19. Beth Comstock, former GE Vice Chair & CMO: Create Confidence in Your Ambitions

Enoughness with Lisa Carmen Wang

Beth Comstock, GE's former CMO and first ever female Vice Chair, is fresh off the release of her new book, Imagine It Forward: Courage, Creativity, and the Power of Change. where she shares what she’s had to do throughout her career to overcome self-doubt, the best risks she’s ever taken, and how women in particular can learn to get comfortable with being ambitious. Despite her decades of success, she admits to a lifelong struggle with painful shyness and lack of confidence. She doesn’t shy away from sharing her biggest hardships (like single motherhood) and mistakes (that nearly cost her huge promotions) either. Beth shares what it means to have social courage, how you can build it into your daily habits, and what it can do for your life and career. In This Episode, You Will Learn: The unexpected and less-than-glamorous side of becoming an author. [3:12] How becoming a single mother spurred Beth into action. [9:07] What’s in Beth’s own internal monologue of insecurity, and how she fights it. [10:59] How perceived failures can teach us to take control of our own narratives. [14:11] All about the biggest career leap Beth ever made—even though her colleagues thought she was crazy. [15:22] Some of Beth’s personal confidence exercises & The importance of saying "I don't know." [23:12] The big mistake that almost cost her a huge promotion. [28:48] The piece of advice Beth took from a certain 14-year-old girl. [30:45] Some Questions We Discuss: How is writing and publishing a book an entrepreneurial pursuit? [2:00] Where do confidence and shyness issues come from in the first place? [7:02] What are the other, bigger fears that underpin the fear of change in our lives? [17:21] How did Beth get through backlash for being a CMO with no marketing experience? [20:20] How to fight back against the devaluation of so-called “soft skills”. [22:23] How can we overcome shyness to promote ourselves on social media? [32:40] Links and Resources Beth Comstock’s book Book recommendation: The Creative Habit: Learn it and use it for life by Twyla Tharp Follow Beth on Twitter Follow Beth on Instagram Quotes: “I think that's where a pure product entrepreneur and an author would have a lot in common. It's your baby. There can't possibly be anyone who cares about it as much as you do.” “There were moments when I realized I was holding myself back. I wasn't speaking up. I saw other people who put ideas out, and they were moving ahead, and I wasn't! And finally I had just had enough. I said, ‘Okay, I've got to do something.” "Every great leader I know is a communicator." --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/enoughness-lisa-wang/support