Meet Sydney Williams

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Sydney Williams. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Sydney, 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.

We’ve all been there: that voice in your head whispering doubt even after a win. I’m no exception! Sometimes, when I achieve a goal, I downplay it instead of celebrating. It might be helping a client achieve amazing results, and I just shrug it off.

Here’s my secret weapon for battling imposter syndrome: First, I take a deep breath and acknowledge what’s happening. Then, I shift my focus from the negative self-talk to my actual goals and accomplishments. This helps me realign with the bigger picture.

Positive affirmations are key too! I remind myself that I’m exactly where I need to be on this journey, and everything’s unfolding perfectly. This simple practice helps me silence the doubter and step back into my confident self.

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

I love business and creativity! So, I’m a photographer, actor, model and entrepreneur (& not all in this order) – this is my career. I’m going to go through all of them. Are you ready? Let’s goooo…

Photography:
I’ve been a photographer since 2017. What inspired this moment was when I went to a modeling agency in St. Louis – I was rejected because of my big, tall and luscious afro. It could be considered intimidating to the other photographers (I’m sure because of other reasons). At first I was mad, because that didn’t make any sense to me (especially since 5 years later having an afro was the trend), but I turned that rejection and frustration into a positive story by photographing mainly Black women with big hair. I now photograph families, beautiful memories, models and more. I’ve photographed a lot of people. I actually now have an Airbnb Experience photographing people at the Dallas Arboretum. This is my first love.

Acting:
When I came back to Texas from Missouri (I went to college in MO) I was lost. So, I went to get a degree in Acting. I’ve always been interested in the entertainment industry (hint: photography), and acting helps me express myself in totality. Acting also helps me understand more about the world, people, and even myself. When I do character development – I always find resonance between me and my character (this helps me live in the moment truthfully). When I act, I always think about how I can bring justice to the character and to the story. I love being introduced to roles that empower Black women and the community as a whole. Fun fact: Ciecly Tyson has been my hero since I was in 7th grade when I did a report on her for Black History Month. She was fearless and the epitome of the statement, “I love myself, and I don’t care who doesn’t.”

Model:
Just like photography and acting, I have a love for the fashion industry. Whether that’s being in front of the camera (hint: acting) or behind leading projects. Remember when I mentioned I was rejected from an agency in St. Louis because of my afro? I went to be talent (acting and modeling). I was 20. It wasn’t until 2024 (7 years later), that I became a professional actor and model as signed talent with an agency in Houston, TX. This is a long-ending game and I’m in for the long-run. However, during my time as a photographer, I was able to figure out “the IT look.” This helped me find what agencies are looking for, and at the end of the day it’s personality, attitude, confidence, and adaptability. Sometimes you don’t even have to be “stunning” anymore either. This realization helped me land an internship with Dragonfly Agency where I was a model scout and scouted two models in under a month. Modeling lets me embrace my femininity and represent others like me. I want little girls to look at my photos and tell their mom, “Look mom, that’s me.” I want that in everything (acting, modeling, and entrepreneurship).

Being a photographer, actor and model helped me go rather far (they all intervene with each other). So now, let’s get into the entrepreneurship… this is where I get to help other founders and B2C companies.

On top of my creativity, I’m a marketing consultant & personal brand coach who helps founders and B2C companies.

Both of my parents were entrepreneurs when I was growing up, and I would always go to their meetings and listen in. I was also that kid at the family reunions who stayed with the adults instead of hanging out with the other kids. Between you and me, ;), the adult conversations were always more interesting and juicy.

My journey and story is still going, and I’m excited to share what I have coming next!!!

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?

The three qualities and skills that were most impactful in my journey were adaptability (changing with the changes always), curiosity, and critical thinking. Adaptability helps me have an attitude, if it’s meant to be – it’ll be. Of course, sometimes I question things about life, but that’s what we’re supposed to do. Adaptability helps me be flexible and allows me to change with the changes.

Curiosity is my strongest asset. I love learning new courses about social media, content strategy, AI, and more. I value curiosity in anyone, because it helps us find more depth and knowledge.

Critical thinking is problem-solving, and not many people hold this within them.

Critical thinking is the process of conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, and/or evaluating information gathered from reasoning, or communication. Critical thinking helps me meet where my clients are in their business marketing or life. It also helps with character development in acting, and talking to different kinds of people in a range of industries.

My advice to people who are early in their journey is to be in love with implementation and consistency. You can know everything under the sun, but if you don’t implement the strategy, there’s no transformation. Consistency helps with discipline and remains constant in yours and others lives.

Tell us what your ideal client would be like?

My ideal clients are woman coaches, authors, agency and salon owners, and other high-level entrepreneurs who want help in creating, converting and conveying their valuable offers on social media with content and social media strategy. I’m also a certified life coach, so these women also want help on improving their confidence and aligning their purpose with their business objectives. I help my clients have 6-7 figure years in their own business whereas they’d be working for someone else. They’re hungry for growth and ready to scale through marketing, and a total mindset shift.

Their current challenges revolve around navigating the ever-changing digital marketing landscape. They might feel overwhelmed by content creation or struggle to reach their ideal customers online organically or with paid ads. Standing out in a crowded marketplace can be a constant battle, and they might crave a clear brand identity to differentiate themselves from competitors. Ultimately, their goals are to build a strong brand that attracts high-paying clients and drives significant brand awareness.

My ideal client is open-minded and has a results-oriented mindset. They’re eager to learn new strategies and value data-driven approaches that demonstrate measurable progress. Tech-savviness is a plus, as they understand the power of technology and are comfortable exploring tools like AI content creation. Most importantly, they appreciate my expertise and trust my guidance in helping them achieve their business goals. They’re also clear communicators who can articulate their challenges and desires, fostering a strong collaborative partnership.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @impactfuliconbranding & @iamsydneyrose
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sydney-williams-942491132/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiXZWMcBZ7uqUXnkt7kZRDw