Rising Above Self-Doubt for Leadership Success with Zovig Garboushian -

In this inspiring episode of Flow Over Fear, Adam Hill sits down with leadership coach Zovig Garboushian to discuss her journey from corporate marketing to founding Boldness Ablaze to help leaders break through personal barriers. Zovig shares insights from over 25 years of experience in brand marketing, management and leadership development.

Zovig shares insightful strategies for acknowledging emotions, getting curious about fears, and reframing limiting stories. They also dive into overcoming imposter syndrome and advancing women in leadership.

Here are some power takeaways from today’s conversation:

Her transition from corporate to coaching
Relating to feeling incongruent in a role that clouds self-understanding
How exploring emotions through reflection helps self-awareness
Strategies like naming feelings, pausing when escalated, and curiosity
Moving from NYC to outside Seattle for more nature and quiet
Intellectualizing emotions can help “right size” responses
Experience with feedback to be “less direct” in performance reviews
Finding hybrid approaches instead of all-or-nothing limitations
Trusting ourselves more
Trusting intuition knows more than we realize

Episode Highlights:

[09:20] Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Zovig discusses struggling with defining her own self-worth and capabilities separate from her professional roles. This led to self-doubt and feeling like a fraud – classic symptoms of imposter syndrome. Through coaching and personal development work, Zovig was able to overcome feelings of not being enough and reconnect with her intrinsic self-worth. She emphasizes the importance of trusting our own intuition over external definitions that can breed internalized insecurities. Zovig’s experience highlights strategies for addressing imposter syndrome through self-awareness and rejecting limiting beliefs about identity being tied to professional achievements alone.

[25:33] Developing Self-Awareness Through Emotional Exploration

Carving out time each day for emotional reflection, even just a few minutes, cultivates understanding of our inner world in a way that supports personal and professional growth. Whether through journaling, meditation, or conversations, we gain clarity on what we’re truly feeling beneath surface reactions. When we can name an emotion, it empowers us to then choose our response rather than be carried away by an unchecked reaction. Reflection uncovers layers of emotion and thought patterns influencing our behaviors and provides distance from strong feelings, creating an opportunity for insight.

[50:53] Intellectualizing Emotions to “Right Size” Responses

Our intellect is a tool we can utilize to place emotions in proper context. By rationally pondering the root and size of a reaction, we can reduce the intensity and acknowledge when a response is disproportionate to the trigger. This highlights how both heart and mind can work in tandem to move through feelings in a balanced manner.

Resources Mentioned:

www.boldnessablazecoaching.com

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Transcript

[09:20] Overcoming Imposter Syndrome
Zovig discusses struggling with defining her own self-worth and capabilities separate from her professional roles. This led to self-doubt and feeling like a fraud – classic symptoms of imposter syndrome. Through coaching and personal development work, Zovig was able to overcome feelings of not being enough and reconnect with her intrinsic self-worth. She emphasizes the importance of trusting our own intuition over external definitions that can breed internalized insecurities. Zovig’s experience highlights strategies for addressing imposter syndrome through self-awareness and rejecting limiting beliefs about identity being tied to professional achievements alone.
[25:33] Developing Self-Awareness Through Emotional Exploration
Carving out time each day for emotional reflection, even just a few minutes, cultivates understanding of our inner world in a way that supports personal and professional growth. Whether through journaling, meditation, or conversations, we gain clarity on what we’re truly feeling beneath surface reactions. When we can name an emotion, it empowers us to then choose our response rather than be carried away by an unchecked reaction. Reflection uncovers layers of emotion and thought patterns influencing our behaviors and provides distance from strong feelings, creating an opportunity for insight.
[50:53] Intellectualizing Emotions to “Right Size” Responses
Our intellect is a tool we can utilize to place emotions in proper context. By rationally pondering the root and size of a reaction, we can reduce the intensity and acknowledge when a response is disproportionate to the trigger. This highlights how both heart and mind can work in tandem to move through feelings in a balanced manner.