Smashing Imposter Syndrome: My journey as a soapmaker, product formulator and coach

When “You’ll Never Make It” Turns Into Fuel

Fifteen years ago, someone told me flat out: “You’ll never be able to do this.”

They said I couldn’t possibly make soap and skincare products that people would want.

They said I’d never run a website.

That I wasn’t capable of looking after people, coaching, guiding, and building something bigger than myself.

They said I’d never make it.

And for a long time, those words sat heavy. They whispered in my ear every time I stumbled, every time I felt like an imposter in the world of business owners and creators.

 

The Weight of Inadequacy

As entrepreneurs, we all carry moments of doubt.

• Who am I to be doing this?
• What if everyone figures out I’m just winging it?
• Am I really good enough to lead, create, or inspire?

This is the voice of imposter syndrome. It creeps in when orders slow down, when a website glitch has you tearing your hair out, or when you see others flying ahead and wonder if you’re falling behind.

 

Choosing to Keep Going Anyway

But here’s the truth I’ve learned: those words don’t define me.

Every time I poured a batch of soap, designed a label, coached a teammate, or showed up for a customer, I proved that voice wrong.

Feelings of inadequacy don’t disappear overnight. What changes is your relationship with them. I’ve stopped seeing them as proof that I’m not capable — and started seeing them as proof that I’m growing.

 

What I Know Now

• Doubt means you’re stretching. Nobody doubts themselves doing something they’ve already mastered.
• Consistency beats perfection. Showing up messy is still better than not showing up at all.
• Success isn’t loud. Sometimes it’s a single email from a customer saying, “Your product changed my skin,” or a team member saying, “You inspired me today.”

 

From “Never” to “Look at Me Now”

So yes, someone once told me I’d never make it.

And some days, the echoes of that comment still sting. But they also fuel me. They remind me that I’m building something real — soap, skincare, coaching, and a community — that stands on proof, not opinions.

If you’ve ever been told you’re not good enough, not smart enough, not capable enough… I want you to know: you are already doing it. Every small step forward is proof that you can, and you are.

 

 To my customers, clients, and community: thank you for being the proof. You’ve turned “you’ll never make it” into “look at her now.”