The Imposter Within With Kerrie Lee Brown

Welcome to The Rocky Garza Show, where we dive deep into the truths that shape extraordinary leaders. Today, I’m joined by Kerrie Lee Brown, the Editor-in-Chief of Success Magazine—an award-winning journalist, media executive, consultant, and women’s health advocate. She’s the founder of Ready Red Lily Global Lifestyle Brand, the author of My Heart, Myself: A Self-Care Guide for Women, and a leader in empowering authentic storytelling to help heal, transform, and inspire.

Despite her incredible success, Kerrie still faces imposter syndrome. How does someone at her level—leading a major publication and shaping conversations about achievement—still struggle with self-doubt? And more importantly, how do we overcome it?

This episode is packed with raw honesty, personal insights, and actionable takeaways. Let’s dive in.

About Kerrie Lee Brown  

Kerrie Lee Brown is an award-winning journalist, media executive, consultant and women's health advocate. She is the founder of RedLily® global lifestyle brand, author of “My Heart, My Self", a self-care guide for women on Amazon, and the VP, Media and Editor-in-Chief of SUCCESS magazine. 

Kerrie Lee has contributed to more than 150 magazines worldwide and has made it her mission to educate others about the importance of heart health and authentic storytelling to help heal, transform and evolve your life.

The Imposter Within

Many of us believe that once we hit a certain milestone—whether it's a high-profile job, financial success, or public recognition—our doubts will disappear. But as Kerrie shares, imposter syndrome doesn’t go away just because we achieve more. It evolves.

Kerrie reflects on moments in her career when she felt she wasn’t the "main pick," even though, in hindsight, she clearly had what it took. The pressure to always prove her worth—to live up to expectations—was ingrained from childhood. Raised in a high-achievement, competitive environment, she felt the need to constantly win, succeed, and never depend on anyone else.

The irony? The very drive that made her successful was also the source of her self-doubt.

The Pressure of Perfection

As a journalist and editor, Kerrie was trained to scrutinize details, making perfectionism a daily reality. In her world, a single typo or factual error could be devastating. Over time, this cultivated an inner voice of self-criticism, reinforcing the idea that one mistake could ruin everything.

She describes the duality of being perceived as someone who “always got the job, the recognition, the success”—while internally feeling the pressure to maintain that image. Even with public praise, the imposter within whispered otherwise.

Balancing Professional and Personal Life

Imposter syndrome doesn’t just affect work—it spills into our personal lives.

As a mother of two boys, Kerrie shares how she constantly wonders: Am I doing this right? She grew up in a household of women, so raising boys felt unfamiliar. Despite her best efforts, there are moments of doubt—because parenting, like leadership, comes with no perfect blueprint.

Her insight? We all go through it. The key is recognizing that worthiness isn’t about perfection—it’s about embracing who you truly are.

Redefining Success and Self-Worth

Kerrie admits that, for years, her identity was tied to her job title. She was “Editor-in-Chief” first, Kerrie Lee second. This created an inner conflict: Am I successful because of my title? Or because of who I am?

That realization led to self-reflection—and a shift in how she defines success. Instead of measuring worth by external labels, she began embracing her internal value.

Lesson: You are not your job title. You are not your achievements. You are worthy—simply because you are YOU.

Embracing Uniqueness and Truth

One of the biggest takeaways from this conversation is that self-clarity leads to self-confidence.

Many of us have been conditioned to believe that success comes from meeting external expectations—whether it’s parents, society, or the workplace. But the true breakthrough happens when we define success for ourselves.

For Kerrie, that meant embracing her unique gifts—her ability to tell powerful stories, her open-mindedness, and her passion for helping others. The imposter syndrome didn’t disappear—but she learned to challenge it with truth.

The Power of Words

Throughout the conversation, one theme kept coming up: words matter.

• The words we say to ourselves shape our beliefs.

• The words we say to others impact their confidence.

• The words we accept from society influence how we see ourselves.

Kerrie recalls a time when someone told her she was "too positive on social media." The comment made her second-guess herself—until she realized:

Why would positivity ever be a bad thing?

People’s judgments are often projections of their own insecurities. If someone sees positivity as “fake,” it likely has more to do with their experiences than with you.

Lesson: The stories people tell about you say more about them than they do about you.

Stories We Tell Ourselves

Rocky breaks down a powerful truth:

We often define ourselves by the stories we’ve been told about us—rather than the truth of who we are.

For years, Kerrie was told:

• "You're a high achiever." (So she felt she had to be.)

• "You're always successful." (So failure felt unacceptable.)

• "You're just a magazine editor." (So she wondered if her identity was tied to her job.)

But when we step back and rewrite our own narrative, we take back control.

Impact of Words on Others

Rocky shares a personal parenting moment—when he unknowingly told his son a story about himself that wasn’t true. In a split-second reaction, he made his son feel like his enthusiasm didn’t matter.

That one interaction made him realize: the way we speak to people—especially in leadership and parenting—shapes their confidence.

The same is true for leaders in the workplace. Are we fostering environments where people feel heard, valued, and encouraged—or are we reinforcing self-doubt?

Personal Truths and Open-Mindedness

To close, Kerrie shares her personal truth:

“I am open-minded.”

That openness allows her to:

• See multiple perspectives.

• Grow through new experiences.

• Adapt in both personal and professional life.

Her realization? Openness is not just a trait—it’s a strength.

Final Thoughts: Lead Like YOU, Not Like Them

The imposter within is something we all face. But the way we talk to ourselves, redefine our worth, and embrace our unique traits determines whether that imposter controls us—or fuels our growth.

Takeaway: You don’t have to be “good enough.” You already ARE good.