5. If you want to be a ____ you have to start by telling yourself you are one

Jennifer Wong (affectionately known as “Jwong”) is a product designer, design coach/mentor, and one of the most authentic people I know. We met while working together at our previous jobs, and both got laid off on the same day.In this episode, we cover:* Understanding the “why’s” behind personal and team demotivation* Founding her own startup and why she decided that pursuing entrepreneurship wasn’t her full time aspiration* What it means to be a woman in design, and the implied career limitations if you’re a career woman who wants to have a family * Why she would describe herself as a naive diva in her early career * Servant leadership, what a good manager does to empower their employees, and how to command respect without demanding it* How she went from being laid off to a job offer from Netflix in 5 weeks (!! can you design the new cult docu-series please?!)* Questions you should ask in an interview to weed out toxic workplaces, and find out whether a manager is going to be great or notQuote of the day:* “When you're scared of something, that's not always a bad thing. If it scares the shit out of you, I think you should do it.” - JwongAmanda’s post-recording reflections:I don’t think you ever really overcome imposter syndrome, but learning that the way way you treat yourself, and the way you position yourself as a professional is the way that other people will think of you, too. One of Jwong’s biggest pieces of advice for becoming a designer is to start with yourself- believe that you are worth of being a designer, and tell yourself that you are one. You won’t get anywhere with learning new skills if your self doubt is louder than your self-trust.For me, this was true with starting to freelance, and with starting this podcast! I had a lot of imposter syndrome about doing both of those things, but the funny thing about getting laid off is it helps you move through it much faster (out of necessity lol). But honestly, everything started flowing more easily once I just got started and the words “I’m a freelancer” and “I’m a podcaster” came out of my mouth for the first time. Maybe you should try it with that thing you’re scared to do too.Till next time,AmandaDo you know someone struggling with trying something new, becoming a designer, or showing up 100% authentically at work? Share this podcast episode with them! It’d mean the world to me. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit amandabranson.substack.com