Dealing with imposter syndrome as a brand strategist

Brand strategy imposter syndrome is so common, even with the best strategists. 

I had worked with many a brand strategist before becoming one myself, and I have personally witnessed even the best strategists deal with uncertainty and doubt in their work. 

And I have experienced this too.

Questions like: 

• Is my strategy right?

• What if I've got it wrong?

• Could I have done it better?

• Is this too surface-level?

• Has it been done before?

• Will the client like it?

…aaand so on.

If you've ever experienced these doubts while working on a brand strategy project, then I want you to know that you are not alone.

Strategy is such a broad topic, and there are so many different ways of doing it. It's largely based on insight and instinct, that gut feeling of “this feels right” – backed up with research! Which explains why imposter syndrome is so common.

And when you're just starting in the field, there are also so many methodologies floating around to add to the confusion.  

So all this being said, let's move on to some ways to reduce imposter syndrome and grow your confidence.

3 tips for reducing imposter syndrome:

1. Make sure you've done your homework to increase your knowledge. Dive into the strategy of some well-known brands and try to understand how they got to their strategy and what their strategy is. Then, you can bring up the strategy used by say, Nike, or Glossier in client meetings when relevant. This will hugely increase your confidence and will build up your knowledge bank and confidence.

2. Stop tripping yourself up with frameworks and methodologies. Remember, every person who comes up with these frameworks is trying to create a name for themself. Agencies are trying to stand out, so they come up with their shiny new jargon and framework to help differentiate them.

   YOU DON'T NEED TO USE THIS! Too. much jargon will only confuse your clients, so try to simplify your own framework so you can effortlessly explain it to your client. 

3. Brand purpose, brand mission, brand ideology, brand essence…they are all the same! Rather than getting flustered by all the different terms and spending hours trying to understand the difference, just use the one that both you and your client ‘gets’. 

I hope these 3 simple tips help, and please do shoot me an email (just hit reply) if you have experienced brand strategy imposter syndrome before, and ask any questions you like.