Meet Dorian Lowe

We were lucky to catch up with Dorian Lowe recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dorian, 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.

In a world of people, I will be willing to definitely argue the hardest thing to escape is your own mind.

Let’s start by listing the facts about me: Black (American), High School graduate, speak primarily English solely, raised in a lower-class environment. I don’t subscribe to poor as I had everything I needed but still the feeling of poor was ever present. I was mainly raised by my mother, my birth father existed but wasn’t present mostly. However, by the time I was 14 I was given a father figure by which is now my dad. Now this of course isn’t the full picture but a few points on how the Imposter Syndrome can be perceived.

We hear all the statistics: You got to graduate High school, graduate college, to get a great job. You dress for the job you want not the one you have. Everyone outside of your door is against you. You’re young you have time to make mistakes. You shouldn’t have sex before marriage. Don’t bring home no babies, especially since your broke.

Every day as I begin my adulthood I rekindle these thoughts. I go out every day as a proud man to work and pay bills as a respectable adult should. However, I wear a suit and tie to work at an entry level job. As I take public transportation to work, I look around and see at times people looking at me. In their expressions sometimes I get admiration, smiles, high regards, thumbs up in acknowledgement of my wear and once a woman finger wave me over to tell me how great I looked. This feeling is the reality of who I believe myself to be, a successful suave businessman. Now when I get to work reality shifts to who I am in the natural. I no longer get the look of admiration. No, now I receive the looks of doing too much (or maybe that’s just verbally stated), I get the look of bothersome or just generally told “Who do you think you are? The Boss”. This is the reality for 8 hours a day, 355 days a year. Here is when I feel the Imposter syndrome the most. I go home later that day to an empty apartment with just me and my thoughts running back the two realities as though I get to choose which I can live in. I don’t have many friends as I don’t have the trait of carrying on a pointless conversation. Therefore, I’m just considered boring to most. Tomorrow it’ll be more of the same; because as each day I get older, I get a bit smarter as I read daily, I get a bit bolder and more secure in myself.

However, it wasn’t until I got in my 30’s to understand myself fully. I had to go through these trials to learn daily habits that’ll set me up for my success, gain pride in Who I AM, understanding that the group of nay sayers will always be there but it’s a choice on how much I pay attention to them. It’s not the most liked and well put together person that become successful but the most prepared.

Now at 36 I hear more of the same but as I’ve learned these lessons already it much easier to navigate the prism of negative thoughts. My biggest lesson: my mind and body will never understand the difference of me believing someone else’s negative perception of me, from me believing it myself. It’ll treat that thought the same as if it was my own. Here I write this short synopsis of me as a full-time entrepreneur and husband.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My business Valor Ascent LLC

I currently run the daily operations of Valor Ascent LLC (VAL) it’s a consulting company. We specialize in Leadership Development, AI-Integration, Learning, Workforce Development and Strategy consulting. Our headquarters is in Charlotte, NC but we consultants primarily in TX, GA, NC, SC and CA.

We’ll be launching our first newsletter in May. We understand that people often want to know whether or not if the company, they’re investing their money in are often times credible in the field of work offered. Here’s one way you can judge if we measure up so go to our website and check out our Newsletter starting in May.

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?

Most important qualities: Integrity, Reliable and Accountable

Most important Skills: Willingness to learn, Listening, Speak only when knowledgeable

Most important areas: Faith, Family, Finances

Alright so to wrap up, who deserves credit for helping you overcome challenges or build some of the essential skills you’ve needed?

My granddad (Earl) and father (Marquis). They’re interchangeable in the different areas of my life but you’ll find them both in me when I’m in different settings.

These two men has shaped me to develop the high self-esteem. My dad is great at helping me develop my critical thinking, financial skills, and being an active husband to my wife. I say active because it takes intention but mostly effort in a marriage and my parents’ marriage has been the biggest driver in my success in marriage.

My grandad has shaped me culturally, being a gentleman, he cultivated in me a love for history, he made me understand the importance of reading and continuous love for books. He shaped me to learn to be adaptable.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.valorascentconsulting.com/
• Instagram: Leadn_Dmasses
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dloweii

Image Credits

Instagram: @Vishingsky (Book Club)