You Are a Badass at UX: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Summary
UX practitioners are plagued by self-doubt. Do I have the right skills? Am I having impact? Does my boss believe in me? UX attracts gentle souls, who often struggle to stand up for themselves. I want every researcher on the planet to feel competent, valuable, and confident, so that they can tackle the big issues our world faces. I'll teach attendees how to examine their own brains to see how their beliefs are the only thing holding them back. Using mindset tools from my coaching practice, we'll create NEW beliefs that will banish imposter syndrome from our collective lexicon.
Key Insights
-
•
Self-doubt among UX researchers is less about skill deficiency and more about internal narratives and thoughts.
-
•
Being a badass researcher involves bravery, vulnerability, and authenticity rather than flawless skill alone.
-
•
Influencing others effectively requires researchers to hold confident, positive beliefs about their work and themselves.
-
•
Circumstances such as racism or sexism raise the difficulty of believing in oneself, but thoughts about them remain controllable.
-
•
Changing thoughts and feelings is more foundational for growth than solely changing external actions or deliverables.
-
•
A self-assessment focused on desired qualities (e.g., empathy, bravery) can help researchers identify and cultivate their ideal professional identity.
-
•
Confidence does not result in arrogance; rather, it supports thoughtful, reflective, and compassionate research leadership.
-
•
There is no external committee deciding what it means to be a badass researcher; each person must define this authentically.
-
•
Supporting individuality and authenticity in the workplace fosters confidence and reduces the need for constant self-proving.
-
•
Neuroplasticity means researchers can reshape their brains' wiring by consciously adjusting thoughts to improve emotional health and performance.
Notable Quotes
"Our jobs as researchers isn’t really to do research. It’s to influence people and help them make decisions."
"You need to believe what you’re doing is the right approach. You need to believe in your own skills and your team’s skills."
"Self-doubt comes home with you because research is ambiguous and many stakeholders don’t know what it is."
"Being badass means being vulnerable, standing up, being brave, and being true to yourself."
"The only person who gets to decide what it means to be badass is you."
"Thoughts cause feelings, and feelings motivate actions. Changing thoughts changes everything."
"You aren’t going to turn into an arrogant jerk by believing in yourself more."
"The more senior you become, the more focus shifts from methodology to interpersonal qualities like empathy and bravery."
"Confidence doesn’t dull criticality; self-doubt is a statement about your own worth, which we want to reduce."
"Supporting authenticity in the workplace lets people be themselves, which naturally boosts confidence."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Screen readers have two modes: browse mode for navigating content and focus mode to interact with form fields or apps."
Sam ProulxEverything You Ever Wanted to Know About Screen Readers
June 11, 2021
"Sponsor sessions are completely free and offer content just as valuable as the main program sessions."
Bria AlexanderOpening Remarks
November 17, 2022
"Taking time to intentionally create a career strategy helps avoid reactive decisions based on fear."
Corey Nelson Amy SanteeLayoffs
November 15, 2022
"When enterprises are awkward, employees disengage, operations break down, and the customer experience suffers."
Milan GuentherA Shared Language for Co-Creating Ambitious Endeavours
June 6, 2023
"Being involved early in product planning lets us bring the art and science of research to where it can be most helpful."
Erin May Roberta Dombrowski Laura Oxenfeld Brooke HintonDistributed, Democratized, Decentralized: Finding a Research Model to Support Your Org
March 10, 2022
"Screen curtain mode isn’t for sighted people simulating blindness; it’s a privacy feature to keep screens safe from prying eyes."
Sam ProulxUnderstanding Screen Readers on Mobile: How And Why to Learn from Native Users
June 6, 2023
"AI can’t yet fully replace bespoke and careful proposal building, though it helps junior researchers draft the first outlines."
Mujtaba HameedThe new horizon of ethnography: using AI to unlock the full potential of in-person research
March 11, 2026
"Whoever has been and might continue to be the most negatively impacted absolutely needs to be centered and have their voices at the table."
Ilana LipsettAnticipating Risk, Regulating Tech: A Playbook for Ethical Technology Governance
December 10, 2021
"When we build accessibility into an environment, especially if we do it subtly, it becomes the new normal."
Samuel ProulxFrom Standards to Innovation: Why Inclusive Design Wins
September 10, 2025
