Women Who Ship

“Feeling like an imposter doesn’t mean you’re not qualified. It often means you’re growing.”Do you ever walk into a meeting and wonder if everyone can tell you don’t quite believe you belong there? You are not alone. According to a recent Tech Workplace Survey Report, a staggering 89% of women in tech report experiencing imposter syndrome at work. Even with a stellar resume and a calendar full of people asking for your help, it is easy to feel like a fraud who is about to be "found out".In this episode of Women Who Ship, host Sarah Williams digs into why imposter syndrome is so common in the tech industry. She breaks down how socialization and a lack of representation feed our self-doubt, and why hitting the "valley of despair" in the Dunning-Kruger effect is actually a sign that you are stretching into new territory.You don't have to wait for your brain to magically stop doubting you to start leading boldly. Instead, learn two practical tools to intentionally build your self-trust.Your Next Steps:Download the Playbook: Ready to put these tools into practice? Download the free Imposter Syndrome Playbook at coachsarahwilliams.com/imposter to help you build your Personal Milestones List and map out your 10% better thoughts.Take Action: Create a Personal Milestones List. Write down the things you are genuinely proud of (both professional and personal), and pause to remind yourself: you did that.Shift 10%: The next time self-doubt creeps in, don't try to change your thinking 100%. Instead, find a thought that feels just 10% more believable and 10% better in your body.Subscribe: Hit subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode.Resources Mentioned in this Episode:2025 Tech Workplace Survey ReportSpringfield Women in TechHabitat Communication & CultureTheme Music: The Success by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

What happens when that "new year, new me" energy fades and your big goals quietly fizzle out?. For high-achieving women in tech, execution isn't usually the problem, but setting sustainable goals often is. We tend to either set vague, ill-formed goals like "I want to network more," or we push ourselves with so much intensity that we end up burning out. When we inevitably fall short, it doesn't just stall our progress; it damages our self-trust.In Episode 2 of Women Who Ship, host Sarah Williams uses her own derailed running goal as a case study to explore how we can actually follow through on our ambitions without breaking ourselves in the process. The big takeaway: clarity, tiny boring steps, and flexibility will beat intensity every time.Three Ways to Make Your Goals Stick:Run It Through the SMART Filter: Transform vague ambitions into goals that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant (this is your "WHY"), and Time-based.Commit to Small, Sustainable Changes: Focus on tiny actions that are doable today but transformational over a year. As Jeff Olson outlines in The Slight Edge, small changes compound into big results over time.Stay Flexible and Adjust: Don't get tunnel vision that ignores reality. If you hit a roadblock, give yourself permission to adjust your plan—or even the goal itself—so that it continues to align with your core "WHY".Your Next Steps:Take Action: Take one goal you already have and run it through the SMART filter; you can even use an AI tool to help you structure it. Next, identify the smallest, repeatable action you can take this week, and decide what signals will tell you it is time to adjust your plan.Share: Write your answers down, and if you are feeling brave, share them with a mentor, manager, or trusted peer to help you stay honest and flexible.Subscribe: Hit subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode.Let's go ship some good stuff together.Resources Mentioned in this Episode:The Slight Edge by Jeff OlsonInto Thin Air by Jon KrakauerTheme Music: The Success by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

What do you do when everyone around you is getting recognized, and you feel oddly invisible? In "recognition-rich" tech cultures, Slack shoutouts, peer awards, and birthday cards are everywhere. But for senior women in leadership, who are often the ones responsible for giving out the praise, it's easy to feel completely unseen.In the premiere episode of Women Who Ship, host Sarah Williams tackles the taboo topic of feeling unappreciated at work. She breaks down why waiting for "gold stars" from others puts your confidence on a rollercoaster, and why you don't actually need external praise to validate your worth.Instead, Sarah shares practical tools to help you build grounded self-trust through intentional self-recognition. You'll learn how to separate the facts from the punishing stories you tell yourself, how to redefine what recognition looks like at the senior level, and exactly how to run a weekly 30-minute "Recognition Retro" to build a private evidence file of your own impact.Your Next Steps:Take Action: Block 30 minutes on your calendar this week to run your own Recognition Retro. Write down three specific things you did that mattered, and exactly why they were important.Share: If this episode helps you see your own value, please share it with another woman in tech who might be feeling invisible in a noisy, recognition-rich culture.Subscribe: Hit subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you never miss an episode.Let's go ship some good stuff.Theme Music: The Success by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Have you ever walked into a meeting room and wondered if everyone else can tell you don't quite believe you belong there? If you are a high-achieving woman in tech, you know that doing great work doesn't automatically translate into recognition or feeling confident.Welcome to the trailer for Women Who Ship. I'm your host, Sarah Williams, a leadership coach and former Senior Manager who has spent 15 years navigating the tech industry. I started this podcast because you aren't struggling because you aren't capable, you're struggling because no one taught you how to lead with confidence in spaces that weren't built with you in mind.In this brief preview, you'll hear exactly what to expect from the show. We are going to dive into the real, unspoken challenges of tech leadership. I'll be sharing practical tools and honest conversations to help you build grounded self-trust, rethink what imposter syndrome actually means, and navigate major industry shifts, like the rapid rise of AI, with both strategy and heart.You don't have to wait for your brain to magically stop doubting you to start leading boldly.Your Next Steps:Subscribe: Hit subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app so you don't miss our first official episodes. Subscribing is totally free, and it ensures the newest episodes will automatically download to your phone.Share: If you know another woman in tech who is navigating this industry right alongside you, please share this trailer with her.Connect: If you are ready to stop second-guessing yourself, sign up for the Women Who Ship newsletter at www.coachsarahwilliams.com to get practical, no-fluff tips sent straight to your inbox every two weeks.Let's go ship some good stuff together.Theme Music: The Success by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon Music promoted by https://www.chosic.com/free-music/all/ Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/