Meet Dr. Amita Roy Shah

We were lucky to catch up with Dr. Amita Roy Shah recently and have shared our conversation below.

Dr. Amita Roy , 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.

For me, imposter syndrome manifested as an internal struggle, there was this nagging belief that I was not good enough for what I was doing. I felt like an imposter and there was this belief that at some point in my career, someone would call me out as a fraud. So I worked extra hard to make sure I belonged. I also hesitated to take on new roles, opportunities, or challenges.

My encounters with imposter syndrome began during my doctoral program at Teachers College, Columbia University, and then resurfaced with each new role, I took on: as a children’s book author, becoming a faculty member at San Jose State University, as a blogger for Brown Girl Magazine, and as the Founder of Social Edge. I found myself constantly striving to prove my worth, but it became clear that this approach wasn’t sustainable.

I realized that I had to understand the roots of these feelings. I examined the stories I was telling myself and recognized the influence of my personal experiences and beliefs. After a lot of reflection, I learned to reframe my thoughts, viewing anxiety as a source of energy and motivation rather than as a barrier.

Shifting my mindset has allowed me to navigate imposter syndrome more effectively. Here are some strategies that have been helpful for me:

  1. Prioritizing Excellence Over Perfectionism: Perfectionism led me to doubt my abilities, I feared being wrong, and I always tried to be in control. Today, I strive for excellence, I am ok with taking risks, willing to be wrong, and accepting of my mistakes. Instead of chasing unattainable perfection, I strive for excellence.
  2. Adopting a Growth Mindset: Today, I recognize that growth is an ongoing process, I embrace challenges and view mistakes as opportunities for learning and development. I understand that perfection is not the goal; progress is. I know I am a work-in-progress, and that we all are!
  3. Valuing Collaboration: I’ve learned to seek support and feedback from others rather than trying to do everything myself because I am afraid of what people think if I ask for help or advice. By welcoming input from colleagues and mentors, I enhance the quality of my work and foster growth.
  4. Practicing Self-Compassion: Rather than being self-critical, I cultivate self-compassion. This involves treating myself with kindness, acknowledging that setbacks are a natural part of the journey, and staying grounded in the present moment. I wanted to note that this is easier said than done, especially when you have been self-critical, so it does take a lot of practice.

Through this process, I’ve been able to transform my approach to new opportunities. I try to channel excitement rather than succumb to doubt, pursue excellence rather than perfection, and prioritize growth and collaboration. And through it all, I offer myself the same compassion and understanding that I extend to others.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

As the Founder of Social Edge©, my mission is to empower parents to prioritize their children’s social, emotional, and cultural development.

Addressing children’s social and emotional needs can significantly impact their lives, fostering better health, happiness, and more meaningful connections with their family and friends. Additionally, nurturing a bicultural identity enhances self-confidence, self-esteem, and academic success.

At Social Edge, we provide resources and content to support parents in nurturing emotional intelligence (EQ) and cultural intelligence (CQ) in their children. Our award-winning children’s books on Indian culture, accompanied by lesson plans and activities, offer insights into cultural celebrations and values.

We also offer EQ workbooks for different age groups, focusing on skills like emotional regulation and life strategies. Brain-Based EQ for Kids! helps children identify and regulate their emotions and Brain-Based Life Hacks provides children with an understanding of how to implement strategies (growth mindset, intention-setting, passion projects) to help them reach their goals.

We will be launching our new Brain-Based EQ for Pre-K Kids book will will introduce these concepts to pre-school-age children from an earlier age. Children will learn why their brain is important, the important work it does, and how it helps them process the world around them through their senses, emotions, and feelings.

This summer, Social Edge will be partnering with Nourishing Healthy Habits© for an in-person summer course called “Brainy Bites: Cooking with Emotions,” exploring the link between culinary intelligence (CI) and emotional intelligence (EQ) for a holistic approach to well-being.

Furthermore, I’m launching a new podcast, “Brown-ish Parenting,” on Rukus Avenue Radio available through the iHeart Radio App. Through this platform, we will be able to discuss contemporary parenting topics with experts, therapists, and influencers. We will learn about practical strategies and resources to support children’s social, emotional, and cultural development. With Rukus Avenue Radio’s reach via the iHeart Radio App, we aim to reach a broader parenting audience with invaluable insights and guidance.

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. Embrace Your Authentic Self. Tune into who you are. Your unique life experiences offer a perspective that no one else possesses. Embrace your struggles, as they shape who you are. Don’t try to be someone else, because the world needs YOU and your unique personality, story, skills, abilities, and worldviews.
  2. Combine passion with purpose: I learned that there is an incredible amount of power in combining your passion with purpose. Passion is our motivation and what makes us feel good, while purpose is why we do what we do, and how it helps society. When you combine these, you can live a more fulfilled life.
  3. Practice gratitude and celebrate wins. Gratitude is the key to happiness and elevates our positive emotions, which in turns fosters our physical and mental health. When we practice gratitude and celebrate our wins, we are operating from a positive mindset that allows us to feel good about ourselves and the work that we are doing.

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?
“Everything is Figureoutable” by Marie Forleo is one of my daily mantras, this helps remind me that no matter what life throws my way, there’s always a way to figure it out.

This transformative book helped me understand that the road to who I wanted to be is not going to be easy and that it will take a lot of hard work and growth.

After reading this book, I learned how to break down my self-doubts, excuses, and fears, to go for what I wanted to in my life. Part of this process was changing my mindset and taking action. This book acknowledges that most people feel like they are not ready to get started on a new career or path, but we all have to take actionable steps to get started.

“When you’re mired in indecision, break the cycle by taking action, no matter how small. Engage in real-world experiments to gain clarity. Action is the antidote to uncertainty.” – Marie Forleo

In addition, this book also helped me understand the power of my beliefs — because beliefs have the power to change who you are and the way you live.

“Beliefs serve as the scripts that govern our lives.” – Marie Forleo

Lastly, this book discusses how life is full of hardships and difficulties, but even in those situations, we can be resilient and get through it.

“No matter what you’re facing, you have what it takes to figure anything out and be-come the person you’re meant to be.”- Marie Forleo

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Image Credits
Photo Credit: Jen Rocha Photography @_jenrocha_

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