[six-minute read]
Being the head of a company isnβt a walk in the park. Brian Tate, Oats Overnightβs founder and CEO, knows that as well as anyone. Doubt. Worry. Unease. What-ifs. Brian felt these emotions to an unusual degree during his first years running Oats Overnight, but it wasnβt until recently that he was able to identify their source: impostor syndrome.
Given Brianβs history of success, you might find that admission surprising. Just consider that he was able to use winnings from his professional poker career to bootstrap a successful company. How could someone who on the surface seems so successful also wrestle with self-doubt?Β
In reality, successful people are not exempt from experiencing impostor syndrome and may even feel it more poignantly. It certainly made its way into Brianβs mind. But through meaningful conversations and deep self-reflection, he was able to uncover its roots within himself and begin effectively countering it.Β
Because Brianβs journey to overcome impostor syndrome has been so arduous, we asked him to share what heβs learned to help others.Β
Climbing The Mountain
Brian played poker professionally for 12 years before starting Oats Overnight, and heβs been able to apply lessons he learned during that time to the business world with great results. But such a hard transition also created pitfalls he couldnβt have foreseen.
Brian describes climbing the ranks of professional poker as analogous to climbing a mountain composed of seemingly endless and increasingly difficult switchbacks. The switchbacks keep the summit out of view so that you never know how far you still have to go. After spending over a decade reaching the summitβwhich he didβBrian decided it was time to move on to a new mountain: entrepreneurship.Β
Brian projected the difficulty of his previous climb onto the new mountain before him. The sensation of starting over was intimidating, βI came into it knowing there was a mountain ahead of me. I had no idea what those switchbacks entailed,β he says. βI didnβt even know what I didnβt know. All I knew was that I had a lot to learn and that I was miles behind the next person.β
Because of this, Brian felt unable to enjoy his successes; each one felt like one more stretch up a mountain whose summit he couldnβt see. βI didnβt have those βfeel goodβ moments. Winning signals didnβt register as, βOkay, weβre doing great.β The fact that I didnβt know what the switchbacks looked like over the next 3,000 feet? That meant I didnβt belong here yet.β
Interestingly, one of the five ways that impostor syndrome manifests itself is as an idea of oneself as βThe Expert.β The Expert expects to know everything about a subject and feels racked with uncertaintyβand very much like an outsiderβwhen they donβt. Dealing with this frame of mind was difficult enough on its own, but it wasnβt the only demon Brianβs poker years had left with him.
Reaching The Summit
Along the way, Brian played poker with many brilliant people. But at the summit stood one last competitor, a person Brian describes as βa total savant, a mathematical genius, a person with the rarest combination of talents and work ethic.β As Brian came to know this player personally, it dawned on him just how immensely difficult it would be to surpass himβif it was possible at all.Β
When Brian embarked on his climb up the mountain of entrepreneurship, he envisioned such a challenger waiting at the top: the perfect CEO, one who works relentlessly and has every aspect of their life dialed in. βBasically like an Elon Musk of sorts, with no personal problems,β he says, laughing. How could he hope to become this CEO? He would have to be perfect; he would have to work even harder.Β
As it turns out, βThe Perfectionistβ is another of the five types of impostor syndrome. Even a minor flaw in The Perfectionistβs routine equates to failure, to the degree that simple relaxation causes anxiety.Β Brian discovered through counseling that this form of impostor syndrome had taken root because he was constantly comparing himself to the image of the perfect competitor that had crystallized in his mind.Β
βThe anxiety was coming from a discrepancy between what I was doing and where I thought I should be,β he says. βIt could be 8:00 PM. I would finish all my emails and just try to relax. But as soon as I sat down, Iβd think: βI could be doing something right now to help the business. If we fail, itβs going to be because ofΒ thisΒ time that Iβm sitting watching TV.β These things were getting to me and causing anxiety.β
Overcoming Impostor Syndrome Through Community and Conversation
βCommunity. Embracing deep conversation. Getting past the small talk.β These are ultimately what helped Brian recognize and overcome impostor syndrome. βNobody in the business world talks to each other about how difficult it actually is. But the deeper the conversations you have with people, the more you realize youβre not alone.βΒ
Brianβs discovery that many others around him shared his experience gave him confidence. He continued to pull on this thread in conversations with others: βWhat I realized is that everyone is trying to figure it out. Nobody knows what theyβre doing. The people who think they do are usually worse off because theyβre not open.β
Keeping this in mind helps Brian counter βThe Expertβ in him. As for βThe Perfectionist,β Brian has this to say: βItβs a lot healthier to think aboutΒ everybody.Β Not this one imagined, ideal person.β Ultimately, his conversations with others led him to focus less on an idealized person who doesnβt exist, and more on helping others around him who do.
United in Our Journey
At Oats Overnight, weβre always asking, βHow can we do things better?β This desire for excellence has helped us create a new, superior way to do breakfast, and weβre pretty pleased with that. At the same time, weβd be lying if we said that as a young company we rarely struggle with impostor syndrome. If you also wrestle with this, we invite you to join our community of support and encouragement. Weβd also love to help you fuel your growth with a nutrient-dense, delicious breakfast each morning.Β
If you need to restock your supply,Β check outΒ some of our new flavors.Β
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