Imposter syndrome means you’re challenging yourself. It shows up when you’re taking on new, difficult tasks or roles that push your skills and confidence to their limits. Rather than a sign of weakness, it’s a catalyst for growth – a powerful driver of personal and professional development. You can tell you’re on the right path in life when you’re experiencing it.
I’ve had imposter syndrome for most of my life, including during my time on the Oxford Executive MBA. In my typical fashion, I applied on a bit of a whim, but looking back I can see it was a move to prove my credibility as a person.
I’m a serial entrepreneur, most recently building WatchHouse coffee chain, which has a more exclusive take on the coffee experience than mass-market cafés. Without a traditional white-collar background, I questioned whether I could thrive in such executive circles as at Oxford.
People often ask me if the hard work was worth it. Without a doubt, it was. The Executive MBA was incredibly challenging – more so than I initially imagined. But, despite the challenges, I can say, unequivocally, that it was worth it.
Yes, I’ve gained valuable skills that allow me to perform tasks I previously outsourced in my businesses. However, the most significant takeaways were the soft skills I developed and the invaluable experiences I gained. Learning to harness my imposter syndrome rather than be limited by it was transformative.
The Executive MBA was incredibly challenging – more so than I initially imagined. But, despite the challenges, I can say, unequivocally, that it was worth it.
Gaining new friends and business opportunities
What’s interesting about executive education is that there are no social structures. My peers and I had established ourselves as people outside the programme, whether in business, as parents or grandparents. It was challenging for me as an entrepreneur especially. I started my business in my bedroom, then moved to my garage. I’m an originator and used to thinking independently and working relatively autonomously.
The first few weeks were tricky and I seriously questioned whether I could do it. But what’s great about the people on the Executive MBA is that, like me, they’re human, which means they have self-doubt too. And they were happy to be open about them. Seeing highly successful people sharing their vulnerabilities was reassuring. I realised that we’re all in the same boat.
Growing my business to new heights
My main business is WatchHouse, an independent premium coffee house chain. During the Executive MBA, there were moments when I thought it was going under. I had moments of crying in the cupboard to my dad on the phone. But I managed to raise new capital. I actually raised more than $5m from being on the programme alone – my peers invested in me and my idea because being at Oxford gave me new credibility. They believed in me and what I was doing.
The return on investment from the Oxford Executive MBA has been amazing. Alongside bringing in over $5 million in revenue, it taught me that doing anything ‘in the middle’ was a recipe for failure. At that point, we were in that dangerous position in our Bath venue – we were a middle-of-the-road café business and we were failing. It was then I went to look at Gail’s as a business and decided that I wanted our Houses to be part of a premium lifestyle brand. I realised that this is where the market niche lay, and this is where we would succeed. It paid off.
Today, WatchHouse is on track to surpass $22 million in revenue. Do I care passionately about coffee? Yes, but not exclusively - I'm deeply committed to providing exceptional experiences for people. For me, growing WatchHouse is about creating little worlds where communities can come together and momentarily escape the outside world. My attention to detail means that every aspect of the House is thoughtfully considered as part of this experience. In fact, I often find it difficult to visit our Houses without focusing on what could be refined.
The return on investment from the Oxford Executive MBA has been amazing. Alongside bringing in over $5 million in revenue, it taught me that doing anything ‘in the middle’ was a recipe for failure.
The return on investment was exceptional
Yes, the Oxford Executive MBA was psychologically, socially and technically challenging, but I finished with two distinctions. Beyond my academic success, the programme introduced me to new friends, global opportunities, deeper business insights, and new investors. It taught me to embrace my imposter syndrome as a driver of my success and gave me the confidence to elevate my business beyond what I thought possible. It gave me far more than it cost to undertake.
