We were lucky to catch up with Cyndi Galley recently and have shared our conversation below.
Cyndi, 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.
While it’s true that imposter syndrome is a thing, I realized that whatever table I found myself sitting at or whatever conference or event where I was speaking, my only mission was to bring my true authentic self, not veering away from my message and purpose. When I was locked into that, imposter syndrome no longer existed and was a thing of the past. There is a true freedom in being you, and nobody else––not who you think people want you to be, not who you are trying or pretending to be, not comparing yourself to the others in the room, but instead being the authentic YOU that nobody else other than you can be. There is a strength in knowing you are just being you, showing up in the entirety of who you are.
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 own a media company––New Gal Global––whose purpose is to strengthen women of all ages from all walks of life, empowering them to be the best versions of themselves in their calling, career, emotions, and relationships…really, in every area of their lives. From our latest book, “Don’t Be This Girl!” based on the cringey behavior of Romantic Comedies (RomComs) leading ladies, to real chat on our podcasts and within our community, our content is beautifully curated to give today’s woman the courage to walk out her best version of herself. My organization houses the various branches of media including a publishing company, our fashion magazine publications, a production company currently in post-production on a documentary, our video podcast, “A New Thing with Cyndi,” along with a handful of additional projects.
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 skills and areas of knowledge impacting me the most was the understanding that we don’t have to be molded into any one thing, the skill that impacted me most in my journey was learning how to edit videos, and the quality most impacting me is being a woman of faith.
What impacted me most in terms of understanding that we don’t have to be molded into any one thing was the realization that with all the various gifts I’d inherited musically, vocally, in writing, producing, creating, etc., I didn’t just have to pick one thing to do or be in life. I realized that I could be ONE person utilizing all those various gifts not only in the projects I’d taken on, but most importantly in fulfilling my purpose. So often we focus on asking people what their career or calling is, somewhat placing them in a box. That can be so stressful and frustrating to feel like there’s just only one thing you can do in life, when really, so many of us are gifted with more than just one ability. Why not be and do them all? Now I’m not referring to running after everything at the same time, but I’m a firm believer that if we listen and pay attention to what we’re sensing on the inside of us, then we take the steps, building a foundation, that will aid in what’s needing to be built and created in the next season, and so on and so on.
I mentioned that the skill that impacted me most was learning how to video edit and even though that’s not the bulk of what I do now, it is what caused me to come outside of my mental challenges in thinking that I could never learn how to do that because of how difficult it seemed. So often when we see something or come to an obstacle that intimidates us, we don’t want to push ourselves beyond that. We were working on a television show concept I had created at the time, called AM FM, which was table talk between six people three men and three women, half married and half single. As we were in the post-production side of things, I would constantly sit with my video editor asking questions as to what he was doing and what the function of specific editing tools, etcetera, to which I finally just asked him if I could give it a try. He was so kind and patient, allowing me to do that and pouring into me, that I fell in love with the post- production side of filmmaking, not just the capturing and storyboarding side which I equally love!
Above all, I believe, that what has helped me in pursuit of all the dreams placed in my heart is being a woman of faith. I know everybody believes in different things or beings, but for me my constant is God, who is real. He answers when I pray and remains faithful even when I unfortunately from time to time, am not. When I look back to where I was and to who I am now, these three have been not only instrumental in my life, but also vital to who I am today.
What’s been one of your main areas of growth this year?
After years and years of saying I was going to write a book for adults, I finally wrote and released my book, “Don’t Be This Girl!,” based on some of those cringey parts of on-screen leading ladies looking for (or trying to hold on to) love in some of our favorite Romantic Comedies (RomComs). I have loved romance ever since I can remember being alive, but because I’m a RomCom fiend, I have allowed some of what I’ve seen take place on-screen, seep into my own thoughts as to how to find and/or keep love. Every and any one of those scenarios I’ve kept to heart have ended in disaster or catastrophe relationally, and so after years and years of coaching women with bleeding hearts, I decided it was high time to write about some of the pitfalls of love when we attempt to go about it the way we might see it happening in a movie like “The Holiday,” “He’s Just Not That Into You,” or even a TV show as iconic as “Sex and the City.” While these movies and shows have changed the way we do life, in some ways it has brought about catastrophic results in our love lives, and ultimately in our own personal lives. Why wouldn’t a guy who has been stringing us along finally “get” that we’re “the one”? It finally happened for Carrie and Big, and so, maybe if I, too, wait around for six long years, and dress in fabulous outfits, rocking my designer shoes, he’ll realize I’m the one for him after all, right? Wrong. 9 out of 10, he won’t see the light, because you’re not really the one he wants.
As painful as the book was to write in revisiting many of my own personal poor choices and mistakes, I love the book my co-author, Ivette P. Osborn and I wrote. We feel it is timely and hope it helps pull EVERY woman who is drowning, OUT of that broken relationship and into healthy thinking and renewing of who she really is and what she is worth.
I do think two are better than one and so loved writing this with Ivette. We each have different strengths and so it was beautiful to see how it laid a strong foundation for our book. So many times, women want to compete or compare. You’ll never truly get to where you want to be when that is your mindset. There is power in collaboration and especially as women, we are better together.
Though not every project requires two individuals, I’d say if you have dreams in your heart you have not achieved, spend time finding out if it’s something that requires another set of hands, ears and eyes. It might be that another person needs to be pulled into your project.
I had the concept of the book, along with the essence of the title, but when I started to move forward, I knew I wouldn’t go it alone. I’m so glad I listened to my heart, instead of being possessive about the book. Had I been clenching so tightly to it, it’s possible I wouldn’t be writing about the released book which is now out and available on Amazon now!
Contact Info:
- Website: newgalglobal.org
- Instagram: @Cyndi616
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyndigalley/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ANewThingLIVE
A New Thing LIVE: https://www.youtube.com/@DontBeThisGirl
Image Credits
Book Launch Photos: Sofiia Sveshnikova Photography; IG: @sofiiasv Cyndi’s Book Photo Shoot: Creative Remnant Photography Cyndi’s Interviewer shots: Creative Remnant Photography
Photo Booth Photos: @nixiephotoboothco
