“No Voice Left Behind”: Kath Magrobi on Overcoming Imposter Thinking

bongiwe53
Sep 16
3 min read

“Every woman, every girl child, no matter who they are or where they live, deserves their voice — and no voice should ever be left behind.” With that powerful statement, Kath Magrobi, founder and executive director of Quote This Woman+, opened her deeply personal and insightful session at the EntreprenHER: Owning the Future of Media online seminar hosted by the fraymedia Foundation in August 2025.

Magrobi, a longtime media innovator and feminist advocate, tackled a topic that resonated strongly with the mostly women audience of aspiring and emerging media entrepreneurs: imposter phenomenon — a more accurate, less pathologising term than “imposter syndrome.”

“When we call it a syndrome, we make it out to be something we need to fix in ourselves,” she explained. “But if we see it instead as a phenomenon, as a way of thinking, it becomes less medicalised and more manageable.”

From Perfectionism to the Inner Critic

Magrobi’s talk offered a compassionate yet practical roadmap to recognising and addressing the internalised narratives that cause women to question their worth — even in spaces they’ve earned their place in.

Imposter thinking, she noted, shows up in high achievers and is often fuelled by family expectations, cultural norms, education systems, and workplace biases. Drawing on psychological frameworks like confirmation bias and internal family systems, she broke down the different voices that often dominate women’s inner dialogues: the perfectionist, the pleaser, the achiever, the inner critic, the procrastinator, and the cultural guardian, among others.

“We’re not safe unless our output is flawless,” she said of the perfectionist mindset. “Or we stay likeable at all costs, always pleasing others, never rocking the boat.”

Nine Tools to Reclaim Confidence

Magrobi offered nine practical tools for confronting imposter thinking. These included:

Finding your spark: “What’s the one determined thing that puts a fire in your belly? Speak from that place — that’s where your power lies.”
Loving your listeners: Rather than assuming judgement, she urged participants to walk in their audience’s shoes. “Our internal narratives are often more critical than any real audience could ever be.”
Dumping persistent critics: Whether it’s a parent, a colleague or an internal voice, “you don’t need to fix what’s not yours.”
Working to be seen: Visibility takes practice. “Turn confidence into a familiar friend by practising until it becomes second nature.”
Documenting wins: “Keep a running list of your achievements. It’s your antidote to the perfectionist.”
Imagining your future self: Neuroscience supports this, she noted. “Imagination is more powerful than logic. Act like your best self now.”
Turning your mess into your message: “Your stumbles are raw material for authentic connection.”
Thanking your past: “Even your missteps are part of the foundation of your future self.”
Valuing your second nature: “What feels ordinary to you might be a rare gift to others.”

Circles of Solidarity and Mentorship

One of the most poignant moments in the session came when Magrobi described her weekly Monday calls with another woman in media — a space where they “vomit out vulnerabilities and reassure each other that we’re doing okay.”

“Find your no-judgment space. It can be a WhatsApp group, a regular check-in, or a safe mentor relationship. We don’t have to do this alone.”

She also stressed the power of mentorship — not just for the mentees, but also for the mentors who “learn so much” in return. QW+ recently ran a fellowship that paired 40 young women with 40 mentors, and the mutual benefit was clear.

“Don’t assume mentorship is a one-way street. Young people bring new perspectives. And to make it work, you’ve got to show up authentically — mess and all.”

Speaking Up, Even When It’s Hard

Magrobi closed with an call for women to use their voices - even when it’s uncomfortable, even when the spaces aren’t safe - and to find the support networks that can hold them through the discomfort.

She referenced the Quote This Woman+ database — a growing network of expert women across every topic from “agriculture to xenophobia” — and stressed that expertise includes lived experience.

“Women aren’t taught to bang their own drums. We’re taught to be quiet, sedate, well-modulated. But being the woman who speaks against dominant narratives is powerful. And yes, it’s also scary. That’s why we need inner work, and we need each other.”

Her call to action? “You are not the problem. The system is. And your voice matters — just as you are.”