Read Overcoming the Impostor Syndrome clients had to say

From the Program Manager at Intel Corporation

Thanks for doing such a great job. People are still talking about your fabulous presentation. It was fantastic.

Elizabeth Mason
Intel Corporation

From the former Chief Counsel for Nestle Corporation and current Principal of Client Focus, a consulting group specializing in working with women attorneys

Thank you for once again delivering your workshop for very successful women lawyers attending my recent Rainmaker Roundtable session. As always, your presentation was very well received (and this is not an easy audience to please!).

You are an excellent presenter bringing humor, practicality and great depth of thought to your presentations. Your comments sparked lively discussions among the participants. Your extensive written materials were an excellent reinforcement of your message.

On a personal note, it is a pleasure to work with you. I appreciate the great effort you put into customizing your presentations to meet my audience’s needs and your willingness to use the feedback received to constantly improve your already excellent presentations.

I highly recommend you as a supportive, informative and motivational speaker.

From the Director of the Women in Engineering Program at the University of Texas at Austin

The rave reviews from your Impostor Syndrome workshop last week are still coming in! I have heard from several of our engineering students, faculty and industry women, and they all agree that this was one of the best workshops they have attended.

The turnout, which exceeded even my best expectations, is a clear indication that this topic hits home for many women. Of course, your unique presentation style makes this workshop fun and interesting, and I especially appreciated your use of humor in helping the audience feel at ease.

If I can spread the good word about the Impostor Syndrome workshop, please let me know. I would be happy to talk with anyone who might be considering this training idea.

Thank you again for helping to get our school year off to such a great start. And I hope we can bring you back for a return performance next year!

From the Assistant Director of the MIT Careers Office:

Dear Valerie:

Your presentation on the Imposter Syndrome drew undergraduates, graduate students, administrators, and even some faculty members. I was pleased to hear a significant number of male students (as well as females) participating in the discussion. Clearly, our students had no trouble identifying the “rules” for behaving like an Imposter. High achievers, like the MIT audience, need an opportunity to express what it's like to fear ever not knowing the “answer.”

You opened up a valuable discussion on our campus.

Best wishes,

Hannah Bernstein
Assistant Director
MIT Careers Office

From an engineering alumnus who attended the Impostor Syndrome Workshop at the University of Texas

Thank you so much for making the University of Texas Engineering Women at Work and Play weekend a huge success. I heard comments from many people about how enjoyable and informative your presentation was.

I tend to go into presentations like that with much skepticism. I read a lot and attend many seminars and find that most are simply takeoffs of each other and versions of popular trends and books.

Your presentation was refreshing however, and provided me with new insights and information.

From the Executive Director for the Society of Women Engineers

I can honestly say that I think of the imposter syndrome at least once each week. I take what I learned from that class and use it to either be more effective in my interactions or at least find comfort in realizing that my discomfort is a result of feeling like an imposter.

Betty Shanahan
Executive Director
Society of Women Engineers

From the Chapter President for the Graduate Women in Science, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Thanks again for coming to the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Your presentations were excellent, and we were extremely pleased with the turnout, not just in numbers but also with the amount of different departments and disciplines that were there. It was a great workshop that we were very proud to put on. I have heard so much positive feedback from lots of people. Working with you was a great experience.

Amy Berta
Graduate Women in Science Beta Chapter President

This letter is to express our thanks for a superb program last spring. I spoke with many of the attendees in the weeks following the program and all were enthusiastic about the program. Your sharp wit and stunning anecdotes kept the audience tuned in to the content of the program.

The knowledge that many famous intelligent personalities also exhibit impostor characteristics seemed to validate the concept that the syndrome is far reaching. Your specific examples of how the syndrome can be destructive professionally struck a familiar cord with many of the attendees.

All those attendees I spoke with carried away a better understanding of themselves as well as some great techniques for self-improvement. In particular, the recommendations on how to overcome procrastination were very popular. On a more personal note, I use many of your suggestions on a regular basis in my personal and professional life.

Financially, the program was a great success. As a result of this program, our society raised over $1,500 toward our scholarship fund. We hope to have you back in Maine in the near future.

From the Director and the Program Coordinator of the Women's Programs in Engineering at Cornell University

Thank you for arranging your schedule to be able to present your workshops at Cornell University last week. We both enjoyed meeting you. It really was a pleasure. Your enthusiasm and your ability to engage and entertain your audience were impressive and inspiring!

As you can see from the enclosed students' comments, your presentation was a huge success. Students came up to us after each session to thank us for bringing you to campus and to tell us how much they learned from your talk. We anticipate that our follow-up session will be attended and lively!

Valerie, on behalf of our students we thank you for coming to Cornell and for giving all of us so much food for thought.

From the Director and the Program Coordinator for the Caltech Women's Center

Thank you so much for the wonderful program on the Impostor Syndrome you presented here at Caltech. This was a well-presented, informative and exciting program. We have generated a great deal of discussion and follow-up programming based on your presentation and ideas. I couldn't have asked for more than you gave us.

We will keep you posted on the progress of our efforts and encourage you to let us know when you will be in Southern California again. I believe a half-day or full-day workshop is not out of the question for our students.

Thank you again for coming to Caltech. We look forward to our continuing friendship.

From the Director of the Women in Engineering, Science and Technology Program at Texas A&M

On behalf of the Women in Engineering, Science and Technology Program (WEST) and the Dwight Look College of Engineering at Texas A&M University, I want to thank you for presenting the Overcoming the Impostor Syndrome workshop.

I enjoyed the personal time I got to spend with you and also the excellent workshop. I have enclosed a summary of the participant comments for your information. Thank you for taking the time to come to Texas A&M and being a vital contributor to women in engineering.

We truly appreciate your time and unique perspective. I hope this is just the first of many joint projects. If I can ever be of any service, don't hesitate to contact me.

From Faculty Member in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Clarkson University

I am writing to thank you for the wonderful workshop on ‘Overcoming the Impostor Syndrome’ that you presented to students, faculty and staff at Clarkson this semester. Everyone that I have spoken with found the workshop to be very worthwhile. Your willingness to share many of your experiences and feelings made us all realize that we are all ‘works in progress’ and made the objectives of the workshop seem more attainable to us as individuals.

I was particularly impressed that you were able to reach the broad range of women who attended our workshop. Sharing feelings and experiences with other participants made me realize that these feelings of ‘impostor-ship’ are within so many of us and cross age, experience and ethnic boundaries. Everyone was able to leave with a better understanding of themselves as well as with some steps to take to correct some of the limiting behavior and thought patterns that influence our success. Thanks again for a great workshop!

The workshop you did for Michigan Women Psychologists was a hit! The material was easy to apply, both personally and professionally. The small group work was terrific. Many of us are in solo practice, and we enjoyed connecting with and learning from one another. People left smiling!

Overcoming the Impostor Syndrome Clients

Overcoming the
Impostor Syndrome Clients