Imposter Phenomenon - The Comedian's Perspective - with Dan Cardwell

**Episode 10 of Work Truths: Off the Record is live, and I’m delighted to be joined by Dan Cardwell, who describes himself as a failed writer, comedian and poet who works in marketing.** Dan’s story is a brilliant one because it shows how imposter feelings can live alongside creativity, humour and professional experience. In our conversation, we explore that inner “bully” voice that kicks in just as he starts to feel confident, and how it can turn even a senior marketing role into a place of doubt and self-qualification. What really stood out for me was Dan’s honesty about how this has shaped the way he shows up: from over-explaining and second-guessing himself, to trying to look polished on the outside while feeling anything but on the inside. We also talk about the way his background in comedy and performance has both helped and complicated things — because when you’re used to being on stage, it can be hard to know whether you’re being authentic or just performing confidence. Dan shares how becoming more himself at work, using humour more deliberately, and being more specific about his own experience have started to shift things. He also reflects on what it means to hear praise, and why specific, thoughtful feedback lands better than big general compliments. If you’re interested in the overlap between creativity, performance and self-doubt, this one is a fascinating listen. **Guest Information** According to himself, Dan Cardwell is “get ready for pitch BS – a fractional CMO who builds commercial marketing infrastructure from zero for companies where the product is genuinely excellent but commercially invisible to the buyers who need it most. ‘He’ is also embarrassed ‘he’ wrote that. I’m also a failed stand-up comedian and writer, with seven Edinburgh shows to my name – including Dan versus Food, in which I got a large theatre full of hundreds of people to watch me eat lunch.” **Dan's Website and Social Links:** Find Dan on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/dcardwell For creative stuff: www.dancardwell.com