We were lucky to catch up with Katie Winchenbach recently and have shared our conversation below.
Katie, 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.
When I first graduated law school, I took a job at a small, local boutique law firm. Not only was I the only female attorney at the firm, but I was the youngest and least experienced attorney by many years. Very quickly, I noticed that I was being left out of a lot of activities the other attorneys did, like golf outings. When they came back from those activities, discussions had been had and decisions had been made, and I was left out of it all. It made me feel like I didn’t belong and that I wasn’t good enough to excel at the law firm. I got frustrated, and my confidence was shattered. I second guessed everything I did and left work every day feeling dejected and hopeless. It took me about 6 months to realize that I couldn’t let my worth be defined by other people’s thoughts about me and that I did bring value. I also realized that I didn’t want to stay in an environment where my supervisors couldn’t see the value I brought to the table. It was a tough time, but it taught me that in order to overcome impostor syndrome and build my confidence, that confidence needed to come from inside me. I know that is easier said than done, and it certainly didn’t happen for me overnight. My confidence and my sense of belonging have come from years of reminding myself of the value I bring and learning skills to help me remember that when the times are tough.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Currently, I work as a corporate attorney for a Fortune 500 company. I love that the work I do there is varied and really intellectually stimulating. However, my true passion lies in nonprofit work focusing on leadership development and training for rising women leaders. On a national level, I work with Ms. JD, a nonprofit that supports aspiring and early career attorneys, and help to design virtual and in-person programs that help build confidence, create strong networks, and develop critical leadership skills. Each year, these programs impact over 1,000 young women!
In my home state of Maine, I serve as the President of Women Standing Together, an organization that works to advance women in business. Last year, I led the board to launch the Women Standing Together Leadership Intensive, a one-day leadership training event that brought together over 100 Maine women. Now, we’ve expanded to host quarterly events and have a membership of incredible rising women leaders who work to build each other up and support each other.
To me, it’s so exciting to see women forge strong connections and help to uplift each other. I love the look of relief when our community realizes that they are not alone and that everyone is going through the same things.
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?
The biggest piece of advice I can give to those early in their journey is to give themselves some grace. When we’re first starting out, we tend to want to do everything perfectly and feel that we need to have a solid plan for how we advance. I think it’s important to take pride in your work and to set goals for yourself, but I think it’s equally as important to remember that you will make mistakes and you will veer off from the path you planned. I never planned to be an attorney, but the path I had planned out wasn’t working for me. It’s okay to change. It’s okay to mess up. Both pivots and mistakes are opportunities to learn.
Going off that, one of the qualities that is most important for young leaders is adaptability. Be open to new things, and always be learning. The more you learn about yourself, your values, your strengths, the more confidence you’ll build in yourself and you’ll be able to find the path that is most fulfilling for you. I’ve personally seen the biggest change in myself when I started reading books about building confidence and growing as a leader and was open to adapting my routines, beliefs, and actions.
Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?
Last year, I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Heather Backstrom speak at a leadership event in Los Angeles. Her concept of Collaborative Confidence really spoke to me, so I immediately picked up her book. A few ideas in the book really stood out to me and I think are applicable to anyone starting their journey.
The first is that as women, we are responsible for our own confidence, and we are also responsible for the confidence of other women. I love this idea because I’ve seen firsthand how women can uplift each other and how much stronger we can be when we collaborate.
The second idea that spoke to me is the concept of quieting your inner critic and letting your inner champion thrive. It resonates with me, and I’m sure with many others too, that we have both a critic and champion already inside of us and that we have the choice of who we let fill our minds with thoughts. It feels empowering to take control of my thoughts in that way and use my inner champion thoughts to boost myself and to boost others.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kdwinchenbach.com
- Instagram: heyitskdw
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/katiedw
Image Credits
Image With WST Tote Bag: Dragonfly Photography
Image with Blue Shirt: Alyssa Dusoe Designs
All other photos courtesy of Ms. JD
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
