We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Erica Battle a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Erica, 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.
Imposter syndrome is tricky because it can make you look at your own experiences, accomplishments, and expertise and still question whether you belong in the field or deserve the opportunities you’ve earned. For me, overcoming it has been an ongoing process.
One of the most helpful things I’ve done is to sit down and actually list out my accomplishments, my experiences, and the lives I’ve impacted, both students and teachers. That simple act reminded me that my work has influence and value, even when I start to doubt myself.
As an educator, I don’t have a doctorate degree, and for a long time I felt that was a reason I didn’t measure up. I do have a Master’s degree though. But the reality is, I’m doing the type of work many would associate with someone holding that title. That helped me realize I don’t need the degree to validate the impact I’ve already proven I can make.
So overcoming imposter syndrome, for me, has been about accepting that my experience and expertise are enough, and being comfortable with the fact that what I bring to the table has real value and that people seek it out for a reason.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I never imagined education would be my career. But while substituting one day, I met a group of 7th graders who completely captured my heart. That moment showed me that education was where I belonged.
I went on to spend about 10 years in the classroom, and I quickly realized my greatest success as a teacher came from building strong relationships with my students. They trusted me. They knew I had their best interest at heart, even when I had to discipline them. That trust was the foundation for everything and it’s what allowed my students to grow and thrive.
About 10 years ago, I turned that passion into my first book, Who Are You? A Guide to Help Adolescents Navigate Through the Social and Emotional Issues of Life. It’s an SEL program for middle and high school students that helps them explore who they are, where they’re going, and how to shape their future. That book is still in use today because the issues students face are just as relevant now as when I first published it.
That opened doors for me to help schools address the social and emotional needs of their students and strengthen their culture, not just inside individual classrooms, but across entire schools. My latest book, The Trusted Teacher: A Reflective Guide for Impactful Relationships with Secondary Students, takes that work further by giving teachers and leaders a framework to build trust and connection so students feel seen, heard, and valued.
Today, my “why” is still the same: to support schools and school leaders in creating environments where students are just as invested in their learning as the educators who teach them. My journey started with one group of 7th graders — and it continues with the same purpose: to empower students by helping the adults who guide them.
Currently, I am also expanding my literacy work through the A.R.E. You? Actively Reading and Engaging Annotation System. I’m developing a supplemental software that can be used with online books and PDF files to help readers focus, engage, and organize the information they read. This is another way I’m working to equip both students and teachers with tools that make learning deeper and more meaningful.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three qualities that have helped me most on my journey are perseverance, flexibility, and gratitude.
As an entrepreneur, challenges are inevitable. There are moments when you feel like giving up on your purpose and passion, and that’s where perseverance becomes essential. I’ve had to push through obstacles and remind myself why I started in the first place. There have been plenty of moments where it would have been easier to stop, but I’ve learned that pushing through those seasons is what allows growth to happen.
Flexibility has also been key. Not everything goes as planned, and when problems arise, I’ve learned to pivot instead of staying stuck. That ability to adjust has allowed me to keep moving forward, even when the original plan didn’t work out. Being flexible allows me to see opportunities in challenges and adjust my approach without losing sight of the bigger vision.
And then there’s gratitude, which I see as the quality that ties it all together. Gratitude keeps me grounded in the midst of uncertainty. It helps me celebrate small wins and recognize the progress that might otherwise go unnoticed. Even in difficult times, choosing gratitude shifts my perspective and keeps me focused on what’s possible instead of what’s missing.
Together, these three qualities, perseverance, flexibility, and gratitude have shaped how I lead, how I serve, and how I continue to grow. They remind me daily that success isn’t just about reaching milestones, but about who you become along the way.
Tell us what your ideal client would be like?
My ideal client is a school leader who is committed to creating sustainable practices that improve student outcomes while also building staff buy-in. I enjoy working with leaders who recognize that intentionality is just as important as urgency. They understand that lasting change doesn’t come from quick fixes or knee-jerk reactions but from purposeful decisions that align with the school’s vision and values.
These leaders are also invested in developing the people around them. They see the importance of increasing the capacity of their staff from administrators and instructional coaches to classroom teachers so that improvement is not dependent on one person but embedded throughout the school.
Ultimately, my ideal client knows that not all decisions will be easy or “pretty,” but they are willing to do the hard work of leading with clarity and consistency. They are forward-thinking, reflective, and determined to create environments where both students and educators can thrive.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lifechangesinprogress.podia.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theericabattle/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theericabattle/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theericabattle/
Image Credits
Headshot credit to: Donzaleigh Powell of Donzaleigh Photography and Videography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
