynthia, or my social media nickname “Melon” after my social media handle Melon Monologues.
A few major dreams have come true through my love of talking and sharing about gardening. This includes working with PBS Utah on a Digital Series called Modern Gardener, where we discuss Utah’s unique soils and challenges to gardening. With Modern Gardener, another dream/opportunity presented itself, and my husband and I purchased a seasonal nursery. The 40-year business 42nd Street Greenhouse is now in our possession, and we finished our first season exhausted, 15 lbs lighter, and happy. We grew and sold around 400,000 plants in our little nursery. During the summer we acquired a new arm to our business, and hope to sell heirloom chrysanthemum cuttings online starting January 2024. It’s been A LOT of growth, and learning, and tears to make these dreams a reality, but the journey has been worth it.
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?
My first piece of advice seems cliché, don’t listen to the haters or naysayers. As a teen, I dreamed of getting a degree in landscape architecture. Unfortunately, I was discouraged from taking that career path due to archaic ideologies of female “roles”. I love that my teenage self is now living her dream in my 40s, and that even though this dream was put on the shelf and morphed into a different realm, it’s still my dream.
My second piece of advice, which also seems cliché, you’re never too old. Honestly, I feel even though I didn’t start in my teenage years that different careers, situations, and experiences all gave me perspective on how to run a business. I learned other areas of strength and weakness during those moments, and I have a better idea of when I really need help (which is all the time) and how to direct or ask for help.
Last, make sure you have a kind, and supportive friend/family network. Life is hard enough, surround yourself with people that won’t bring you down. In that same breathe- make sure you are a good friend who supports and speaks kindly of others. I truly believe the law of attraction is real, and you will reap what you sow. (And please excuse all the gardening puns, I can’t help myself.)
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am constantly looking for people who are interested in collaborating. I think the most important thing for collaboration are finding people who are willing to be open and try something new. If you are interested in working together, please reach out! The best place to find me is by sending a DM on my Instagram account @melonmonologues.
Contact Info:
- Website: 42ndstreetgreenhouse.com
- Instagram: melonmonologues
- Facebook: Melon Monologues
- Linkedin: Cynthia Stringham
- Youtube: Modern Gardener
- Yelp: 42nd Street Greenhouse
Image Credits
Lizzyography
