Dr. Angela Trego: What Does a Rocket Scientist Know About Imposter Syndrome? 

You can have the Ph.D. You can have the patents. You can even be a rocket scientist, and still walk into a room wondering whether you belong there.Dr. Angela Trego knows that feeling firsthand.On this episode of Mental Health Momentum, Silicon Slopes Director of Mental Health Awareness and licensed psychologist Dr. David Morgan sits down with Dr. Trego, a rocket scientist turned confidence and communication expert and #1 bestselling author of Squashing the Imposter Syndrome.Early in her engineering career at Boeing, Trego found herself as the only woman among roughly 200 men. Her credentials said she belonged. Her internal voice sometimes told a very different story.That experience eventually became part of a much larger professional mission: understanding why capable, accomplished people doubt themselves—and helping them develop the confidence to contribute at their full potential.“Too often, the internal feelings don't match that external reality,” Trego tells Morgan.In this conversation, Morgan and Trego explore the connection between imposter syndrome, self-doubt, confidence, mental health, leadership, and professional performance. Trego explains why imposter syndrome isn't limited to executives, highly educated professionals, or women. Her research has included people across genders, cultures, professions, and ages, and she has seen the same fundamental question surface again and again:Do I really belong here?Trego argues that when talented employees lack the confidence to speak up, share ideas, take risks, or contribute their expertise, organizations lose some of the very talent they worked so hard to hire.In this episode:What imposter syndrome actually feels likeWhy accomplishments don't automatically eliminate self-doubtTrego's experience as the only woman on a large engineering teamThe difference between our internal perceptions and external realityHow confidence affects professional performanceWhy talented employees sometimes stay silentImposter syndrome among men and womenConfidence, communication, and leadershipMoving from technical expertise into a completely different careerWhy organizations should care when employees don't believe they belongThe conversation also explores Trego's unconventional career journey from mechanical engineering and aerospace to professional development, communication, leadership, and confidence and why technical expertise alone doesn't always prepare people to recognize their own value. Don’t miss this fascinating conversation with one of the most authentic voices in business leadership today.