Starting a business is hard enough without that nagging voice in your head telling you you’re not good enough. As a business therapist and mindset coach, Lashana West has seen firsthand how imposter syndrome can hold back even the most talented entrepreneurs. Through her company, Accountability on Demand, she’s helping business owners transform their self-doubt into success, and her insights might just change how you think about your own potential.
The hidden epidemic in entrepreneurship
“What I realized is that a lot of them were leading while bleeding,” West explains, describing the entrepreneurs she encountered after moving to Atlanta five years ago. “We show up like everything’s great, peachy keen. And then inside we’re struggling.”
Working with at-risk youth and families in traditional mental health services gave West unique insights into how unresolved issues can impact professional success. She noticed that many business challenges weren’t actually about business strategy at all, but rather stemmed from deeper confidence and mindset blocks.
The root cause, she discovered, often traced back to what she calls “unresolved childhood trauma junk” and deep-seated confidence issues. These underlying challenges manifest in ways that might seem unrelated to mental health but significantly impact business performance.
Three powerful strategies to overcome imposter syndrome
- Recognize feelings vs facts: West emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between emotional responses and objective reality. “A feeling may be ‘I don’t know what I’m going to say. Is anybody going to believe me?’ But a fact is you have the accolades, you have the credentials,” she explains. This simple but powerful reframe can help entrepreneurs move past paralyzing self-doubt and take action based on their actual capabilities rather than their fears.
- Assess your environment: Take stock of the people, places, and activities that might be fueling your insecurities. West notes that seemingly harmless habits like aimless social media scrolling can reinforce imposter syndrome. “If you’re not assessing that then you will be around people who maybe fuel the fire of your insecurities or make you shrink,” she warns. The key is to be intentional about your surroundings and influences, creating an environment that supports your growth rather than diminishes it.
- Embrace support systems: “We want to be superman. We want to be superwoman,” West observes. But trying to do everything alone isn’t sustainable. Learning to ask for and accept help is crucial for long-term success. This might mean working with a coach, joining a mastermind group, or simply being more open to feedback from peers and mentors.
From personal struggle to professional mission
West’s approach is deeply informed by her own journey, growing up in what she calls “a home that rocks and rolls” with parents who struggled with addiction, she learned early on about resilience and the importance of breaking negative cycles.
“I was resilient enough to not go down the same path,” she shares. This experience drove her to pursue a master’s in clinical counseling and eventually create a business focused on helping others overcome their own obstacles. Her background gave her a unique perspective on how personal struggles can either limit or fuel professional success, depending on how they’re processed and channeled.
The holistic approach to mindset work
For West, mental wellness goes beyond traditional therapy. Her practice incorporates sound bowl healing, meditation, affirmations, and physical wellness activities like yoga and walking groups. “When people hear mental health, they immediately think laying on the couch talking to a therapist,” she notes, advocating instead for a more comprehensive approach.
This holistic perspective recognizes that mental wellbeing is influenced by multiple factors and requires a multi-faceted approach. West emphasizes that everyone’s path to wellness looks different, and what works for one person might not work for another.
Turning feedback into fuel
One of West’s most powerful insights comes from her own corporate experience, where she had to learn to embrace feedback rather than resist it. “Accepting feedback was on my PIP (Performance Improvement Plan) at one point,” she recalls with a laugh. That challenge became a turning point, transforming into one of her greatest strengths.
The journey from defensiveness to receptivity wasn’t easy. “When I first got in corporate, I had a supervisor want to give me feedback about something. I’m like, my mama don’t even tell me what to do,” she shares candidly. However, learning to receive and implement feedback eventually became one of her superpowers, leading to multiple promotions and career advancement opportunities.
The power of cultural context
West’s approach is particularly effective because she understands the cultural nuances that can impact mindset and success. Born in Germany into a military family and having worked in various settings from corporate boardrooms to community programs, she brings a broad perspective to her work.
“When I think of cultural influences, I’ll be honest with you, the things that we don’t think impact us is literally our superpower,” she explains. Whether it’s growing up watching an aunt overcome struggles with family support or observing entrepreneurship in action at local businesses, these experiences shape our potential in ways we might not recognize.
Creating sustainable change
The key to lasting transformation, according to West, lies in what she calls “try, test and tweak.” Rather than seeking perfection, she encourages entrepreneurs to experiment, evaluate results, and adjust their approach as needed. This flexible mindset helps prevent the all-or-nothing thinking that often derails progress.
“There is no roadmap to life,” West emphasizes. “There is no book that you can go read that gives you all of the things that you need to do.” Instead, she advocates for giving yourself grace while maintaining consistency in your growth journey.
Building your success ecosystem
West emphasizes the importance of creating what she calls a “success ecosystem” – a combination of practices, people, and environments that support your growth. This might include regular meditation practice, movement activities, accountability partnerships, and professional development opportunities.
Success in business, she argues, is as much about managing your mindset as it is about managing your operations. By addressing both the internal and external aspects of entrepreneurship, business owners can create more sustainable and fulfilling paths to success.
Looking ahead, West continues to expand her impact through speaking engagements and events, helping entrepreneurs recognize that their struggles with confidence often mask their greatest potential for growth. Her message resonates because it acknowledges both the challenges and the possibilities inherent in the entrepreneurial journey.
