In this episode of The Impostor Syndrome Files, we talk about what happens when we assume everyone else has it together and we’re the only ones struggling. My guest this week is Teri Pruitt, a Broadway professional who has spent nearly three decades working behind the scenes. Teri shares an honest, funny perspective on comparison, insecurity and the stories we tell ourselves about other people’s lives.

We explore why saying our insecurities out loud to someone we trust can change the power they have over us. Teri shares what she discovered when she opened up to people she’d put on a pedestal and how those conversations changed their relationships. We also talk about the fear of burdening others and what it means to be the person someone trusts with their self-doubt.

And we discuss how to acknowledge the experiences that shaped us and take ownership of what we do next. Teri shares her perspective on giving ourselves grace and continuing to move forward, even on the days when confidence feels out of reach. Lastly, we explore her next chapter, including what the business world can learn from the people who bring Broadway shows to life.

About My Guest
Teri Pruitt is a Broadway professional, speaker, and founder of Open the Aperture, where she brings Theatrical Solutions for Business Problems to organizations and leaders.

With more than 30 years as a working theatrical professional—including 25+ years on Broadway—Teri offers a rare perspective on what it actually takes to build trust, collaborate under pressure, adapt when things go wrong, and deliver consistently at a high level.

Her work draws from the theatrical process and from her Journeywoman’s View: the perspective of someone who has spent a career leading, influencing, problem-solving, and helping complex systems succeed from the middle rather than the top.

Through Open the Aperture, Teri translates lessons from professional theatre into practical conversations about leadership, teamwork, rehearsal, resilience, communication, and sustainable performance. Her central premise is simple: Broadway is the setting. The theatrical process is the framework. The human beings doing the work are the story.

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Connect with Teri:
Website: https://teripruitt.world
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/teri-pruitt/

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