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Two-thirds of people have imposter syndrome, according to a 2011 article published in the International Journal Of Behavioral Science. These are people who often feel like a fraud or believe their achievements were a fluke. Bearing those statistics in mind, theres a high likelihood that mentors suffer from this as well. How is someone who doesnt recognize the inherent value of their own achievements supposed to mentor others? Imposter syndrome amongst mentors Mentorship discussions typically focus on the mentees imposter syndrome but neglect the mentors own struggles. When someone, no matter how successful, feels like an imposter (assuming they can get over the first hurdle and agree to mentor someone) it impacts how effective they are in the relationship. They might over-prepare for mentoring sessions and hesitate to offer advice for fear of being wrong. When the mentee succeeds, it can amplify their imposter feelings. If they dont take steps to address this, it can erode the trust between themselves and the mentee. Nearly half of all Nobel Prize winners had mentors that were award-winners (or their direct professional descendants). In a small sample of 10 Nobel Prize Winners who came out of the Yellow Beret program at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) during the Vietnam War, 100% either trained with a Nobel Laureate (or those only one degree removed). Living in that ecosystem of extreme achievement can increase the pressure to live up to expectations, and might trigger feelings of fraud and doubt. Mentors dont necessarily need to have all the answers, so they need to know where to look or who to ask. In many cases, they are in in uncharted territory, guiding mentees in fields or skills where they might be less experienced. This can breed feelings of inadequacy. If someone is already battling with imposter syndrome, guiding another person in an unfamiliar area can exacerbate that feeling. Caroline Flanagan, in her insightful work on this subject, highlights that mentors can benefit from actionable strategies to turn their insecurities into opportunities for growth. If youre a mentor suffering from imposter syndrome, you will benefit from adopting the following mindset and actions. Reframe self-doubt as growth Just because its new, doesnt mean it should cause doubt. Youre learning alongside your mentee, but your experience might lead you to connect dots your mentee doesnt have the experience of hindsight to see. Go on the journey of exploration together and share the joy of mutual discovery alongside the practical win of helping your mentee. Seek peer mentorship Mentors need mentorsno matter how experienced they are. Having someone to share experiences with can normalize self-doubt. Consider seeking a mentoring supervisor that you can share your challenges with. Having that support can go a long way. Focus on your values and share your experiences No one is an expert on everything, so focus on what you do know. Take some time to reflect on your accomplishments, no matter how big or small they are. Sharing what you have learned on your journey, whether from your successes or your mistakes, can add value and take them down a new line of innovation. Be clear about what you bring to the table, rather than just worrying about what you dont. Share your vulnerability and be okay with saying I dont know Let your mentee know that you dont have all the answersand that youre fine with that. Youre modeling that its okay to show vulnerability. Work with your mentee to find out who does have the answers, because youll likely have a stronger network than they will. Being vulnerable with yourself, and accepting your limitations, is also an important conversation for you to have. Celebrate milestones together You should celebrate every milestone on the way to success. Not every one of your mentees successes will be because of your actions, but be okay with that. Celebrate their overall progress and your role in your mentees journey. Even if you don’t have all the answers, youre shaping your mentees path to success. As a mentor, you might occasionally feel like an imposter, but your mentees dont see you in that light. They see you as a leader, guide, cheerleader, and champion.
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E-Commerce
Fifty years ago, McDonalds purple mascot, Grimace, introduced his uncle in an extremely 70s ad promoting the Shamrock Shake. Uncle OGrimacey was a bumbling, fuzzy, top-hat wearing creature hailing from Ireland, who would go on to rep the Shamrock Shake for a few years before ultimately disappearing into the ether of early McDonalds mascot lore. But now, for the first time since 1975, McDonalds is giving Uncle OGrimacey another shot at the limelight. The green mascots reappearance is promoting the return of the Shamrock Shake, which is set to land at McDonalds stores on February 10. Its also celebrating the 50th anniversary of Ronald McDonald House Charities, which will receive a portion of the proceeds from this years Shamrock Shake sales and Uncle OGrimacey-themed merch. Uncle OGrimaceys unexpected return comes in the wake of McDonalds 2023 birthday campaign for the unsettling-yet-beloved mascot Grimace, which gave the world the oft-memed purple Grimace Shake. In comparison, the Uncle OGrimacey play is a much bigger swing for McDonalds, relying on less character recognition and fewer nostalgia points from customers. And it shows that goofy mascots might just be having an American renaissance. [Photo: McDonald’s] Whoor whatis Uncle OGrimacey? Uncle OGrimaceys stint repping McDonalds in the mid-70s included a few seriously dated ads showing the Irish mascot visiting his nephew. Oddly enough, it also yielded the creation of a hand puppet toy in 1978. When asked what kind of creature Uncle OGrimacey is meant to represent, a McDonalds spokesperson didnt respond directly, instead sharing the following: While the rest of the Grimace family lives in McDonaldland, Uncle OGrimacey resides on a small island off the coast of Ireland called Sham Rock. Back home in Sham Rock, Uncle OGrimacey spends his time going on nature walks, bowling in his local league, and attending the Sham Rock Street Fair and Music Festival (he plays the bagpipe!). They added that his favorite color is green, his nickname is Uncle O, and, for all those who are wondering, hes a Pisces. (Yes, mascot lore is a thing: Hi-Chew’s new mascot, Chewbie, supposedly loves skateboarding and Chapell Roan.) Its unclear whether Uncle O will appear on packaging or in stores, but he has already made his debut on McDonalds socials. Hes also the star of a questionable line of merch from the company, which includes a crewneck, ringer tee, and sweatshirt with the phrase Whos your uncle? next to a graphic of the uncle in question. [Photo: McDonald’s] Why revive Uncle OGrimacey in 2025? McDonald’s sudden investment in a little-known character might seem like a strange move, but it actually makes a lot of sense. Mascotsespecially goofy onesare having a moment right now, spurred on by what Fast Company has termed DGAF branding: a form of indirect social media marketing that leans into all things weird and nonsensical, rather than explicitly hawking a product’s value. The goal is awareness, engagement, and building and tapping into a fan community, as Fast Companys Jeff Beer noted last October. Duolingo was one of the first companies to embrace this strategy with its lovable but occasionally homicidal owl, Duo. Brands like Pop-Tarts and Nutter Butter (if you can call its peanut a mascot) have followed suit. Out in the real world, sports mascots like the 2024 Summer Olympics’ Phryge, the New York Libertys Ellie the Elephant, and the Philadelphia Flyers Gritty are embodying wackier personas that appear curated to go viral. McDonald’s new mascot of DGAF branding McDonalds got in on this trend with the Grimace Birthday Meal in 2023, which inspired a bout of feel-good articles about the mascot and spawned the Grimace Shake trend, wherein dozens of TikTok users put a deadly spin on the purple beverage. (Grimace then acknowledged the trend from McDonalds X account.) While McDonalds didnt respond to Fast Companys request for specific data on the Grimace activations success, its been enough for the company to keep the purple creature around. Grimace experienced another bout of fame over the summer, after his opening pitch at a New York Mets game was credited with saving the teams postseason run. Now it seems that the company is trusting the internet to do what it does best and run with this new character. Of course, the trick that will determine the success of McDonald’s 2025 Shamrock Shake campaign is whether it can get its fan base to engage with a lesser-knownif similarly shapedmascot. Would any fan be as happy if a celebrity’s similar-looking relative showed up instead? The people want Britney, not Jamie Lynn. O’Grimacey’s ability to win hearts will come down to whether he can sell the lore as a strong personality hireand if McDonald’s new DGAF mascot can make fans give an F about Shamrock Shakes.
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E-Commerce
President Donald Trumps return to office has inspired hats north of the border, while Republicans have turned his expansionist foreign policy pronouncements into shirts for fundraising. The campaign might be over, but the merch has just begun. After Ontario Premier Doug Ford wore a Canada Is Not for Sale hat earlier this month at a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other premiers (the Canadian equivalent of a U.S. governor), the hats maker, Ottawa-based Jackpine Dynamic Branding, was overwhelmed with orders. Trumps statements about tariffs and annexation have struck a nerve with our neighbors to the north. Nothing is more important than the country, Premier Ford said during a press conference while wearing the hat. President Trump wants to devastate Canada. He wants to devastate Canada through economic sanctions and tariffs. Thats unacceptable. [Image: Jackpine Dynamic Branding] The $45 hats spell out the slogan in Times New Roman, the same font as used for Trumps original Make America Great Again hatsand because this is Canada, theres also a version in French: Le Canada nest pas vendre. Jackpine founder Liam Mooney told Reuters he was inspired to create the hats as a response to Trumps unseemly rhetoric toward Canada and as a statement about nationalism and unity. It’s an opportunity to bring people together from all of civil society, regardless of political persuasion, he said. Our sovereignty is threatened when our dignity is disrespected. Meanwhile, Republicans are fundraising off Trumps second-term priorities for the U.S. sphere of influence in the Americas. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is out with $35 tees showing an illustrated bald eagle with Trump hair relaxing on a beach chair with a beer, featuring the words, Greetings from the Gulf of America to celebrate Trumps executive order unofficially renaming the Gulf of Mexico. To sell the Trump National Committee joint fundraising committees own $35 Gulf of America! tee, a recent Trump campaign fundraising email asked recipients if they live near the Gulf of Mexico? followed by, Well, now you dont! It’s also selling Make Greenland Great Again tees. No word yet on official Panama Canal merch, but a third party is selling Make Panama Canal American Again shirts on Amazon. A promotional graphic for the NRCCs Greetings from the Gulf of America tee (top) and two Trump National Committee JFCs tees The Canada Is Not for Sale hat is a statement of nationalism and sovereignty, and apparently, the Gulf of America and Make Greenland Great Again tees are meant to communicate much the same thing. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded to Trump earlier this month by joking that North America should be renamed América Mexicana. (Nothing of this ilk has been printed yet as merch, but, um, give it time. . . . ) Most contemporary political merch tends toward sloganeering over policy proposals (although a No Tax on Tips decal sold by the Trump campaign during the 2024 race was a rare exception). Still, its not as if the Republicans new foreign-policy-themed merch is focused on, say, bringing peace to the Middle East or remaining competitive with China. What is Gulf of America, really, but sloganeering? This story originally appeared in Yello, a newsletter about politics, art, branding, and design.
Category:
E-Commerce
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