Failure is ok! The Imposter Syndrome

By Adrian Williams

“Who ever told the world that failing is bad?” asked Nasha-Monique Douglas, Chief Marketing Officer at Digicel Jamaica.

Douglas, the featured presenter on episode 2 of Digicel’s Masterclass, emphasized that failing is where you learn, while in winning you celebrate and earn. 

She shared strategies to entrepreneurs on building a brand surrounding 5 key elements.

“The whole idea of being an entrepreneur is to take risks to win,” she said. But why take risks? Douglas explained that in taking calculated risks, you are better able to identify where you went wrong and need to improve or change. Keeping it real with viewers, she also mentioned that there have been doubts at times when a plan is to be undertaken, but cannot dwell in that place as risks drive results. Host Terri-Karelle Reid added that this is the imposter syndrome where persons fear to get out there and present themselves even when success is just right around the corner. 

Next, “You have to be your natural self,” said Douglas. She highlighted that authenticity is key in building your brand. “Don’t try to be everyone, just be you.” For many young business owners, a rush to do what every successful business before you has done can be an “execution mindfield” when developing your brand’s awareness and loyalty.

Another key element is being consistent across all professional platforms. “Consistency in what you do is key,” she said. Continuing to say that being great is good but it pays to be consistent as nothing turns away customers more than getting a great product initially then not being able to get that again the next time around.

“Integrity!” Douglas said as she highlighted another key feature of brand building. Explaining that persons should be accountable for mistakes they have made and not try to make a façade of the situation as this will only damage the brand over time. 

And last but not least, “Research is ongoing. The market is always changing” she said. Douglas also saying that good marketers pay attention to the details and trends of what consumers want and need.

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