Imposter syndrome in women in STEM can feel like a constant need to over-prepare, prove yourself, and still worry you’ll be “found out.”

In today’s episode, I sit down with Dr. AJ Lauer, EdD—a STEM leadership and workplace inclusion expert—to help you tell the difference between a real skills gap and imposter phenomenon, and to give you a simple way to respond in the moment.

Dr. Lauer teaches us how to notice your personal triggers, a quick nervous-system reset, the most important conversation you can have with your supervisor, and how to face imposter syndrome head on!

If you’ve ever felt like you have to prove you deserve a seat at the table, this conversation will help you get back into that calm, intellectual space where you can make clear high-stakes decisions—without perfectionism running the show.

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Dr. AJ Lauer, EdD is a STEM leadership and workplace inclusion expert with 20+ years in DEI and workforce development in science and technology. Through her work at Thriving Ibis, Dr. Lauer coaches high-performing women in STEM on sustainable confidence and is the author of My Monster Mungo, an illustrated book that reframes imposter syndrome.

• Getting Started with Imposter Monsters Guide: https://www.thrivingibis.com/imposter-monster-email
• AJ’s website: https://www.thrivingibis.com/imposter-monsters
• AJ on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ajlauer
• Book: My Monster Mungo: A Story About Imposter Syndrome

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🫥 (4:26): What is imposter phenomenon?

🫥 (8:05): Why women in STEM experience imposter syndrome and “prove-it pressure”

🫥 (9:50): How motherhood can amplify the “superhuman” juggling effect (perfectionism)

😃 (13:35): AJ’s supercomputing story (and the conversation that changed everything)

😃 (20:10): How to tell a skills gap from an imposter spiral

😃 (28:18): The 3 common imposter coping patterns

😃 (31:59): A quick reset for high-stakes presentations and leadership moments

😃 (37:26): Meet your “imposter monster”

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➡️ Grab AJ’s free guide, then share this episode with one fellow woman scientist who needs an instant reboot from self-doubt to owning her worth.

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⏮️ Building an ambition inventory (Podcast)

⏮️ Rewiring your identity (Podcast)

📖 How to get unstuck as a scientist mom (after motherhood) (Blog)

🌐 Visit www.SolveForMom.com for more information and FREE resources

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🙋🏻‍♀️ Q&A: Record your science career-for-moms question in one click. I'll answer it on the show. Let me know if you want a shout-out!

🎙️Interested in a guest interview on Science Careers for Moms? → Apply Here

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👍🏽 Tap +Follow and never miss an episode

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📫 E-mail hello@solveformom.com

🔬Connect with me on LinkedIn as a fellow PhD researcher & scientific consultant

Leave me a 🤩 rating & review—your support helps other moms find the show!

3 Self-Discovery Steps to Get Unstuck as a Scientist Mom

Work Life balance after motherhood can feel impossible when you’re pulled in two directions—trying to be a good mom and a good scientist at the same time. If you’ve ever felt like you’re never fully enough in either role, this episode is your reset.

In today’s episode, we’re getting honest about why so many moms in STEM feel stuck after motherhood changes everything…and the simple life planning and self-discovery framework that helps you choose a new identity, shift your beliefs, and finally take aligned action.

Hit play to learn how to feel like a whole, integrated woman (not split between “career you” and “mom you”).

• (0:00) The “stuck in a rut” feeling (and why it’s common for moms in science & tech)
• (2:38) The real problem: trying to force an old identity into a new life context
• (6:20) The 3-step solution to designing the identity you want
• (23:17) What changes when you choose to be your best self

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• Personal Code of Conduct (Free Download): https://solveformom.com/personal-code
• 📚 ”Grit” by Angela Duckworth
• Identity Timeline Framework: https://solveformom.com/2025/3-powerful-ways-to-find-purpose-as-a-mom-beyond-the-daily-routine/

• “So much changes once we become moms - and yet we still look at ourselves, expect from ourselves, and perform as if we are the same person we were before becoming moms.”
• “You're being pulled in so many different directions, and you're trying to have it all without a clear plan.”
• “Your identity drives your beliefs, your beliefs drive your actions, and your actions create your results.”

Learned something new? Leave a 🤩 rating & review—your words help other women in STEM choose this show!

💌 Sci-Mom Says newsletter: https://solveformom.com/insider

🙋🏻‍♀️ Share your Mom-in-STEM story → https://calendly.com/anokhi-solveformom/guests-on-solve-for-mom

🔬Connect with me as a fellow biomedical researcher & consultant: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anokhikapasi/

🌐 Visit solveformom.com for more information and FREE resources

📫 E-mail hello@solveformom.com

Women in STEM: If you want to have both - a meaningful science career and a rooted family life —and you’re done feeling like you’re “failing at both”… this NEW SHOW is for you.

This is a short welcome episode where I’m introducing the new podcast name and focus: Science Careers for Moms.

If you’re a STEM-trained mom who wants to have both: a meaningful science career and a rooted family life (without burning out, second-guessing, or trying to do it all), you’re in the right place.

After listening, you’ll know:

• If this show is for you and what to do next
• The 3 outcomes you can expect from the show: STEM career planning clarity, Decision-making frameworks, and Systems to support work life balance
• How this show creates instant community with women in STEM who share insider stories and experts who offer solutions supporting scientist moms

You don’t need the perfect routine or more willpower—but you do need a framework that fits real constraints of a demanding career and realities of mom life…like maternity leave, childcare logistics when you travel to conferences, sick kid weeks, and grant review deadlines.

Let this show be your key to escaping the cultural trap that forces women in STEM to choose, so you can build a clear path to whole-life success.

👍🏽 Add Science Careers for Moms to your playlist

• “The culture of science wasn’t built for caregivers.”
• “You should never have to choose between being a good mom and being a good scientist.”
• “Here’s what I learned: ‘trying harder’ can’t be your only strategy. That just leads to burnout, guilt, and living a very fragmented life.”

• What work-life balance is (& is not) – ⏮️ EP 108: Work-Life Balance Question: What Does “Being Aligned” Really Mean as a Scientist Mom? (Podcast)
• Career-life integration flips the script – ⏮️ EP 111: Design Your Life, Then Set Your Career Goals: Purpose-Driven Personal Growth for Moms in STEM (Podcast)

💌 Sci-Mom Says newsletter: https://solveformom.com/insider

🙋🏻‍♀️ Want to be a guest → https://calendly.com/anokhi-solveformom/guests-on-solve-for-mom

🔬Connect with me on my personal LinkedIn as a fellow scientific researcher & consultant.

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🌐 Visit solveformom.com for more information and FREE resources

📫 E-mail hello@solveformom.com

Time management for working moms in STEM shouldn't feel this hard. You get everything done—code compiles, data collected, manuscript revised—but at home? There's no clear finish line. Just that nagging feeling you could always do one more thing.

In today's episode, I'm breaking down a simple 4-part framework that will help you define "done" intentionally so you can stop overworking and start experiencing real balance. This isn't about lowering your standards—it's about reallocating excellence to the places that truly need it. This is about reclaiming closure at the end of your day without guilt, and creating space for rest, presence with your kids, and pursuing your big ideas.

Here's the truth: As a mom in STEM myself, I personally struggle with never feeling like I can move on from a task. I've also seen how defining "done" transforms everything for high-achieving moms who bring workplace perfectionism home.

In this episode, you'll discover:

• Why your STEM training makes "done" so hard at home – The mismatch between objective work standards and subjective home tasks creates paralysis (3:15)
• The 4-part framework for defining "done" – Purpose, good-enough outcome, "done for now," and shutdown rituals (12:30)
• How to reallocate excellence strategically – Stop applying research-grade standards to laundry and redirect that energy where it matters (9:45)

If you've been feeling exhausted but never caught up, constantly adding "one more thing," or struggling to feel like your day is actually complete, this episode will show you exactly where to start.

xoxo, Anokhi

• "The finish line keeps moving, and your brain never gets to cross it."
• "You're going to be able to define done and reclaim your time and your energy for your dreams and not just for things that you feel are your duty or your obligations."

• (0:00): Teaser
• (2:21): Ask me a question
• (2:49): Never feeling "done" at home
• (3:59): Work spills over into home life
• (5:06): There’s always one more thing to do
• (5:41): Over-engineering tasks
• (7:00): Why this problem surfaces for moms in science, tech, and phD research
• (11:39): Boundaries as a time management strategy
• (14:15): 4-step framework for defining “done”
• (24:37): Wrap-up & this week’s experiment

• Eliminate context-switching → ⏮️ EP 107: Fast Calendar Clean-Up to Remove 10% This Week (Podcast)
• Create time freedom → ⏮️ EP 71: Never Enough Time? 4 Time Management Rules That Multiply Your Time | Life Planning Skills for Ambitious Moms (Podcast)
• Uncover why you feel fragmented as a mom & scientist - 📞 Schedule an Alignment Audit and take your first step towards feeling whole again (Free Call)

🙋🏻‍♀️ Question, episode idea, or feedback? Record a message in just one click!

Leave me a 🤩 rating & review—your support helps other moms find the show!

💌 Grab my newsletter for twice-monthly tips, tools, and exclusives—so you can build a life that honors both your ambitions and your family

📫 E-mail hello@solveformom.com

👍🏽 Tap +Follow and never miss an episode.

🌐 Visit solveformom.com for more information and FREE resources

➡️ Follow @solveformom on LinkedIn for life planning strategies that help you envision, plan, and take action on your big ideas while prioritizing family time.

🔬Connect with me on my personal LinkedIn as a fellow PhD researcher & scientific consultant.

📍Follow Solve for Mom on Pinterest for daily tips for moms in STEM to find balance one micro-step at a time.

Work-life balance for working moms in STEM feels like constant juggling—lab deadlines, family responsibilities, career demands, and that nagging feeling you're failing at all of it.

And somehow you're still supposed to pursue meaningful work and be present with your family?

This episode is your clarity.

I'm walking you through what "being aligned" really means for scientist moms—not the vague Instagram version, but the concrete kind where your values, vision, and daily decisions all point in the same direction.

From the car tire metaphor that explains misalignment to three real-world examples you'll recognize (connection & family, meaningful work, health & wellbeing), these are the insights that will help you feel like yourself again, stop fighting against yourself, and actually create a life where career and motherhood fit together.

This episode is for you if:

• You feel unbalanced in your roles as a mom and a scientist
• You feel disconnected and lost from the successful side of yourself
• Your calendar is 100% work and logistics (but family connection matters most to you)
• You're tired of feeling like being a "good worker" and a "good mom" are incompatible

By the end of this episode, you'll understand that alignment isn't something you "get" once—it's a process you design through intentional life planning.

• (0:00): Teaser
• (1:54): Listener Review – "Enjoying this"
• (2:37): Living as a misaligned mom
• (4:37): What does "being aligned" really mean?
• (5:34): Signs you're in vs. out of alignment
• (7:03): Example 1 – Family time
• (9:09): Example 2 – Personal development
• (10:47): Example 3 – Health & wellbeing
• (12:02): Why alignment matters for STEM moms & how to get into alignment
• (14:06): Life planning as the tool for sustained alignment
• (15:44): Wrap-up

• Clarify your core values – ⏮️ EP 103: Are Core Values Different From Career or Family Values? (Podcast)
• Aligning your career with your values - ⏮️ EP 105: Guided Journaling Exercise for Career Clarity (Podcast)
• Life planning framework - 📖 Life Planning – How to Design & Achieve a Life That’s Right for You (Blog)
• Design a life where your STEM career and motherhood finally fit together - 📞 Turn your ideal life into your real life with the Designed Life Method (Get Started for Free)

🙋🏻‍♀️ Question, episode idea, or feedback? Record a message in just one click!

Leave me a 🤩 rating & review—your support helps other moms find the show!

💌 Grab my newsletter for twice-monthly tips, tools, and exclusives—so you can build a life that honors both your ambitions and your family

📫 E-mail hello@solveformom.com

👍🏽 Tap +Follow and never miss an episode.

🌐 Visit solveformom.com for more information and FREE resources

➡️ Follow @solveformom on LinkedIn for life planning strategies that help you envision, plan, and take action on your big ideas while prioritizing family time.

🔬Connect with me on my personal LinkedIn as a fellow PhD researcher & scientific consultant.

📍Follow Solve for Mom on Pinterest for daily tips for moms in STEM to find balance one micro-step at a time.