José Elías, businessman: “I make a very good living off imposter syndrome”

A person’s competence can lead to major achievements, but that does not always mean they are able to fully credit themselves for their own success. Impostor syndrome is a psychological phenomenon that affects successful people who have advanced through skill and hard work, yet still feel that their accomplishments are not truly their own.

José Elías Navarro, chairman of Audax Renovables, a company focused on the sale of gas and electricity, says he has learned how to benefit from that mindset.

During an interview with Rosa González on the podcast Búscate la vida, a project led by Elías and Eric Pronce, the chairman of Audax Renovables admitted that he uses impostor syndrome to his own advantage: “I make a very good living off impostor syndrome.”

As he explains in the interview, he believes there are people who are genuinely excellent at what they do but still need approval from someone above them. That is where he says he comes in.

Regardless of a person’s academic background, Elías argues that if someone starts doing things with confidence, even if they do not know much about the subject, they will often come across as more knowledgeable than they really are. That, in his view, creates an opportunity for someone like him.

“No matter how many master’s degrees you have or whatever else, in the end it’s obvious that I know more about this than you do,” Elías says.

Validation for a fee

According to the chairman of Audax Renovables, when someone struggles with impostor syndrome, there are only two possible ways forward: stop constantly questioning your own worth and start doing things well, or seek validation from a superior or from someone perceived as an expert in the matter at hand.

He says the latter tends to happen when a person is unable to carry out their work with confidence and ends up being guided by this psychological pattern. For those cases, the entrepreneur offers a meet-and-greet service in which people can pay nearly €4,000 to have lunch with him.

During these meetings, Elías says that roughly 70% of the conversations revolve around people seeking reassurance. “It’s basically validation from someone you think may have seen more than you have, but in many cases it’s obvious that you’re already doing things right,” the entrepreneur says.

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