06.22.18

Confronting Imposter Syndrome as a Community

On a brisk Tuesday evening this June, West hosted the San Francisco chapter of Ladies, Wine & Design to discuss the topic of imposter syndrome.

LW&D was founded by Jessica Walsh, the globally recognized designer, art director, and partner of the NYC based design firm Sagmeister & Walsh. Recently, Jessica witnessed more and more women being competitive or unsupportive of one another. She also noticed that only a small percent of creative directors were women. LW&D was founded to help change this through mentorship circles, portfolio reviews, talks, and creative meet-ups.

West was honored to welcome more than 100 Bay Area women into our Presidio offices for a night of open and honest conversation on the topic of imposter syndrome. The evening started with a captivating fireside chat between Joanna Rees, West’s Managing Partner, and special guest, Tawni Cranz, Chief People Officer at Waymo (previously CHRO at Netflix). Joanna and Tawni shared stories of their own lives and careers, discussing tactics and techniques to overcome imposter syndrome and seize opportunities. During the discussion, they shared invaluable advice on negotiation skills and navigating difficult career decisions. Following the fireside chat, attendees broke out into small groups to discuss and share advice. The night ended with an unwavering commitment to ditch our own background b*tches!