Confronting Self-Doubt: Transforming Imposter Syndrome and Burnout into Empowered Leadership for Personal Growth

Ever find yourself questioning your capabilities or feeling like a fraud despite your accomplishments? Join us as Devan Gonzalez, an inspiring mindset-driven entrepreneur and CEO of Strive11 Fitness, shares his riveting journey from self-doubt to empowered leadership. With vivid personal anecdotes, Devan unpacks the paralyzing grip of imposter syndrome and burnout, recounting a pivotal moment at a mastermind event in Mexico that transformed his perspective. Discover how affirmations and self-belief can shift the narrative from "faking it" to genuine confidence, and learn that even the most successful individuals wrestle with these inner voices.

As our conversation unfolds, we venture into the realm of personal growth and legacy-building. Devan offers valuable insights on confronting limiting beliefs and embracing vulnerability as a pathway to self-mastery. He emphasizes the role of emotional intelligence in personal development and how our everyday actions shape the legacy we leave behind. If you're feeling the weight of legacy expectations, take solace in Devan's reassurance that consistency and purpose are the core ingredients of lasting impact. Let this episode be your guide to understanding that the journey of self-mastery is continuous, and sharing your growth with others enriches the path for all.

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Chapters

• 0:07 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome and Burnout
• 12:11 Building a Legacy of Growth

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:07

Hey everyone, welcome back to Mind Over Masculinity, the podcast where we unpack the stories, struggles and the strategies that help men level up their mental, emotional and the physical game. So today we have got a powerhouse guest joining us, Devan Gonzalez. So welcome to the show, Devan.

Speaker 2: 0:27

Thank you so much for having me.

Speaker 1: 0:28

It's an honor, lovely, lovely. So, devan, like before we start our conversation, I'd quickly love to introduce you to all of our listeners. Dear listeners, devan is the CEO of Strive11 Fitness, host of the Mindset Cafe podcast and an upcoming author of Money Muscle Mindset, the underground playbook for aspiring gym owners. So he's here today, the mindset driven entrepreneur who went from being a teenage martial arts instructor to building a thriving fitness empire. So his journey is all about the grit, resilience and the transformative power of a strong mindset. So in this episode, we are diving deep into a topic that resonates with every man at some point in his life overcoming imposter syndrome, battling the burnout and finding purpose. So his he's going to help us unpack how we can still shift our mindset, prioritize mental health and unlock our true potential. So buckle up, because this is going to be one of the heck of a ride.

Speaker 2: 1:40

So welcome to the show, devon thank you so much for having me. It's cool lovely, lovely.

Speaker 1: 1:45

So, devon, like um, so many men struggle with their, uh, that nagging feeling of not being good enough, no matter how successful they are. So have you ever faced imposter syndrome in your journey, and how did you silence that inner critic?

Speaker 2: 2:07

Yeah, I mean great question. I mean definitely I have, and I think everyone does to a degree. It's normally, with my experience from imposter syndrome, it's one of those things when you're leveling up or you're trying to push beyond your current boundaries of potential, you feel almost like an imposter. You feel almost like you don't belong there and you're putting on a facade or a fake, you know a mask, and you have to realize that everyone else has had that same feeling or is feeling similar to that as well. So you're not alone, right? We're all just trying to figure it out. As we continue to grow, we're all facing obstacles. No one has the whole game of life figured out. And so when you start to realize that and you internalize that, you start to quiet, that you know that imposter syndrome in your head, cause I mean I'll give you a an example I'm part of a mastermind and the mastermind has two levels right, the inner circle, and then the family level, which is like the higher paid one.

Speaker 2: 3:13

But, like you know, there's more successful business owners than that, and I went to one of the meetups and it was in Rosarito, mexico, and there was only maybe eight other people there because not a lot of people wanted to go to Mexico from the US, and when I got there, there was no hiding in the back of the room, right. So I was the newest, one of the newest members, I was one of the youngest members, if not the youngest member, and my business was one of the newest businesses at the same time. So it was like a trifecta of feeling not as adequate as the rest of the people in the room, and so, you know, I was kind of just observing and stuff. But we had these breakout session where it was like we all got into a big circle, you know, with tables, and everyone basically said what's going good with their business, what's going wrong with their business, and hearing people that are way further in the game than me, you know, talk about problems and talk about issues that I've already overcome, and realizing that some people face obstacles at different points. Right, Just because you faced, you know, obstacle A right now doesn't mean that's obstacle A for everybody.

Speaker 2: 4:28

And so my thing was I need to break out of my shell a little bit and try to try to quiet the mind. So I'm going to give advice to every single person that you know talks and before I go and I did that and everyone afterwards all of a sudden was like man, like man, like the. The information, like the advice that you gave was so, so helpful, you know. And all of a sudden I was getting compliments and for me it was like some of the advice I was giving. I thought it was just common sense, and that's when I realized that common sense is only really common to the person that knows it understood, understood that's lovely and and um.

Speaker 1: 5:05

What advice would you give to someone who feels like they're just faking it?

Speaker 2: 5:12

so I mean, like with that feeling of just faking it, right, it it's. It comes from your own self confidence in your own self-belief. Right you're. You're faking it like you know're an entrepreneur. Maybe it's day one and you're already telling people that you're a business owner, but you don't feel like a business owner yet. But in reality, on paper you are a business owner, right? And so sometimes you got to take the label or take the idea off the pedestal and just realize sometimes that's, it's just a label.

Speaker 2: 5:46

Other times, when you're faking it, you know you are telling yourself that you are good enough, even though you don't believe it. You know and you continue to tell yourself you're good enough or you're, you're doing it right, even though you're not there yet. And so the more times you tell yourself, it starts to really sink into your subconscious, and your subconscious doesn't really know what's reality and what's not. It just knows what you tell yourself. So that faking it is just your limited self-belief. And the more times you start to talk to yourself, that self-belief actually starts to grow and your self-confidence grows and then you're no longer feeling like you're faking it, you actually start to believe that you are it exactly, exactly.

Speaker 1: 6:30

I mean it's so fascinating, like how imposter syndrome can creep in and even for those who appear like outwardly confident, I mean I I love your point about embracing vulnerability. It's such a game changer for men's mental health.

Speaker 2: 6:46

And I mean some of the, just to say real quick on what you said. It's like you have to think too. Some of the people that are, you know, outgoing and seem like they have it all figured out. Sometimes that's their comfort mechanism to subside their own voice, right? So just because someone's you know all outgoing and talking about something super you know, really in depth and really going at it and almost seems kind of nervous as they're talking, realize they don't have it figured out. Maybe that's just the way you know they get through it just like you're sitting back in the corner. You know that's their way to kind of subside that feeling.

Speaker 1: 7:25

Oh, okay, yeah, and that's great. That's great. And also, burnout is a silent epidemic for men juggling careers, families and personal aspirations. So how do you recognize burnout in your own life? I mean, what steps did you take to recover?

Speaker 2: 7:44

I mean burnout happens, you know, when you go too far on one side of the life balance. You know scale right. Work-life balance isn't necessarily 50-50 all the time and sometimes you know you need to give 60-40 and then it's 40-60 and that'll always adjust. But when you go too long, you know, really focusing on one area of your life and letting the other areas kind of you know, really focusing on one area of your life and letting the other areas, kind of, you know, sit on the back burner, you'll start to notice that you're getting tired or getting bored or you just feel like it's not going anywhere. So you have to kind of switch it up.

Speaker 2: 8:24

But if you're feeling burnt out with work or with your business, sometimes you know, are you working out? But sometimes just getting a workout in, you know, do some meditation, some sometimes just letting your mind quiet for a minute and recenter is huge. And so for myself, like I know, when we launched the franchise or a company, I was for six months straight, you know, just building out the infrastructure and documents and manuals and believe me, I mean I was, I got burnt out and then I realized I wasn't working out as much just because I want to try to get everything done and then I just went for one workout and that one workout, when I didn't have to think about anything about the workout, just allowed me to kind of recenter. So I went. When I went back to going to create the other stuff, it didn't feel like the same it did in the morning that's perfect.

Speaker 1: 9:12

Yeah, and do you think like burnout is more about doing too much or about doing too little of what truly matters?

Speaker 2: 9:21

um, I think it can go both ways. I mean doing, if you're doing too much of what matters. The only way you're doing too much is if you're not allowing yourself to center or relax or take a breath. So if you're just going on on full stop, you got to think if you have a, a battery, remote control, car right, and you don't ever plug it back into charge, it's going to die out at some time. So you have to give yourself a second to take a breath, you know. Make sure you're getting enough sleep, you know, and make sure you're getting the proper nutrition so that your body can continue to function at optimal levels.

Speaker 2: 10:00

Now, if you're doing too little, you can feel burnt out, but it's not. It's not the same kind of burnout. That kind of burnout is almost like a burnt out of stagnation, like you feel like nothing is going anywhere and you're you kind of get. That kind of burnout is almost like a burnt out of stagnation, like you feel like nothing is going anywhere and you're you kind of get in your own head that anything you try is gonna, you know, not work out. That's just because you haven't taken action in a proper manner. Right, you, if you have an idea. If you want to try to do something, then you know, write it down and start breaking down into little mini steps and take action.

Speaker 1: 10:32

Perfect, and that perspective on prioritizing purpose over productivity is so powerful. So you are all about mindset shifts, right? So what's one belief you had to let go of to become the person that you are today?

Speaker 2: 10:54

I would say, one that I mentioned earlier was common sense is only common to the person that knows it right. And I learned that one kind of going to the next one, but like that one I learned when I had started the franchise or a company, because my business partner had to take over the gym and manage it and some of the things were slipping, that I would just naturally do without telling him and stuff, because I thought it was just common sense. And then I had to take a step back and realize, okay, like this is something I need to analyze, like he hasn't had all the same life experiences or the same learnings and teachings that I have, and we had to have a talk and you know, so I could help him understand and learn those things. But then it gave me the mindset shift and the perspective of reality.

Speaker 2: 11:38

Your reality is only your perspective, right? Because reality is basically the perspective of the one that is eyes is being seen through, because your reality is shaped by every obstacle, every life event that you've had, every good and bad interaction that you've had. That's what shapes your perspective of reality. So in doing so, if you can take the view or perspective of someone else, it will allow you to communicate and connect with other people in a much deeper fashion.

Speaker 1: 12:11

So how can listeners start identifying and challenging limiting beliefs that are holding them back?

Speaker 2: 12:19

I think that you can challenge limiting beliefs. You know holding you back by one. You know your limiting belief is something that is only set in your own mind right, and so if you have a goal and someone else has already accomplished it, you already know it's not impossible to accomplish, which means that they have nothing that you don't have. You know, physiologically, that holds you back from achieving it. So you just have to put in the work and put in the time to acquire those skills or acquire the knowledge to be able to accomplish it. So, just because you don't feel like you can accomplish it right now, that's okay, but you're going to continue to grow into the person and the version of you that will be able to accomplish it. So just realize you have to trust the process and just take action daily so that you can achieve those goals.

Speaker 1: 13:15

I understood. I understood, and so men are often taught to bottle off emotions. But vulnerability is the key to growth. So how do you practice vulnerability in your personal and the professional life? So how do you practice vulnerability?

Speaker 2: 13:31

in your personal and the professional life. I mean your emotions are a huge part of it, right?

Speaker 2: 13:39

And you realize that there's something called emotional intelligence and it's your ability to control your emotions under different circumstances. Control your emotions under different circumstances. So if someone cuts you off in traffic instead of screaming at them, and you know, letting it ruin the rest of your day, that interaction may have taken five seconds, so why are you going to let it hold a feeling over you for the next five hours of your day, right? So your ability to transition from upset or to analyze the situation and respond effectively is something that you grow into and you reflect on, you know, day after day. So, realizing that emotions are okay, right, and you don't have to be a super tough, you know, never cry, never. I'm never happy, I'm not, I'm just, you know, blank like plain, it's like emotions are what make people, people. So realize your ability to grow and learn how to adapt your emotions accordingly is part of the human experience exactly, exactly, very true.

Speaker 1: 14:44

And then, um, also like uh, what kind of legacy do you want to leave behind? I mean, how do you hope to inspire the next generation of men?

Speaker 2: 14:58

So my legacy I mean one of my core values is having a positive impact on as many lives as I can while I can, and for men specifically, realizing that you can do anything that you set your mind to. Your starting point is not your ending point. And so if you want to grow, if you want to start a business, if you want to, you know, do whatever you want to in life. Realizing that you can. And you just have to find what your purpose is and align your purpose with your goal so that you can actually have motivation on the days that you don't feel like doing it Because, believe me, I don't feel like being an entrepreneur every single day, I don't feel like being a gym owner or even going to the gym every single day, but you do it because you know what the end result is of your consistency. So just because you're not at where you are right now doesn't mean that you won't get there. Everybody's journey is different. Everybody's journey's length is different. Just keep going.

Speaker 1: 16:00

Lovely, lovely. That's really the great one, I'd say. And so what advice would you give to someone who's just starting their journey and feels overwhelmed by the pressure to leave a legacy?

Speaker 2: 16:13

their journey and feels overwhelmed by the pressure to leave a legacy. I mean, you got to think the legacy of Rome wasn't built in a day, right? And so legacies happen over time. And if you're just getting started, realize you haven't put in the time yet. You're building the legacy right now. Everything that you do, every interaction that you have, is part of that legacy. So just realize that over time it will happen. If you try to make it happen and force a legacy, that's not what people you know remember. People remember your interactions. They remember what you accomplished. They don't remember what you said you were going to accomplish. They only remember what you did or didn't do.

Speaker 1: 16:55

Exactly exactly Perfect, perfect, great, lovely. So that's an incredible conversation. Devan, you have given us so much to think about, from reframing imposter syndrome to finding purpose and embracing the vulnerability. Your story and insights reminds us that self-mastery is a journey and not a destination. So, dear listeners, if you found this episode valuable, share it with a friend, leave us a review and subscribe to Mind Over Masculinity for more empowering conversations like this, and remember that you are not alone in this journey. So until next time, stay strong, stay open and keep striving for the greatness. Thank you so much.