Meet Meryl Klemow

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Meryl Klemow a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Meryl, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

I experienced imposter syndrome when I was first born. I doubted that I was meant to be a baby, in a hospital, in Rochester, New York. What did it all mean? From that day (August 2, 1982), I have accepted my fate and believe we shouldn’t take things so seriously, but also take the idea of living life more seriously, if that makes any sense. A friend once told me that instead of imposter syndrome, I have imPOSER syndrome, because I am not afraid to impose myself on a situation I feel I deserve. When I watched the making of the “We Are the World” documentary I thought, “I could do that”. It’s probably good to not be that confident, but just remember that most of us don’t know what we are doing at most moments of every day. Hopefully, brain surgeons do. But I love to live by the motto, “If not you, then who?”

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

From a professional standpoint, I love helping people create their podcasts. The podcast world is ever-adapting, and it’s fun to keep up with trends while assisting people in putting out a classic show. I started working in podcasting in 2016, and I have shaped my career to work with clients who are awesome, funny, smart, and all-around good people. I have quite a few female entrepreneur clients which I LOVE, and I welcome working with all kinds of people from different backgrounds and perspectives. Working in the podcast world has given me knowledge beyond my scope of knowledge – every week, I’m immersed in shows about Angus beef farming, revenue-based financing, software development, and so much more. I’m very nerdy and curious and need a lot of time by myself at the computer, so it’s been the perfect path for me. I like to couple that with being out and about in the community for stand-up comedy, acting, and embracing my inner party girl.

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?

  1. Be okay with feeling embarrassed and geeky. Don’t try to avoid it. I’ve felt acute embarrassment at and for everyone on my Instagram feed at least once and cringe at myself daily, and I LOVE THAT for us. It will always be cooler to be doing a new thing or trying even if you’re shaking than it is to be sitting on the sidelines critiquing them.

 

  1. Stop asking people to “pick their brain” if you aren’t ready to do the actions that come along with their advice. Also please find a different phrase to use rather than “pick my brain”! It makes energetically sensitive people feel like a dinosaur and you are a greedy paleontologist chipping away at our skulls to put in a museum. And, when you do reach out to someone who is in a position that you admire or are hoping to get to, I appreciate it so much when someone comes to me offering to help in any way (support an event I’m putting in, like or review a podcast, share a flyer on your IG story) rather than just with a “taking” mentality.

 

  1. Take accountability for the excuses you use to not get started, and gently start to move yourself into action. I like to work backward from what I feel is the highest version of myself and make sure those things get done, whether it’s going to the museum, fostering deep friendships, deep conditioning my hair once a month, etc.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Yes! I love meeting others who are confident in their abilities and visions and want to help others succeed. I would also love to meet folks who are looking to start their podcast and would love to work together to create something fun, imposter syndrome and all.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Just Off the Six | Andrew Max Levy Joesph Guzzino | @joeys.camera

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