Sheila shared how the the military helped her overcome imposter syndrome in her own life. She decided to join the military after losing her scholarship for college and having work nights to pay for school. With the help of the Army she knew she would be able to go back to school. She served in the Army for 4 years and left with the medical discharge. Today, she is the CEO and founder of Buswell Biomedical. She is also the author of Is This Seat For Me?

Imposter Syndrome: Building Confidence in the Military

After losing her scholarship to college, Sheila enrolled in the US Army where she cross trained as a Generator Mechanic. After receiving a medical discharge in 2001, Sheila transitioned back into civilian life. Committed to not ending up in a minimum wage job flipping burgers, Sheila enrolled in the Missouri University of Science and Technology so she could build a career as an engineer.

For years, Sheila both had success in her career and also endured a tremendous amount of sexism. She left her job in 2019 to found Buswell Biomedical, a company based off the device she invented which is controlled by Machine Learning.

Is this seat for me?

She also wrote a book, Is This Seat for Me?. In her book, she shares the stories of a diverse group of accomplished individuals who struggled with self- doubt and found ways to overcome it. Along with her coauthors, her book reveals personal experiences with imposter syndrome—from hardship and suffering, to the final freedom of realizing they were enough.

Finding your passion

She talks about the importance of finding your North Star to guide your life. When you are doing something because it is your passion it fills you up in a way a job can’t. I really recommend checking out the book, Finding Your Own North Star if you are trying to figure out what you are passionate about.