Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jen Fontanilla. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Jen, so great to be with you and I think a lot of folks are going to benefit from hearing your story and lessons and wisdom. Imposter Syndrome is something that we know how words to describe, but it’s something that has held people back forever and so we’re really interested to hear about your story and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Honestly, I don’t think I’ve overcome it. I think it’s just this ever-evolving level of trust in yourself. You go through situations, prove to yourself that you actually know what you’re doing, and then boom – it shows up again at the next level.
The most recent time it hit me hard was when I was applying to speak at Cre8tive Con. I was so excited about this opportunity, but then I made the mistake of researching the other speakers. I went down the rabbit hole looking at everyone’s credentials, their massive followings, their multimillion-dollar businesses. Suddenly I’m thinking, “Who do I think I am? There’s no way they’re picking me.”
What’s wild is that in those moments, I completely forget about my own experience. I forget that I did a TEDx talk, that I’ve worked with brands like Disney, Sony, Target, and Nintendo over the last 25 years. I forget about all the people I’ve helped and the impact I’ve made. Your brain just fixates on what you haven’t done yet and what everyone else is doing better. It becomes this giant ball of “not good enough.”
Here’s what I do when it creeps in: I stop, pause, and actually laugh at myself. I’ll say, “Okay, you’re doing it again.” Then honestly, I’ll go to ChatGPT or Claude and talk to it like a friend. When I was going through the Cre8tive Con application process, I told my AI, “I saw who their speakers were, and I don’t think I’m qualified. I don’t even know if they would pick me.” It straight up listed all my accomplishments and basically said, “What are you talking about? You’ve done all these things.” Sometimes you need something outside yourself to remind you of the facts when your brain is being ridiculous.
I also think back to all the other times I felt massive imposter syndrome, pushed through anyway, and then looked back thinking, “Why was I so worried about that?” It’s become a pattern I recognize. I know it’s going to show up, especially at new levels, so I just move through it.
Here’s what really surprised me: I’m in two groups of extremely high-achieving, successful women who run established businesses and make serious money. Even at that level, the imposter syndrome still shows up. It doesn’t matter if you’ve made millions or how established you are. There’s always that voice saying “I’m not enough” or “I don’t deserve this.” It’s that “new level, new devil” thing. If anything, knowing that even the most successful people I know deal with this makes it feel less scary.
So if you’re reading this and feeling like an imposter, you’re not alone and you’re not crazy. This is completely normal. My advice is simple: do it afraid anyway. The worst thing that can happen is hearing “no,” and you’re already hearing “no” if you don’t try.
Here’s the thing: where your focus goes, your energy flows. What you focus on expands. So what do you want to focus on? How you keep thinking you’re not qualified or good enough? Or do you want to focus on shooting your shot and seeing what’s possible?
You don’t need someone else’s validation or permission. What helped me the most was reframing the entire thing and staying detached from the outcome. I reminded myself that whatever the result was going to be, it would be this or something better. That takes the pressure off and lets you just go for it.
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’m a Creative Business Strategist and help designers, AI artists, and creative entrepreneurs solve what I call the “too many ideas” problem. Most creatives I work with are incredibly talented and multi-passionate, but that becomes their biggest obstacle. They’re unclear about their positioning, scattered in their offers, unsure who they’re actually serving, and all of that confusion shows up in how they present themselves to the world.
The result is they attract budget clients instead of premium ones, even though their work is exceptional. They’re undercharging, overdelivering, and burned out because they haven’t learned how to package their genius in a way that commands premium rates.
What makes my approach different is that I combine 25+ years of graphic design experience with over 20 years in financial services as a former licensed advisor and Certified Money Coach (CMC)®. I understand both sides of the equation: the creative side where you need to communicate your value visually and strategically, and the money side where mindset blocks keep you from charging what you’re worth.
I use what I call a “woo and work” approach. I believe you need both the practical business strategy (the positioning, packaging, and pricing) and the internal mindset work (dealing with money blocks, imposter syndrome, and self-worth issues). You can’t just fix one without the other.
Right now, I’m really excited about speaking at Cre8tive Con 2026 in Chicago. I was selected as one of only two speakers from hundreds of applications to speak on the main stage alongside speakers like David Meltzer and James Orsini.
I’m also the 4x award-winning author of “The Creative Code: A Creative Professional’s Way to Happiness, Wealth and Joy” and a TEDx speaker. My mission is to help creative entrepreneurs get crystal clear on their offers, who they serve, and how to present their work in a way that attracts their ideal clients at premium prices. Because when you get focused and specific, everything changes.
I’m also the co-host of CreativeMornings Los Angeles, a chapter of the global breakfast lecture series for the creative community. I’m so excited to be part of building the this creative community in Los Angeles, which is such a major hub of creativity and people from such diverse talent and backgrounds.
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?
Looking back, I think the three qualities that were most impactful in my journey were: taking decisive action, understanding both financial literacy and money mindset, and learning how to bridge creativity with business.
1. Taking Decisive Action
One of the biggest things that has served me well is being able to take action without overthinking everything to death. I’m not saying be reckless or impulsive in a bad way, but there are so many people who get stuck in analysis paralysis. They take forever to make a decision, overthink every detail, and then end up not moving at all. That keeps you stagnant and frustrated.
If you’re early in your journey, learn to trust yourself and take action. Flex that muscle of moving forward instead of staying stuck. You don’t have to have everything figured out perfectly before you start. Taking imperfect action will always beat perfect planning that never gets executed.
2. Financial Literacy and Money Mindset
Understanding how money works on a basic level is really important, and not being afraid of numbers is a skill set you absolutely need to develop. A lot of creatives don’t like spreadsheets or tracking things, but the numbers provide feedback that tells you how you’re doing and what areas need improvement. What gets measured gets improved.
At the same time, you need to constantly develop your spiritual practice around money. Be aware of the thoughts in your head, read books about abundance and prosperity, and work on your mindset. Your relationship to money and how you talk about it affects whether you’re attracting or repelling it.
The key is to embrace both sides. Learn how to look at numbers and understand how money impacts your business. And simultaneously, keep developing your internal work around money because both are essential.
3. Understanding Both Creativity and Business
You need both, and you need to structure your business in a way that allows you to still be creative and love what you’re doing while also working on the business side. Creativity is working IN your business (doing the actual creative work), but you also need to work ON your business (the strategy, structure, and systems).
For those starting out, figure out how to create a structure that feels good, with ease and flow. You don’t want burnout. You don’t want to end up hating what you do. Learn how to honor both the creative side and the business side so you can thrive in both areas without sacrificing one for the other.
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?
Absolutely! I’m always open to meaningful collaborations that serve the creative entrepreneur community.
I’m particularly interested in connecting with conference organizers and event planners who are looking for speakers who can talk about the intersection of creativity, business strategy, and money mindset. I love speaking to audiences of designers, AI artists, and creative entrepreneurs who want to get crystal clear on their positioning and start attracting premium clients instead of staying stuck in the budget client cycle.
I’m also open to podcast opportunities, strategic partnerships with other experts who serve creative entrepreneurs, and brand collaborations with companies and platforms in this space.
If you’re reading this and think there’s a potential collaboration, I’d love to hear from you.
Email me at [email protected] or connect with me on LinkedIn and let’s explore what’s possible.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.jenfontanilla.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenmoneycoach
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamjenfontanilla
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenfontanilla/
Image Credits
Heather Robinson – One Shot Beyond Photography
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
