Over the past few months, I've been doing formal and informal market research to understand what are the obstacles that stand in the way of women reaching their next-level success.

They may want to grow their firm, secure capital, or be promoted to partner. Or, they’re just trying to survive a competitive environment where their colleagues don’t have their backs.

Many mention their need for confidence. They ask themselves "Who am I to do this?". They talk about feeling like a fraud.

I was surprised to hear this so often. I’ve done tons of inner work. But this wasn’t on my radar. While I’ve been processing all of these conversations, a memory popped in.

I was fresh out of college. I sat in a comfy chair in a fancy training room during my first week of new hire training at Deloitte. I looked around the room and immediately thought “I don’t belong here.” I thought I fooled everyone; the senior managers, hiring partners and the VP of HR. What if they knew the truth?

I’ll share more in the future. But for now, I want to normalize this experience. I was one of the first in my family to graduate from college. I was the first accountant. I was the first in my family to work in a high-rise in downtown Boston.

No wonder I didn’t feel like I belonged. No wonder I worried that people would find out I was an impostor.

This is why I want to start a conversation.

Do you ever feel like a fraud? Does it get in your way? What do you do to deal with it?

Want to just share your story privately? Feel free to message me here.