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The Empress Has No Clothes: Conquering Self-Doubt to Embrace Success
You Deserve Your Success!
Joyce Roché rose from humble circumstances to earn an Ivy League MBA and become the first female African-American vice president of Avon, president of a leading hair care company, and CEO of the national nonprofit Girls Inc. But despite these accomplishments, she felt like a fraud. She worked more and more, had less and less of a personal life, and was never able to enjoy her success.
In this deeply personal memoir, Roché shares her lifelong struggle with what she now recognizes as “the impostor syndrome,” a condition that plagues successful people in all walks of life. Based on her own experiences and those of top executives from organizations such as Eileen Fisher, Citigroup, BET, Pepsi, and Tupperware, she offers practical advice and valuable coping strategies that can help you embrace your own worth and live a life of joy, zest, and fulfillment.
Joyce Roché rose from humble circumstances to earn an Ivy League MBA and become the first female African-American vice president of Avon, president of a leading hair care company, and CEO of the national nonprofit Girls Inc. But despite these accomplishments, she felt like a fraud. She worked more and more, had less and less of a personal life, and was never able to enjoy her success.
In this deeply personal memoir, Roché shares her lifelong struggle with what she now recognizes as “the impostor syndrome,” a condition that plagues successful people in all walks of life. Based on her own experiences and those of top executives from organizations such as Eileen Fisher, Citigroup, BET, Pepsi, and Tupperware, she offers practical advice and valuable coping strategies that can help you embrace your own worth and live a life of joy, zest, and fulfillment.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
35 people are currently reading
316 people want to read
About the author
Joyce M. Roché
5 books4 followersAs a trailblazer in the corporate world for 25 years, Ms. Roché mentored women by encouraging them to fi nd their voices and take bold career risks to excel. Her vision for empowered businesswomen carried over into her work on behalf of girls when, in 2000, she assumed the role of president and CEO of Girls Inc., the nonprofi t organization whose mission is to inspire all girls to be strong, smart, and bold.
Before joining Girls Inc., Ms. Roché served as president and chief operating offi cer of Carson Products Company, and vice president of global marketing at Avon Products, Inc. While at Avon, Ms. Roché broke new ground, becoming Avon's fi rst African American female vice president, the first African American vice president of marketing, and the company's fi rst vice president of global marketing.
Ms. Roché has received widespread acclaim for her achievements in the business world: In 1998, Business Week selected her as one of the "Top Managers to Watch," and in 1997 she was featured on the cover of Fortune. In 2006, she received the Legacy Award during Black Enterprise magazine's "Women of Power Summit," and in 2007 she received the Distinguished Alumna Award from Columbia University Women in Business.
Ms. Roché is a graduate of Dillard University in New Orleans and holds an MBA from Columbia University. She has successfully completed Stanford University's Senior Executive Program and holds honorary doctorate degrees from Dillard University and North Adams State College. She currently sits on the board of directors of AT&T Inc., Macy's Inc., Tupperware Brands, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Inc., and the Association of Governing Boards. She is the chair of the board of trustees for Dillard University.
Before joining Girls Inc., Ms. Roché served as president and chief operating offi cer of Carson Products Company, and vice president of global marketing at Avon Products, Inc. While at Avon, Ms. Roché broke new ground, becoming Avon's fi rst African American female vice president, the first African American vice president of marketing, and the company's fi rst vice president of global marketing.
Ms. Roché has received widespread acclaim for her achievements in the business world: In 1998, Business Week selected her as one of the "Top Managers to Watch," and in 1997 she was featured on the cover of Fortune. In 2006, she received the Legacy Award during Black Enterprise magazine's "Women of Power Summit," and in 2007 she received the Distinguished Alumna Award from Columbia University Women in Business.
Ms. Roché is a graduate of Dillard University in New Orleans and holds an MBA from Columbia University. She has successfully completed Stanford University's Senior Executive Program and holds honorary doctorate degrees from Dillard University and North Adams State College. She currently sits on the board of directors of AT&T Inc., Macy's Inc., Tupperware Brands, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group Inc., and the Association of Governing Boards. She is the chair of the board of trustees for Dillard University.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
September 25, 2013
After reading Lean In by Cheryl Sandberg earlier this year, I wanted to learn more about impostor syndrome. This book continues with Ms. Sandberg's strengths: it is confessional and autobiographical; the author talks openly about her feelings of self-doubt and where they come from.
Somewhere implied in this book, though, is the idea that understanding WHY you feel like an impostor is the best way to deal with those feelings. It is very light on coping strategies - and in fact, very light on describing the syndrome itself.
Recommended if you want to read an autobiography of a contemporary African-American businesswoman. Not so much if you are interested in impostor syndrome.
Somewhere implied in this book, though, is the idea that understanding WHY you feel like an impostor is the best way to deal with those feelings. It is very light on coping strategies - and in fact, very light on describing the syndrome itself.
Recommended if you want to read an autobiography of a contemporary African-American businesswoman. Not so much if you are interested in impostor syndrome.
August 22, 2015
Thoughtful points, but you can skip over a lot of the mundane details that read like someones diary.
May 2, 2020
The empress has no clothes by Joyce M. roche
Is a book discussing an important subject - Imposter syndrome- there was some repetition of the ideas within the chapters of the book .
Some quotes:
*Those of us who experience the imposter syndrome tend to evaluate ourselves against a very narrow range of criteria that have more to do with our sense of how we do orwe do not fit in. Become familiar with your imposter. Think about the situations that trigger your imposter fears. Know your fear. Success puts us in unfamiliar situations, and it is natural to feel anxious. To feel that you don't deserve to be where you are, however, is quit different. Learn to distinguish between the stress of moving up into new levels of responsibility and influence and the conditioned response of imposter.
*I felt that I had no safety net- no one to fall back on if I failed.*I felt I had to hide my reality in order to fit in, laid the foundation for the fear of being discovered that haunted me for so much of my life.
*Watching how my father left us with nothing, I knew I wanted to be self sufficient. And I really thought I could achieve something _what, I didn't know.
*I still felt like I needed a stamp of approval.
*Get centered in yourself.
*It is up to you weather you give power to others' assumptions to trigger your self doubt or work to remain rooted in your knowledge of yourself and your authentic self confidence.
*I began to allow myself to become conscious of my own emotions.
*I simply didn’t feel I had the luxury of taking big risks that might jeopardize my finishing my education.
The only problem was that I didn’t know the first thing about what was required.
*I was terrified that I was probably not equipped to succeed.
*I was always worried about being a step behind the people I was competing with for opportunities.
Often, I felt like I just didn’t have a lot to add to the party.
*I learned that I needed to rely on my strengths.
*Too many women to try to be everything to everyone,except being themselves.
*I was terrified that I was probably not equipped to succeed.
*Often, I felt like I just didn’t have a lot to add to the party.
*A common theme among people who suffer from imposter syndrome is trying to alleviate the feelings of not being worthy by working harder and harder.
*Get a reality check.
*Ask yourself how you would view the same abilities and accomplishments in someone else.
*The fear that my education had not prepared me to compete.
*We focus on the nonnegotiable aspects of ourselves, those things we cannot change.
*Develop a written inventory of your skills, accomplishments and experiences to build an understanding of your success and to begin to exercise your skills of internal validation.
*Imposter syndrome doesn’t allow any success to go unpunished .
*I was so concerned about saying something wrong and looking dumb that I simply clammed up. What galled me most was that just as often as not , one of the guys would say exactly what I had been thinking .
*When I stayed silent all I gave people was a blank canvas on which to project their own preconceptions of my abilities.
*Consider what makes you feel truly worthy in your own eyes.
*Just throw out everything that comes to mind immediately.
*Imposter syndrome drives us to pursue constantly external validation.
*The next time someone compliments you on something you have done well, allow the information to sink in.
*Sometimes you find yourself becoming something other than yourself. That is the time to step back and question yourself about who is defining you.
*Don't stay silent. Find a way to speak about your fears with a trusted friend, a coach, a mentor, your partner a therapist, or in a journal.
*Analyze your success. Develop a written inventory of your skills, accomplishments, and experiences understand your success.
Is a book discussing an important subject - Imposter syndrome- there was some repetition of the ideas within the chapters of the book .
Some quotes:
*Those of us who experience the imposter syndrome tend to evaluate ourselves against a very narrow range of criteria that have more to do with our sense of how we do orwe do not fit in. Become familiar with your imposter. Think about the situations that trigger your imposter fears. Know your fear. Success puts us in unfamiliar situations, and it is natural to feel anxious. To feel that you don't deserve to be where you are, however, is quit different. Learn to distinguish between the stress of moving up into new levels of responsibility and influence and the conditioned response of imposter.
*I felt that I had no safety net- no one to fall back on if I failed.*I felt I had to hide my reality in order to fit in, laid the foundation for the fear of being discovered that haunted me for so much of my life.
*Watching how my father left us with nothing, I knew I wanted to be self sufficient. And I really thought I could achieve something _what, I didn't know.
*I still felt like I needed a stamp of approval.
*Get centered in yourself.
*It is up to you weather you give power to others' assumptions to trigger your self doubt or work to remain rooted in your knowledge of yourself and your authentic self confidence.
*I began to allow myself to become conscious of my own emotions.
*I simply didn’t feel I had the luxury of taking big risks that might jeopardize my finishing my education.
The only problem was that I didn’t know the first thing about what was required.
*I was terrified that I was probably not equipped to succeed.
*I was always worried about being a step behind the people I was competing with for opportunities.
Often, I felt like I just didn’t have a lot to add to the party.
*I learned that I needed to rely on my strengths.
*Too many women to try to be everything to everyone,except being themselves.
*I was terrified that I was probably not equipped to succeed.
*Often, I felt like I just didn’t have a lot to add to the party.
*A common theme among people who suffer from imposter syndrome is trying to alleviate the feelings of not being worthy by working harder and harder.
*Get a reality check.
*Ask yourself how you would view the same abilities and accomplishments in someone else.
*The fear that my education had not prepared me to compete.
*We focus on the nonnegotiable aspects of ourselves, those things we cannot change.
*Develop a written inventory of your skills, accomplishments and experiences to build an understanding of your success and to begin to exercise your skills of internal validation.
*Imposter syndrome doesn’t allow any success to go unpunished .
*I was so concerned about saying something wrong and looking dumb that I simply clammed up. What galled me most was that just as often as not , one of the guys would say exactly what I had been thinking .
*When I stayed silent all I gave people was a blank canvas on which to project their own preconceptions of my abilities.
*Consider what makes you feel truly worthy in your own eyes.
*Just throw out everything that comes to mind immediately.
*Imposter syndrome drives us to pursue constantly external validation.
*The next time someone compliments you on something you have done well, allow the information to sink in.
*Sometimes you find yourself becoming something other than yourself. That is the time to step back and question yourself about who is defining you.
*Don't stay silent. Find a way to speak about your fears with a trusted friend, a coach, a mentor, your partner a therapist, or in a journal.
*Analyze your success. Develop a written inventory of your skills, accomplishments, and experiences understand your success.
May 16, 2021
Good read but where are the normal people??
I really liked her writing style. It made reading the book easy to read and comprehend. However, I feel like the book made me somewhat doubt myself even more...feeling like an imposter of imposter syndrome... because everyone in this book went to Yale, Harvard, Columbia...they worked as top executives at Tupperware, PepsiCo, Avon...they worked internationally and took spa vacations to figure out their life and deal with their imposter syndrome. As a Director at a very small non-profit and as a person who has only worked at two companies during my 25 years of adult life, this book made me less concerned about feeling like an imposter and more concerned about the fact that I haven’t done enough and don’t have the Ivy League education enough to warrant feeling like an imposter. I think I need to find a book that’s about imposter syndrome for smaller fish. I assume that exists somewhere.
I really liked her writing style. It made reading the book easy to read and comprehend. However, I feel like the book made me somewhat doubt myself even more...feeling like an imposter of imposter syndrome... because everyone in this book went to Yale, Harvard, Columbia...they worked as top executives at Tupperware, PepsiCo, Avon...they worked internationally and took spa vacations to figure out their life and deal with their imposter syndrome. As a Director at a very small non-profit and as a person who has only worked at two companies during my 25 years of adult life, this book made me less concerned about feeling like an imposter and more concerned about the fact that I haven’t done enough and don’t have the Ivy League education enough to warrant feeling like an imposter. I think I need to find a book that’s about imposter syndrome for smaller fish. I assume that exists somewhere.
December 11, 2018
Excellent read. The biography blended with real life examples, and references from others really made this a worthwhile book for me.
July 8, 2019
A book club pick for work--Women's Leadership Alliance. I don't think I would have picked this for myself but I'm glad I read it. Inspirational.
January 7, 2026
Grear info for business leaders
March 8, 2016
This book was surprisingly awesome. I expected it to be a fast, dry read about business, but it actually has a lot of heart. Empress's exploration of imposter syndrome is important for many people, but especially for women and people of color. Roche does such an amazing job of addressing the spectrum of sources of imposter syndrome people may have - from youth to race to gender and everything in between. She is knowledgeable without being snobby, and her personal story is truly inspiring. In fact, I spent all night thinking of ways to build on her experiences in my own life. Roche has served in so many capacities and makes all of them sound interesting and worthwhile. I'm so inspired to find my own boards and growth opportunities, and that's the best result a book like this can give.
If you're unsure about your path in life, struggle with feelings of fraud at work even when you know you're smart and qualified, if you suffer from imposter syndrome or mountains of self doubt, this is such a reassuring read. It will help you find footing and ways to be confident and assured, and will give you great inspiration to keep reaching to-boot. I'd love to see Roche speak someday - I hope I get the chance to!
If you're unsure about your path in life, struggle with feelings of fraud at work even when you know you're smart and qualified, if you suffer from imposter syndrome or mountains of self doubt, this is such a reassuring read. It will help you find footing and ways to be confident and assured, and will give you great inspiration to keep reaching to-boot. I'd love to see Roche speak someday - I hope I get the chance to!
September 10, 2016
An interesting perspective on imposter syndrome and why that sets people, mostly women, back.
This is a very candid autobiography of a successful woman and her feelings, doubts and thoughts along her career, which is quite humbling to read.
What I found lacking, though, was that although the book explains the roots of imposter syndrome and needing to understand those to combat these feelings, it doesn't give many coping strategies to deal with those.
This is a very candid autobiography of a successful woman and her feelings, doubts and thoughts along her career, which is quite humbling to read.
What I found lacking, though, was that although the book explains the roots of imposter syndrome and needing to understand those to combat these feelings, it doesn't give many coping strategies to deal with those.
December 10, 2013
A very insightful and readable book. The author and her contributors describe the Impostor Syndrome and how they've seen it in their lives. If you think successful people don't have worry and self-doubt, and that your worry and self-doubt are holding you back from joining them, read it. Seriously. Read it.
January 3, 2016
A helpful read and an interesting story. The vignettes from successful people, mostly from the world of business, are enlightening. Though I score high on the Impostor Syndrome quiz, reading this makes me feel my own problems stem more from perfectionism. Those who truly suffer from impostor syndrome are hard-driving and extremely successful, often overcoming daunting odds.
January 29, 2014
I didn't love the writing in this book, but appreciate that it's a personal story. I did, however, highlight more passages than in any other book I've read, and I picked up a number of take home messages.
November 6, 2013
I enjoyed this book at the beginning however is seemed to drag on towards the end. Nevertheless I would recommend at least the beginning of this book to anyone who struggles with doubting themselves and/or their talents and abilities.
September 9, 2015
More for business executive types.
I am vaguely familiar with imposter syndrome. I was hoping to learn more and I did, but I felt this book was written more for executives. I am disappointed. I was hoping it would be more relevant to me. It was not
I am vaguely familiar with imposter syndrome. I was hoping to learn more and I did, but I felt this book was written more for executives. I am disappointed. I was hoping it would be more relevant to me. It was not
October 15, 2013
REVIEW COMING SOON.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews