Hey, Alex here. Before we get into today's episode, I want to share some really exciting news with you. We just launched a podcast network. If you go to podmatch.com forward slash network, you can take a look at all the shows and categories that are involved. And if you'd like to have your show listed in the network, you can press the join network button at top. I look forward to seeing your application, and I hope you enjoy some of the shows there. And now, let's get into today's episode.

You're listening to Podcasting Made Simple.

There's really no reason for me to be here at this point in my life.

I was born with a cleft-wif and palate.

I have had numerous obstacles both socially and personally that should have kept me

from accomplishing as much as I already have in life, but somehow I have persevered. However,

there is one thing that I have battled despite all the success that I've had.

And once I became self-aware and realized that this one thing was holding me back a little bit,

that is when I really started to grow and evolve and get to the point where I'm at today.

Hi there, I am Mark Schmidt, and I'm here to talk to you today about imposter syndrome,

and they define imposter syndrome as the persistent inability to believe that one's success is deserved or has

been legitimately achieved as a result of one's own efforts or skills. And one thing that I've

learned with social media, and social media has grown so much in my

lifetime that now social media includes video content, and through video content and through

the engagement that I have made on social media, if there's one thing that I've learned, is that there's a lot of people out there who think that they are not quite good enough to be on camera or to get behind the mic or in front of a camera and speak.

And I see lots of people on social media, cross paths with really good people out there

who are very smart and very capable and have all the tools.

I would even say more, at least physical tools than I might have, because when I speak,

I really have to be mindful and make sure that I can be clear and be heard because the cleft lip and palate

issue that I was born with, it can definitely hinder how I am heard and how I'm understood

and how I speak and how I just come across in general.

And I've left that affect me for a very long time.

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