Meet Tianna Manon

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

Tianna, 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.

Imposter syndrome is such an interesting term. The idea that you’re in a space and you feel like an imposter because you shouldn’t be there. But the only person saying you shouldn’t be there is…you. You’ve already been selected for this space. You clearly belong.

I’d like to discuss this from a two-fold approach: 1.) how it holds you back from everything you’re destined for and 2.) How you actually don’t need to fully “overcome” imposter syndrome to be great. In fact, most truly amazing people you look up to feel this every so often. It’s just as normal as nerves, anxiety and excitement.

First, imposter syndrome will force you to self-select out of rooms waiting for your greatness. Remember you have been invited into these spaces for a reason. Shine.

I personally don’t reason with imposter syndrome because I know it’s presence has no real impact on my performance. It’s just another emotion, albeit uncomfortable but just an emotion. Whether you try to tell yourself you belong or you prepare more, you’re just feeding the beast. The next room you’ll have to do this again. The way I beat imposter syndrome is to remind myself that I am already enough and it’s by being in this space that I’ll continue to grow in the ways I need to on this journey. But if I self-select out then I am just reinforcing this idea that I don’t belong and I am actually taking myself off track. I can feel the feeling without acting upon it, without wasting any energy on it.

I am a long-time meditator and I know that I don’t have to feel every emotion. You can simply say “hello, anxiety,” “hello, imposter syndrome” and then be amazing anyway. Besides, your goal shouldn’t be to enter every space and be perfect, it should be to connect and grow with the others there. And you can’t be an imposter making genuine connections. I ground myself in that approach to beat the anxiety, the imposter syndrome and I say even if I can’t 100% I have no problem moving anyway. I know I won’t always feel that way.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I am the owner of Manon Media, a full-service firm shaping visionaries and movements into tomorrow’s systems and laws. We believe in creating real change and we work with creative powerhouses to bring their messages to the masses in a way that is accessible, actionable and attractive, setting the stage for change that is bottom-up and long-term.

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?

1.) My meditation journey has transformed my approach to work, life and even relationships. I know how to sit with emotions, from anxiety to anger, ensuring they don’t pose as hurdles in my growth. Mindfulness allows you to improve your focus, creativity and retention– in a world that threatens those exact things every second. I say every major entrepreneur should be practicing mindfulness because it’ll help you weather the ups and downs of your industry.

2.) How to write well. Sure grammar matters but the ability to communicate an incredibly complex idea in a way that someone can not only understand but embody has helped me pass major legislation, raise awareness about injustices and involve the masses. As AI takes over, I find more writing but most of it lacks deeper connection and the ability to truly inspire. I specialize in identity-forward writing that helps my clients (and myself) be more memorable, which allows us to really motivate action.

3.) Patience. I am in entrepreneurship for the freedom, not just to make more money and I used to panic during slow seasons. Now I know how to look forward to those times, using them for strategy, personal development or enjoying life (what I went into entrepreneurship for!)

Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?

Overwhelm is an interesting emotion because it leads to nothing productive. I am prone to overwhelm and anxiety, and I often saw this in the beginning of this journey. It’s actually why I left journalism because I couldn’t physically keep up with how demanding newsroom life is. I felt overwhelmed every day– often the second I opened my eyes in the morning.

I then went through a phase of working hard, then relaxing, then working hard then relaxing, which is where I think most people still are. However, if you always need a break, then what you’re doing isn’t sustainable. I beat overwhelm by asking myself constantly is this sustainable and if it’s not how can I make it so? How can I make it more fun? More fulfilling?

Thus, the key to overwhelm isn’t to flop on the couch and wait until you feel better. That’s actually a dangerous, slippery slope for only taking action when you “feel like it.”

So, I try to make my life and work as sustainable as possible. It should feel easy so if something comes up, I can deal with it. Finally, if I can’t beat the feeling I ask myself as kindly as possible “what CAN I do now?” And then I do that one thing. Feelings aren’t always accurate and sometimes that small motion gets me back on track.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tiannamanon.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manonmedia https://www.instagram.com/thetiannamanon

Image Credits

N/a