Do you ever feel like you’re faking it—even when you’re killing it? On this episode of the 15{ish} Minute Coffee Chat, we sit down with engineer-turned-CEO Sheila Buswell, who shares her personal journey with Imposter Syndrome and how it intersects with the rapid rise of AI. From surviving war zones to launching a biomedical company, Sheila’s story is nothing short of extraordinary—and she’s on a mission to help others stop second-guessing their worth.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
What Imposter Syndrome really looks like for high achievers How AI is reshaping our understanding of value, skills, and belonging Why mindset—not just tech—may be your biggest asset in the AI revolution
Whether you’re a founder, solopreneur, or side-hustler, this is the mindset reboot you didn’t know you needed.
Quotes from the show
”You need to convince yourself that you’re worth something like you, you belong, you have value. You can impart value even in the world of large language models and artificial intelligence and all that stuff.”
-Sheila Buswell
”You have to know that you yourself add value. You can increase the value that you add with tools. And AI has to be viewed as a tool, right?”
-Sheila Buswell
Let’s Meet Our Guest
Sheila Buswell
CEO Buswell Biomedical
In 1997, Sheila joined the army, and in 1998 a generator fell on her foot in Bosnia; 20 years later her Mom fell and broke her hip, and when she saw her mom battling the same problems she had it bothered her profusely. Her mom was in a rehabilitation hospital in Arizona for 3 weeks and went from 110 Pound to 99 pounds; she had to be accompanied for all the activities of daily living like toileting by a healthcare worker. She realized that it had been 20 years since her own accident, and nothing had changed in how people are treated in rehabilitation hospitals.
After receiving a medical discharge in 2001, Sheila moved to Missouri to continue her education, earning a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 2005 from Missouri University of Science and Technology (then UMR). Sheila also holds an MS in Biomedical Engineering from Saint Louis University. Sheila developed the concept for the Upward Mobility (UPMO) in 2018 to help improve quality of life at rehabilitation centers. Sheila’s goal today is for people to start thinking of AI as a way to solve problems and a tool at our disposal, instead of fearing it. Sheila is also the author of Is This Seat For Me? which shares the stories of a diverse group of accomplished individuals
Espresso Shot(s)
How do you define Imposter Syndrome in the context of leadership or entrepreneurship?
What’s one way AI is challenging how we measure personal value or success?
How can we navigate identity when our roles are constantly shifting—especially in tech-heavy fields?
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