We caught up with the brilliant and insightful John McCarthy a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
John , 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.
I absolutely love this question! It reminds me of a big two-day event in Salt Lake that my previous coach, Sean Whalen, hosted. I was so excited to be there to learn, network, and mainly step into an uncomfortable situation.
The first day of the event, the one and only Dr. Jordan B. Peterson was speaking. Before leaving my room to walk to the event center, Imposter Syndrome set in like crazy! Who am I to be in the same building as Jordan Peterson? Who am I to be in this building with successful individuals? In my eyes, all I am is some blue-collar bum trying to build a clothing brand. Am I really worthy to be in the same place as all of these people when I hardly even know how to make sales?
It wasn’t until after lunch that Jordan Peterson came to the stage to give his talk, and it was amazing! After his talk, Sean and his wife came out, and they had a Q&A with Jordan. One of the first questions that Sean asked was if Jordan experiences Imposter Syndrome.
To sum up his response, he basically said, “Bloody hell right I have”! Because you are an imposter, you are doing something that you have never done before. Imagine you have outgrown your current skin; it’s time to shed it off and get rid of it. The new skin you get doesn’t fit. It’s big, it’s loose, it’s draping over you. It’s because you haven’t filled it out yet. You are stepping into something new that you haven’t quite figured out yet and you have all of this room to grow!
After hearing Jordan’s explanation of Imposter Syndrome, it felt so comforting to have an example like that. So remember, you are just outgrowing yourself and coming into your new self that has so much more room for growth and filling to do.
Also, I have gotten really good at using the “Fuck It” Card when I start to question myself. Throw caution to the wind and step into the unknown. Go for it!
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Years ago, I was an alcoholic who couldn’t remember most nights, partied hard on the weekends, and was in a marriage that wasn’t good for either of us. I contemplated life and death and was always angry.
Now, I spend my days building my clothing brand ROK IT and continue constant self-improvement so a life of pure freedom can be lived.
ROK IT stands for Ruthless, Own It, Kindness, Improve, Transform, and it came to me out of nowhere. With a deep love for rock and metal music, I ran with this idea! How can I infuse my love for this genre of music, which not everyone likes, into something that can help inspire others to change their lives?
Just like with Imposter Syndrome, you start doubting yourself about whether you can even start a business, especially when all you have done your whole life is operate equipment across the country. But just like learning how to live a life without alcohol, I am learning how to build a clothing brand. The challenges it brings are exciting, and I fully encourage you to get out of your comfort zone and do something you haven’t done before.
A goal that ROK IT has for the year of 2024 is to have a new design every month! So keep your eyes out for a design that might catch your eye, or even a design that aligns with your beliefs. I will say this: I am super stoked for April’s design because it is something very personal, and I think that as a whole, we can all help people with this design.
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?
Lately, I have been talking a lot about discipline, as well as motivation and passion. But I think one of the main things that drives me is the past. The refusal to go backwards and relive the life that I led years ago.
With the first three qualities I listed, those should be your main go-tos. What are you passionate about? Are you motivated enough to really pursue your passion and make it what you imagine it could be? Are you willing to build a routine and discipline yourself to the point where it’s all you think about?
After that, you can add any ‘sub-categories’ you want to the equation, like marketing, social media, sales, demographics, and so on. If what you are doing doesn’t check the boxes for Passion, Motivation, and Discipline, then you aren’t doing what you really want to do.
Let’s use something simple like fitness as an example. If you aren’t passionate about making yourself look a certain way, then why would you even start? Now say you are passionate about losing weight so you can fit into a certain outfit, or you want to be bigger because you have looked like a stick your whole life. You have two boxes checked now: Passion and Motivation. The real question is, are you willing to be disciplined enough to do whatever it takes to reach this goal of yours? Are you willing to sacrifice? Are you willing to replace old habits that have been cemented into your daily life for years with new habits that will ultimately change your life for the better in the long term?
If you can check those three boxes, then I believe that you can go after and achieve whatever it is that you want to do.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I would absolutely love to collaborate with individuals who share the same goals as myself! If you believe that every day is a new opportunity for you to be better than you were the day before, then let’s go! If you live a ROK IT lifestyle or have something that ROK IT doesn’t, and think it would be beneficial for both of us, then LET’S GO!
I am also always on the hunt for people who want to model ROK IT clothing! The more tattoos, the more muscles, the bigger the personality, the better! If you share the same belief system as ROK IT and want photos taken of you in ROK IT clothing, let’s do it!
I can easily be reached through my email at [email protected] for all sorts of inquiries.
Contact Info:
- Website: Go-rokit.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/rok_it_official
- Facebook: Facebook.com/rokit21
- Other: TikTok.com/@rokit21
