How a Growth Mindset Can Combat Self-Doubt: And Other Tips I’d Tell My Younger Self

Don’t compare yourself to other people. That’s one piece of advice that Vivian Iyamba, Senior Manager of Product Operations at Squarespace, would tell her younger self. “Everyone’s path is unique, and it’s important to stay focused on what you want to achieve rather than the path of others,” shares Iyamba. Setting career goals and ambitions is something that you need to do for yourself. 

In her own case, Iyamba recalls being interested in many different fields when she was younger and gravitating toward law and theater. So, finding her ideal career path involved identifying a field where she could utilize her diverse interests. And she found just that in the Product space. In my current role, “I am constantly context switching and working with different ‘audiences’ (i.e., roles/functions within the business),” Iyamba explains. “I get to do a little bit of everything!”

Here, Iyamba reflects on her unique career journey and shares her best learnings, including more tips she’d share with her younger self. From finding meaning to identifying a positive company culture, read on for important career inspiration.

How to find meaning in your career while overcoming self-doubt.

How can you go about finding work that matters to you? To answer this question, Iyamba shares three tips that she learned from a teacher:

1. “First, you should find something that you love. 

2. Second, that love should be something you are good at. 

3. Third, this can not compromise your values.” 

By following this advice, Iyamba says she’s better able to find meaning in her career. “I also believe it’s important to continuously find work that helps you learn,” she tells us. “In Product, I hear the phrase ‘move the needle,’ which really is about making progress. My advice is to find a career that allows you to make progress in small or big ways, and don’t be afraid to supplement this progress with side hustles or other interests that bring meaning into your life.”

Making progress and growing is also imperative for those who are struggling with self-doubt in their careers. In fact, “I believe that having a ‘growth mindset’ is extremely important and goes a long way in overcoming self-doubt,” emphasizes Iyamba. When I moved to NYC in 2014, this was the moment I realized I needed this mindset to help me transition into the advertising industry. I focused on learning and finding industry mentors, which strengthened my confidence and provided me with that mental foundation to succeed.   

Personally, Iyamba notes that “self-doubt often creeps in when I am entering into a new opportunity or a skill set that I am less experienced.” To counteract this, she proactively aims to grow her skills. Wondering what type of resources you could use to improve your own skills? A few of the resources that helped Iyamba strengthen her mindset and dissipate self-doubt during pivotal moments in her career are “Expect to Win: 10 Proven Strategies for Thriving in the Workplace” by Carla Harris and “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead” by Sheryl Sandberg.

Using all these learnings, Iyamba was able to follow her passion and find a career path that filled her with confidence in the Product field.

Exploring my journey to Product.

So, how does someone get a role in Product Operations? For Iyamba, her first step was moving to San Francisco in 2010 to join the tech field. “Tech was rapidly growing in the Bay Area, and I was surrounded by people wanting to build and create,” she recalls. “It was energizing but at the same time a bit intimidating to be in the new space.”

During this time, Iyamba used her networking skills to find connections and land her first tech job and this was just the beginning of her path. After eventually taking a detour into advertising, Iyamba discovered a new career goal: blending her love for Creative and Design within the tech industry! 

“Squarespace was the perfect company for that industry marriage,” Iyamba states. “I started on the Creative side at Squarespace as a Creative Operations Management Lead. In that role I worked with leadership to operationally support the growth of the in-house agency model. I then transitioned to Product because I wanted to learn more about our platform and what sets our beautiful brand apart from our competitors.”

Looking back at this journey, Iyamba’s learned a few key things that she’d tell her younger self about succeeding and finding balance in this field:

• “Be curious,” advises Iyamba. “The workforce is constantly changing, and new roles and products are emerging that never existed 10 years ago. Take the time to learn about the space and its competitors.”

• “I would tell my younger self to make sure to find interests you love outside of work. Having something you enjoy outside of work has helped me in creating a healthy work-life balance. It also forces you to designate time which is a natural way to set boundaries.”

Tips on identifying a positive company culture.

Iyamba found a great culture that empowered her to grow at Squarespace! But how did she manage to find a company with such a culture? 

“Identifying a positive culture is not easy, but begins with looking at the current employees and identifying trends in lateral and upward growth, as well as tenure,” she tells us. “For me, these are indicators that the company and employees are invested. The great thing about Squarespace is that culture is not prescribed and we continually build the culture we want to see and experience.” 

This culture made Squarespace a perfect fit for Iyamba, and the company continues to empower her to grow and explore new, unique paths — achieving a career her younger self would be proud of!

For other women who are looking to find a company and career that would make their younger selves proud, Iyamba shares this final piece of advice: 

“Growth is not always linear or upward, and it’s important to keep challenging yourself to learn new things.”

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