Presentation skills

Turn Challenge into Change

/ Susan Hendrich / Leave a comment

https://www.facebook.com/DeTv302/videos/237636618473247/?mibextid=zDhOQc

Turn Challenge into Change: Join ‘Human Being with Dr. Susan’ on DETV Kids!
July 2025

Emotions are a powerful force in our lives, shaping our thoughts, decisions, and actions. As parents, caregivers, and educators, it’s crucial to teach our children the importance of understanding and managing their emotions. One television show segment that beautifully explores this concept is “Human Being with Dr. Susan” on DETV Kids. In this segment, Dr. Susan guides children on a journey of self-reflection, helping them name their feelings and discover the incredible power that comes with understanding and transforming challenges into positive change.

The Power of Reflection

In our fast-paced world, we often overlook the significance of self-reflection. Dr. Susan encourages children to take a moment to pause and consider how they feel. By doing so, they gain the power to understand their emotions better and, consequently, the ability to make informed choices in response to those feelings.

We’ve all experienced moments when our emotions seem overwhelming, leading to tantrums, frustration, or withdrawal. “Human Being with Dr. Susan” offers valuable tools to help children navigate these emotional waters. When we learn to reflect on our feelings, we develop our emotional intelligence, a skill that serves us well throughout our lives.

The Path from Challenge to Change

The central theme of Dr. Susan’s segment is the transformation of challenges into positive change. Life is full of hurdles and obstacles, both big and small. For children, these challenges can be as simple as sharing toys, completing school assignments, or making new friends. Through thoughtful discussion and guided activities, “Human Being with Dr. Susan” empowers kids to view these challenges as opportunities for growth.

Dr. Susan illustrates how understanding their emotions can help children make choices that lead to positive change. Instead of reacting impulsively or giving in to negative emotions, kids learn to channel their feelings into actions that can improve their situation. This crucial life skill helps children build resilience and adaptability.

Invitation to Watch “Human Being with Dr. Susan”

Are you ready to embark on a journey of emotional discovery and transformation with your child? “Human Being with Dr. Susan” on DETV Kids offers a safe and engaging platform for kids to explore their feelings, turn challenges into change, and grow emotionally. By watching the show together, you can facilitate meaningful discussions about emotions and encourage your child to apply these valuable lessons in their daily life.

“Human Being with Dr. Susan” on DETV Kids is a remarkable television show segment that promotes emotional intelligence and resilience in children. Through self-reflection, Dr. Susan empowers kids to understand their feelings, make informed choices, and transform challenges into positive change. By watching the show with your child, you can help them develop these essential life skills and set them on a path towards emotional well-being and personal growth. Don’t miss the opportunity to join Dr. Susan on this journey – tune in to DETV Kids and embark on a voyage of self-discovery and positive change today!

Unmask Your Brilliance: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

/ Susan Hendrich / Leave a comment

What Does It Feel Like?

Imposter Syndrome is the persistent inability to believe that your success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of your own efforts or skills. It’s a feeling of being a fraud, and it’s more common than you think.

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Feeling Like a Fraud

Despite your accomplishments, you have a nagging fear that you’ll be “found out” as a fake.

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Attributing Success to Luck

You dismiss your achievements as luck, timing, or other external factors, not your own ability.

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Minimizing Achievements

You downplay your successes, believing anyone could have done what you did.

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Perfectionism Pressure

You believe you must be perfect, and any small mistake proves your incompetence.

The Imposter’s Mindset: A Skewed Perspective

Imposter syndrome often involves a distorted “locus of control”—how we explain the cause of events. We have one rule for others, and a different, harsher rule for ourselves.

When OTHERS Succeed

We attribute it to their internal qualities:

  • “They’re naturally talented.”
  • “They are so intelligent and capable.”
  • “Their hard work really paid off.”

When *I* Succeed

I attribute it to external factors:

  • “I just got lucky this time.”
  • “They must have lowered the standards.”
  • “Someone helped me, I couldn’t do it alone.”

Recognizing this pattern is the first step toward changing it and owning your success.

You’re in Good Company

Feeling like an imposter doesn’t mean you are one. Countless icons of science, art, and leadership have felt the exact same way.

“The exaggerated esteem in which my lifework is held makes me very ill at ease. I feel compelled to think of myself as an involuntary swindler.”

– Albert Einstein

“I have written eleven books, but each time I think, ‘Uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.'”

– Maya Angelou

“No matter what we’ve done, there comes a point where you think, ‘How did I get here? When are they going to discover that I am, in fact, a fraud…?'”

– Tom Hanks

“It’s almost like the better I do, the more my feeling of inadequacy actually increases… ‘Any moment, someone’s going to find out I’m a total fraud.'”

– Emma Watson

“I still have a little impostor syndrome… It doesn’t go away, that feeling that you shouldn’t take me that seriously. What do I know?”

– Michelle Obama

“I am always looking over my shoulder wondering if I measure up.”

– Sonia Sotomayor

Interactive Toolkit: Rewire Your Thinking

Actively challenging the imposter voice is key. Use these simple exercises to start building a more accurate, self-compassionate inner narrative.

Activity: “Who, Me?” “Yeah, Me!”

Challenge the voice of doubt with facts. Think of a recent success and reframe it.

My Recent Achievement:

My “Yeah, Me!” Response:

Activity: My Strengths, My Truths

Remind yourself of your inherent, undeniable qualities.

My Truth #1:

My Truth #2:

My Truth #3:

Your Toolkit for Brilliance

Integrate these concepts and strategies into your daily life to build lasting confidence and keep imposter syndrome at bay.

Talk About It

Sharing your feelings with trusted friends or mentors can lift a huge weight and show you you’re not alone.

Focus on Facts

Keep an “Accomplishment Journal.” When doubt creeps in, review the concrete evidence of your competence.

Embrace “Good Enough”

Striving for perfection is a trap. Aim for progress, not flawlessness. Mistakes are for learning, not for shame.

Artist vs. Critic

Separate the creative “Artist” from the judgmental “Critic” in your mind. Let the Artist work freely before the Critic gets a say.

Power Poses

Before a challenge, stand tall for 2 minutes. Adopt a confident posture to influence your mindset. Your body can lead your mind.

Own Your Vulnerability

As BrenĂ© Brown says, true courage is showing up and being seen when you can’t control the outcome. It’s strength, not weakness.

How Common Is It?

While exact numbers vary, studies suggest a vast majority of people—up to 82% in some research—experience these feelings at some point. It shows that feeling like an imposter is a shared human experience, not a personal defect.

Illustrative data based on multiple studies.

Remember: You are capable, you are deserving, and you belong.

Your journey is valid, and your brilliance is real.

© 2025 Susan E. Hendrich

Learn more at sashaphilosophy.com

Be An Audience Magnet🧲

/ Susan Hendrich / Leave a comment

After watching Julian Treasure’s “How to Speak so that People Want to Listen” TED talk, I feel proud and terrified at the same time.

I’m proud because I already have mastered some of these positive behaviors, and consider myself a pretty decent presenter. I know how to vary my timbre and prosody. I’ve held my own in front of audiences of a thousand or more on many occasions.


But, I’m terrified, because I realize that I’ve been missing out on making my best impact —- I need to better harness the power of silence…the magic of pitch…There is so much to learn!

After you watch this video, please tell me, what stands out for you?

https://youtu.be/eIho2S0ZahI

Here’s Julian’s description of his TED Talk:

“Have you ever felt like you’re talking, but nobody is listening? Here’s Julian Treasure to help. In this useful talk, the sound expert demonstrates the how-to’s of powerful speaking — from some handy vocal exercises to tips on how to speak with empathy. A talk that might help the world sound more beautiful.”

Story Spines Can Inspire Change

/ Susan Hendrich / 1 Comment

Once Upon a Time, You Created Change…

Storytelling has long been a vehicle for creating a journey of the imagination, a journey in which a transformation happens. In his March 2012 Fast Company article, “Using Great Storytelling To Grow Your Business,” Kaihan Krippendorff writes about how to use effective storytelling to drive change and growth in an organization. He references a tool called a Story Spine, which is a simple bunch of sentence stems that provide the skeleton for building a story. The Story Spine is a tool developed by Kenn Adams as a way for improvisers (actors who work without a script) to build a classic story.

The basic Story Spine structure

Once there was…
And every day…
Until one day…
And because of that…
And because of that…
And because of that…
Until finally…
And so…

Optional ending line: The moral of the story is…

Sound familiar? Many fairy tales and children’s stories, as well as novels and movies,  fit in this story structure. Elegant & easy! So, what if we could use story spines to map out a vision for changing ourselves? Simple genius! Here’s a great Harvard Business Review article that guides us on using Story Spines to craft a vision for changing our own circumstances: http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/07/a_simple_exercise_to_help_you.html.

Bonus Freebie

There are hundreds of possible Story Spine variations, and here’s one:

  • [The balance]: Once upon a time … and every day …
  • [The un-balance]: But then one day …
  • [The quest for a resolution]: … and because of that … and so … until finally ….
  • [The new balance]: … and ever since that day ….

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Your Turn

Now, how will you use a Story Spine to create change in your own life? Share your thoughts in a comment here!

5-minute Contest: Mentorship and Onboarding

/ Susan Hendrich / 2 Comments

Mentor Me…

Here’s an easy contest to win!

In his article, “Mentoring and On-Boarding: Two Peas in a Pod,” Talent Management’s Frank Kalman makes a compelling case for mentorship as a game-changing onboarding tool. I’m going to take a leap by extending Kalman’s theory, and say that I believe that you (yes, you, dear reader) are an expert in onboarding mentorship. Curious? Read on…

 

You Are an Onboarding Expert

Since you’re reading this post, I’m guessing you’re interested in the topics of mentoring and onboarding (either that, or you’re my mom, who reads all my posts – because that’s what mentors do – invest in their peeps). No doubt you’ve been “onboarded” in an organization before – be it your workplace, your place of worship, or your neighborhood association. And I’m betting that somebody helped you with the ropes when you joined that organization. That mentee experience in itself gives you a certain amount of mentoring mavenship. You know what good (or not good) mentorship feels like.

Let’s now transform this expertise of yours into a reward. It’s time to get you published in the blogosphere!

Contest Guidelines

Take five minutes to participate in this Mini-Mentoring Contest and you could win a featured “Guest Author” spot on the Leadership and Learning Innovation site.  Here’s how:

  1. Take a quick read of Kalman’s brief article, Mentoring and On-Boarding: Two Peas in a Pod.
  2. Answer one or more of the following questions:
    • What role has mentorship played in your own onboarding experiences?
    • What kind of mentorship did/do you provide in helping others to onboard?
    • How can you “pay it forward” for future members of your organization?
  3. Submit your ideas/stories here.
  4. Submission Deadline: Tuesday, July 24th

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Winning Entries

Compelling mini-stories, theories of mentorship, or even 3-word mantras on the secrets of onboarding mentorship will be considered for publication in the next Leadership & Learning Innovation article in this series, “There’s No Ship Like Mentorship.”