How to Overcome Imposter Syndrome & Define Your Identity | Sheila Buswell

Episode 80: In this episode of The Lost & FoundPodcast, Amanda Powers sits down with Sheila Buswell — engineer, entrepreneur, veteran, and founder of the Upward Mobility (UPMO) — for a powerful conversation about career changes, identity crises, personal growth, and innovation born from lived experience. Sheila shares her transformative journey from military service to biomedical engineering and entrepreneurship, revealing how a personal injury and her grandmother’s legacy inspired her to build solutions that enhance mobility and improve quality of life. Amanda and Sheila explore critical topics like grief, family relationships, self-doubt, imposter syndrome, empathy in business, and the evolving definition of success. Together, they dive into the realities of being a woman in male-dominated fields, the gender gap in venture capital, and the importance of community support in overcoming self-doubt and finding purpose. Sheila’s story is a testament to the power of intuition, perseverance, and daring to reinvent yourself — no matter how daunting it seems.

Key Topics Covered:

• Using creative outlets like podcasting to help rebuilding your personal identity
• How to manage career changes and identity crises
• Misconceptions about military service and transitioning to civilian life
• How entrepreneurs and founders use innovation and problem-solving in the healthcare industry
• Balancing your grief while remaining resilient
• Imposter syndrome and redefining what it means to be “feminine” as a engineer
• The difficulties of breaking through venture capital opportunities and gender equity gaps
• How to build confidence, community, and self-trust

Chapters

00:00 Catching Up with Amanda

04:45 Discussing the Journey of a Podcaster

06:03 Amanda’s Career Journey

09:43 Understanding Grief and Letting Go of Your Previous Life

11:31 Navigating Identity Crisis

13:47 Lessons from Grandparents and the Impact of FamilyRelationships

17:04 Sheila’s Military Experience and Its Influence

19:57 Injury and Innovation in Biomedical Engineering

25:34 Empathy and Mindset Shifts Through Personal Experience

29:12 The Importance of Longevity and Quality of Life

31:27 Developing the UPMO - Challenges and Progress

33:27 Discussing Sheila’s Book “Is This Seat For Me?”

34:00 Exploring Imposter Syndrome and Self-Doubt

38:46 The Intersection of Femininity and Professional Identity

44:09 Overcoming Self-Doubt and Building Confidence

45:11 Reinvention and Changing Misconceptions

46:21 The Gender Gap in Venture Capital

49:07 Defining Success

50:06 My Greatest Personal Achievement

51:35 Living In Your Purpose

53:45 Learn to Listen to Your Intuition

57:56 Advice for People Feeling Lost in Life

CONNECT WITH SHEILA:

Free Chapter of Is This Seat For Me?

Amazon | LinkedIn | Buswell Biomedical

CONNECT WITH AMANDA:

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