Latinas Rising: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

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Luz Media
Imposter syndrome. It isn’t considered a mental health disease or disorder, but it is a common experience that can affect people from all backgrounds, professions, and levels of achievement.

While this “syndrome” might not be recognized as a mental health disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), the commonly felt experience can definitely have negative effects on mental health and wellbeing in the form of anxiety, low self-esteem, and/or depression.

The exact causes of imposter syndrome aren’t fully understood, but most mental health professionals point to a complex mix of individual, social, and cultural factors. After dreaming the dreams, working hard to make those dreams a reality, scaling every imaginable mountain in the way, and finally arriving, the self-doubt begins to set in like a thundercloud ready to burst.

The thoughts and feelings of not being good enough, not learning fast enough, or not feeling as capable as those around you feel very real, and yet, once objectivity is achieved again, it’s clear that all those manufactured narratives weren’t very real at all.

What do we know about imposter syndrome?

Psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes coined the term after studying the behaviors of high-achieving women who, despite their accomplishments, believed that they were not actually bright and had just fooled everyone into believing they were. It’s also been attributed to believing success happened solely because of luck or chance and not through hard work or innate talent.

The phenomenon is very much recognized but not very well researched, therefore the causes aren’t entirely known. However enough is known that a few generalized theories can be attributed to the persistent feeling of self doubt. Factors can include personality traits of people who are highly conscientious, perfectionistic, and/or self-critical. Family and cultural background that includes growing up in a family or culture that emphasizes achievement, success, or high expectations that fuel feelings of inadequacy.

Social comparisons can often be to blame. In recent times the rise of socia media platforms where posting is often performative and/or altered or fake, comparing oneself to others and feeling that others are more successful, talented, or capable can lead to the feelings of imposter syndrome.

People who have experienced discrimination or marginalization may be more likely to doubt their abilities and feel like they don't belong. Latinas face many challenges in the workplace that can be directly attributed to membership in not just one, but two marginalized groups: women and people of color.

Being the only Latina in the room

White, land-owning men built American society, which means that Latinas experience systemic racism and gender inequality in every single workplace no matter the kind of work. From silent discrimination like lower wages for equal work to loud and proud racism in the form of harassment and verbal or phyical assault, trying to succeed in a system not built for you is exhausting and inspires constant doubt.

A highly accomplished woman often knows that she is highly accomplished and talented, but what happens if her peers don’t recognize her as such? For many Latinas, the problem stems from being “the only Latina in the room” and therefore doubting if they actually belong there. Why don’t men suffer from imposter syndrome as much as women do? It’s simple; society teaches men that positions of power are where they’re meant to be.

Therefore part of overcoming imposter syndrome is understanding this reality. Getting mansplained isn’t because you don’t understand; it’s because culture and bias towards your race and gender have overinflated many white men’s egos.

Of course, the degradation Latinas experience at work and in many facets of life isn’t just limited to white men. The entire hierarchy of color means that race and gender play a critical role in creating environments where imposter syndrome runs rampant, and more so amongst women of color.

How do we defeat imposter syndrome?

An internet search will produce thousands of results and suggest many self-help books, and sure, there are things women can do to overcome these baseless beliefs, but the problem is deeper than that. Authors Ruchika Tulshyan and Jodi-Ann Burey wrote, “Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome,” an interesting take on how imposter syndrome has to be eliminated through systemic changes and not through internal work by the individual. They write, “Imposter syndrome is especially prevalent in biased, toxic cultures that value individualism and overwork. Yet the “fix women’s imposter syndrome” narrative has persisted, decade after decade.”

So while there is always value in personal development, a critical component that must be understand is that a major part of this problem doesn’t have to do with women at all and everything to do with the sexist and racist systems women are forced to exist in. The solutions then, seem to lie in the dismantling and rebuilding of these systems so that better, more equitable systems can foster talent rather than privilege.

But in the mean time, a daily affirmation can’t hurt. Repeat after us: I AM CAPABLE, TALENTED, AND MORE THAN ENOUGH. Now go slay as you always do.

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Image by Sayuri Jimenez.

Nathalie Molina Niño has never been one to shy away from breaking barriers, and now, she’s focusing her attention on a new mission: demystifying corporate boardrooms for women, especially Latinas. Molina Niño is the President of Known, an asset management and financial services firm, a veteran tech entrepreneur and builder capitalist, and a board member at the iconic lingerie Brand, Hanky Panky, and others.

Like many corporate boards, Hanky Panky hadn’t publicly disclosed its board composition until recently. After the brand survived the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Molina Niño decided it was time for more women, specifically more Latinas, to know what it means to be on corporate boards.

Coincidentally, the decision to finally be more vocal about this topic aligned with the start of Hispanic Heritage Month, which served as the perfect kick-off to the work.

"Something that rarely gets talked about and I think almost gets kept opaque by design is boards,” she explains in a recent Instagram announcement. “[This Latinx Heritage Month], that’s what I’ll be talking about.” Her goal? To equip more Latinas with the knowledge they need to navigate onto for-profit boards, where they can thrive and build multi-generational wealth.

For-profit corporate boards often feel like an exclusive club. And in many ways, they are, especially for Latinas, who hold the smallest percentage of board seats in Fortune 500 companies compared to other racial groups. According to the latest report from Latino Board Monitor, while Latinos hold 4.1% of these board seats (compared to 82.5% held by white people), only 1% go to Latinas. Molina Niño, a first-generation American of Ecuadorian and Colombian descent, is part of this boardroom minority.

When asked about her experience as a Latina board member during a recent Zoom interview, she said, “It’s been lonely. There’s not a lot of Latinas on boards.” She went on to explain that even serving on boards of Latina-founded businesses gets lonely because, “A lot of the times, people who serve on their boards represent their investors and, as a result, [...] you still don’t see a lot of Latinas on those boards.”

This lack of representation drives Molina Niño’s determination to increase Latina presence in corporate boardrooms. By sharing her insights, she hopes to give Latinas a roadmap to claim their seats at the table. “If you don’t know where to go, it’s impossible to figure out how to get there,” she says.

The Road to the Boardroom

Getting onto a for-profit corporate board isn’t an overnight achievement, but it’s not an unattainable dream either. People often think you need to be a CEO or have a certain type of background, but that’s one of the biggest myths about boards in Molina Niño’s experience. What they’re really looking for is expertise — whether that’s in finance, marketing, sustainability, or even technology. If you have that expertise, you’re already an asset. It’s simply a matter of which road you should take.

Understanding what boards are and how they operate is key to unlocking opportunities. For-profit boards serve as the governing body for companies, overseeing direction and financial stability, and guiding CEOs and executives in decision-making. But Molina Niño emphasizes that not all for-profit boards are created equal.

“There are two kinds [of for-profit boards] [...]. There’s the publicly traded business board and then, on the privately held side, there are, I would argue, two types of boards [...] the traditional business board and the venture-backed business board,” explains Molina Niño. Traditional businesses are often family-owned or long-established and may only form boards to meet requirements, like securing financing or transitioning through an ESOP. Venture-backed boards, on the other hand, are typically filled by investors who hold major stakes in the company.

According to Molina Niño, understanding the difference between them is how you can create a successful strategy. With publicly traded business boards, the whole world is privy to them, so, “The way that you get in there is a little bit more transparent. Sometimes those publicly traded companies will hire a recruiter to help them find new board members,” explains Molina Niño. For private companies, on the other hand, there’s no legal requirement to make announcements. As a result, most people don’t know anything about them or their inner workings.

“Usually what happens in traditional businesses that don’t have venture-capital investments is that the Founders, Executives, or the board members, if one existed already, they usually go to their friends,” and people they deem experienced to fill board seats. In other words, it’s the founder’s decision, and that’s an entirely different approach than hiring recruiters. When it comes to venture-backed business boards, the seats on the board are filled by whichever investor writes the biggest check.

This is why an understanding of the different types of boards and acknowledgment of their own strengths is what will help Latinas define a sound strategy. Whether that’s working with a recruiter, networking and connecting with founders to build trust, or making the biggest investment.

The Path for Latinas

For Molina Niño, the key to getting more Latinas into corporate boardrooms is education. Knowing what a board looks like and how it functions is how you can position yourself to get on it. In openly talking about this, without the mystique it’s usually shrouded in, Molina Niño is providing women, especially Latinas, with invaluable insights. “If we had Latinas understanding what are the three types of for-profit boards I think that, on their own, they would be able to figure out what their best chance is and adjust their careers to make themselves more competitive,” states Molina Niño.

When asked about the impact of increased Latina representation in boardrooms, Molina Niño flips the narrative. “Boards don’t help Latinas by offering them seats; Latinas help businesses thrive by being on their boards,” she says. “The whole point of sitting on a board is that you have experience and expertise, and as Latinas, you also have some cultural experience that everyone wants. [...] At the end of the day, we [Latinas] have to realize that we have a ton to offer and we have to be selective about where we put that expertise,” she explains.

As demand for access to the Latina consumer rises, Molina Niño predicts that more Latinas will find themselves recruited into boardrooms. But she’s not content to sit back and wait for that moment. By openly sharing her journey and insights, she’s making sure other Latinas know their worth and have the tools to claim their place at the table. “I realized that quietly being on boards that helped me personally is not helping other Latinas. [...] I was lucky enough to have friends who could advise me and share their experiences, so that’s why I’m doing this,” she stated.

With Hispanic Heritage Month as the backdrop, Nathalie Molina Niño’s mission is clear: “My goal is just to give Latinas enough information so they can make a plan for how to eventually get on a board that they’re paid to be on and that will eventually help them build generational wealth.”

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