“I’m out of my league. Someone else could do it better. I bring nothing to the table.” Imposter Syndrome, which is when we feel like a fraud in our lives or careers despite evidence to the contrary, causes so many of us insecurity, anxiety and doubt. What’s worse, we all think we are alone in this feeling, despite leading figures from actress Natalie Portman, singer Lady Gaga and even the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, all admitting to feeling like they don’t deserve their success and that they’ll be exposed to the world at any moment. Luckily, Leslie has the antidote for ..read more

“It’s more than just visual—it’s also psychological, it’s emotional, there’s a physical component to it, there’s even a spiritual component to it,” says Sandy Thinnes, founder and CEO of Beauty Flow, a holistic beauty and wellness brand that takes an inside approach to beauty. Sandy explains how the desire to feel attractive and express oneself through makeup is common among women of all ages. However, she raises concerns about the impact of social media platforms like TikTok, which have young girls obsessing over makeup and skincare products. These products can be inappropriate for their age ..read more

“Would you say to your best friend, ‘Well, you kind of suck. You’re a total failure?’” asks host Leslie Randolph on today’s episode of Why Didn’t They Tell Us? Most likely—and hopefully—the answer is no, so why do so many of us so easily and frequently say these things to ourselves when we fail to achieve our goals or get something we wanted? We attach disparaging narratives to our failures and positive narratives to what we perceive as other peoples’ endless stream of successes. There are three major forms of what Leslie calls self-confidence kryptonite, and today she’ll share what they are a ..read more

"Self-confidence is an inside job," Leslie Randolph asserts in this solo episode of "Why Didn’t They Tell Us?" Despite this truth, many of us allow others' opinions, which often mirror our own insecurities, to shape our self-perception. This fear of external judgment hinders us from pursuing our desires, whether it's starting a business, joining a club, or parenting in our own way. To combat this, Leslie introduces practical tools to help us reclaim our self-confidence and courageously pursue our true paths.   Echoing the investigative approach of journalists with the Five Ws—who, what, w ..read more

We know we’re not supposed to care what people think of us. But as host Leslie Randolph explains on this solo episode of “Why Didn’t They Tell Us,” we are literally hard-wired to care what people think of us, to want to be liked and accepted, and to belong. At one time, when we all lived as members of tribes, the approval of others was literally a matter of life and death. To illustrate this, Leslie recalls her time spent living in South Africa and why the sight of a lone impala filled her with such dread.    Caring about what others think isn’t such a bad thing. After all, it’s impo ..read more

In the last episode of Why Didn’t They Tell Us, Leslie offered us a series of steps to make doing hard things a little easier. Now, she invites us to play “doubt detective!” Whether it’s launching a new business or auditioning for the school play, fear is underlying the tasks we avoid and procrastinate about, one that we must identify. Get ready to dig deep–what you are afraid of is not always the first or most obvious answer.    Once you pinpoint your fear, your goal is not to get rid of it. On the journey toward your dreams, fear is along for the ride. The point is to put it in the ..read more

“There’s no poetic way to say it,” Leslie says on this solo episode of Why Didn’t They Tell Us? “Often, what you want to achieve is hard.” Since our brains are designed to seek pleasure and avoid pain, it’s no wonder that it’s difficult for most of us to face or achieve the things we find difficult. Luckily, Leslie is here to help, offering three specific ways to change our mindsets and attitudes toward the things that we avoid doing.   She shares examples from her own life when changing her internal messaging made overcoming a previously insurmountable obstacle much easier–even if it was ..read more

“So many women struggle to create balance. Is that you?” If your answer is “yes,” Leslie is here to help. There’s no such thing as finding balance–you must create it, and on this solo episode of Why Didn’t They Tell Us?, Leslie has provided some confidence cultivator thought starters, a series of questions and time audits to determine what your priorities are and how to best utilize your time and energy so that both your needs and your desires are met.    It’s so important that you approach each question honestly and without judgment. Society’s “shoulds” have no place in this process ..read more

“I’ve got the promise of new possibilities pumping through me!” announces Leslie as she kicks off the New Year with a new episode and a self-confidence cheat sheet for you to cultivate more confidence in the year ahead. While the concept of more self-confidence feels like a reach for some, Leslie explains that it is available to anyone who is willing to make one simple change. And that change is not what you might think as the messaging about goals and “New Year, New You” floods our feeds and collective conversations.    All you have to do is to change the way you think about yoursel ..read more

“Your feelings drive what you do–and don’t do–in this one and only life of yours,” says Leslie in this second installment of the Goal Setting Made Simple series. Today, we are talking about “emotional fuel,” or the feeling needed to make your dream, resolution or goal a reality. It’s a cyclical process: positive feelings make you more likely to do the work involved to achieve your goal, and completing that work gives your feelings of pride and achievement which then fuel you to do more work. Those positive emotions also make the journey to achieving the goal far more enjoyable.    To ..read more