Have you ever wondered if people in the public eye feel bouts of not-enoughness? And if so, how they handle it?
Janette Manrara is a former pro dancer on Strictly Come Dancing, a television show watched by 12-18 million people each week. Janette now hosts the TV programme, It Takes Two, and recently published Tiny Dancer, Big World: How to find fulfilment from the inside out.
In this conversation, Janette and I discuss her unusual entry into professional dance (her “wiggly career”), her moments of not-enoughness resulting from the rejections along the way, and how she finally learned to relate to moments of imposter syndrome and self-doubt (because – spoiler alert – they never go away). There’s a secret insight from Janette in the Outro, so listen to the very end.
(3:18) Mandy’s experience of ballroom dancing.
(6:18) Self-love has been a quest for Janette.
(7:31) Janette shares her career moments of not feeling enough.
(14:11) LA is the most ruthless place on earth for rejection.
(18:57) Janette’s first year on Strictly
(20:56) Her inner critic and not feeling good enough or liked on the show.
(23:26) What Janette would say to her younger self.
(24:42) Lenny Kravitz also has bouts of not-enoughness.
(25:28) Defensive pessimism and a recap of Janette’s points.
(27:28) Imposter syndrome – Janette had no “specialty”
(32:15) Adam Grant’s Overblown Implications Effect, and ‘what are you listening for?’
(34:38) Wiggly careers/skill stacking.
38:52 Emma Reid Turrell: 3 reasons your imposter syndrome might get activated.
(40:20) How Janette handles moments of imposter syndrome.
(44:16) Gratitude (it works, even if it sounds “old hat”).
(47:08) The biggest takeaway Janette readers experience from her book.
(49:00) Enoughness is a practice. Recap of Janette’s practices.
(50:36) Janette’s Brick of Wisdom.
(51:25) Outro and secret bonus insight from Janette on what dance is like for her.
LINKS
IG video of Lenny Kravitz discussing his moments of self-doubt.
Episode 64 on Imposter Syndrome.
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