Amy Vaughn:
Alright. Hello, everyone, and welcome to our weekly power lounge. This is your place to hear authentic conversations from those who have power to share. My name is Amy Vaughn, and I am the owner and chief empowerment officer of Together Digital, a diverse and collaborative community of women who share their knowledge, power, and connections. You can join the movement together on digital.com. And today, we are tackling something that resonates with so many of us, that nagging little voice called imposter syndrome that whispers to us to say that oftentimes that you are not enough. And I could not be more excited to introduce to you our guest today, Diamond Drip, who is here to show all of us how you can turn that voice down or shut it down in most cases. Let’s hope.
Amy Vaughn:
Right? With our authentic power. Diamond is a brilliant coach and a speaker who has been featured in New York Weekly and the QED Inc on QED Radio. She has taken her background in visual communications and brand strategy and combined it with the fascinating worlds of human design and gene keys to help women break free from self doubt and step into their true potential. What I love about Diamond is that she is not just sharing a theory, she has walked this path herself, transforming from a stressed out entrepreneur into a confident leader who helps others do the same. And one of my favorite things that she says is that the limit doesn’t exist, but fear and self doubt will make you think it does. Love a good quote. So whether you’re questioning your qualifications, gosh, comparing yourself to others, talk about the thief of joy right there, or you’re ready to just trust yourself more deeply, you are in for some great learning and new tools to be able to explore and help yourself make that shift from imposter to empowered. Diamond, welcome to the Power Lounge.
Amy Vaughn:
Really excited to have you here with us today and to dive into this conversation.
Diamond Drip:
I am so excited to be here with you, Amy, and our listeners. I, as much as I don’t like imposter syndrome, I love talking about ways that you can combat it because so many of us battle it. It doesn’t matter, you know, what point you are at. Imposter syndrome kinda grows with you.
Amy Vaughn:
Mhmm. Absolutely. And it’s been one thing, honestly, lately that I have been taking into account how many people feel it, not just women. Men as well feel a deep sense of this. They’re just not willing to admit it. So, fellows, if you’re listening, this is for you too. K? Right? Let’s get vulnerable here. And I also just wanna say, I have only just recently learned of human design.
Amy Vaughn:
Oh my gosh. We could have a whole another hour episode on this. I think it’s just absolutely fascinating. Everyone who listens to this podcast knows I love personal development. Anything that helps me understand myself more deeply because what I love about that is it helps me understand others more deeply. I think it makes us better humans. It makes us better parents, better leaders. That kind of stuff is just really cool.
Amy Vaughn:
Gene Keys is newer to me, so I’m excited to learn more about both of those things and to let our listeners learn more about these things because I’ve been needing out. But before we get into any of that, I would love for you to take us back to your days in visual communication and brand strategy, a space a lot of our women in Together Digital are in, And and share with us a little bit about that and what really first clued you into what might be you know, that there might be a deeper layer into helping people show up more authentically.
Diamond Drip:
Absolutely. So when I was predominantly talking about visual communications and brand strategy, one of the ways that I would always encourage my clients to get out there was through video. And that’s when all the stuff would come up. Right? The fear of judgment, the fear of engagement, the fear of, you know, what if I say something wrong? And I’m like, this is your message. How can you say your message wrong? Like, it was baffling to me. And I was at a point in my own professional journey where I was trying to figure out what my business superpower was. And I found that it was when I found these tools, everything kinda just clicked. And once I started to see how much these tools were helping me step into my authenticity and not just step into it, but be confident in my ability to do the thing.
Diamond Drip:
Because so many of us have imposter syndrome, we question our ability to do things. We question whether we actually belong at the table. And here, I had this tangible blueprint of, like, no. You’re designed to do the thing. And once I started experimenting with how it could work for me, I was like, oh, there’s no way right? Like, it’s like the best kept secret. It’s like, no way. Yeah. It’s no way, especially because, like I said, it helped me.
Diamond Drip:
But
Amy Vaughn:
Mhmm.
Diamond Drip:
Then I received more validation on just how it worked because I pulled my daughter’s design. I pulled my partner’s design, and I was like, oh my gosh. These are cheat codes for you guys too. Yes.
Amy Vaughn:
Oh, I love the term cheat codes. That’s such a great analogy.
Diamond Drip:
Yeah. Yes. That’s such a great analogy.
Amy Vaughn:
And we’ll get into the definition and into deep diving more about human design and well and what that means. But, you know, you mentioned your own journey from trusting entrepreneur to a confident leader. And I’m just curious, like, what was the turning point that made you realize that something needed to change? Like, sometimes that’s part of the journey. Right? Is, like, that self awareness and recognition that I need to stop and slow down and something has to change.
Diamond Drip:
Yeah. So I was in a year-long business coaching program that taught a framework that, you know, many of us have been in this scenario, especially if you’ve been in the coaching space for a while. You enter this program, and it’s you know, we’re gonna teach you the steps that you need to create this amazing income and impact in your business. And, you know, I’m doing these things. I’m seeing other people have success, and I’m not having success. And I’m like, how is that possible? Like, especially coming from a background where external validation was something that, you know, I related or equated to my success. And so, I was always a straight A student. And I’m like, I’m doing all the stuff that would give me a straight A in executing these frameworks, and somehow something is misaligned.
Diamond Drip:
And, you know, when things didn’t work, I doubled down. I bought into it more intensely. And I was like, this is insane. How am I, you know, spending all this time and money and energy and effort learning these frameworks and, like, somehow there’s still a disconnect? And so it wasn’t until I realized I was like, well, you’re you’re actually like, you’re doing things. Some things are, you know, creating traction, creating some form of success. It just doesn’t look how you want. So why don’t you take a look at what you’re defining as success, and you Yes. And you redefine that for yourself.
Diamond Drip:
So that was really like the business coaching program, it brought up a lot of stuff. And so that realization
Amy Vaughn:
Uh-huh.
Diamond Drip:
That, you know, come to Jesus moment as it were, it was the thing that was like, okay. Something has to change. And instead of seeking out more, external things Yes. Why don’t you look internally and see what’s in there instead?
Amy Vaughn:
Absolutely. I wanna share this story really quickly because it just happened yesterday. It’s not exactly in alignment with, like, the human design aspect of things, but it is that it’s exactly what you’re describing in the sense that we often go outside of ourselves to find the answers. And in this context, I’m in a room full of women leaders going through a women leader cohort for mostly women in corporate, and we’re talking about and discussing executive presence. And as we’re discussing it, it’s just rubbing me the wrong way. And I can’t explain at the moment how it’s rubbing me the wrong way. But as the other women in the room are having their moments kind of verbally processing and expressing. What I’m hearing and realizing is that they’re grappling with what they want to really just know what it means to be authentically themselves as leaders and not be told what a leader should look and act like.
Amy Vaughn:
And I said, how often are men asked to work on their executive leadership? But how many times in an annual review have you been asked or approached to work on your executive leadership or put in a situation where you’re like, here’s this article. Women read this article, executive presence, you know, because it’s just a given. And so it’s like we’re constantly being asked to put into these containers or work within these guardrails. And I do think burnout comes not from the overextension of ourselves in the sense of constantly working too much. It’s almost working against the things that we think are supposed to be the things that we’re working towards. So it’s like the shoulder. Right? And it’s like those constants running up against the shoulders and the containers that other people have built for us. And there was just this moment that when I was like, you know, why are we even talking about executive presence? Like, we have it.
Amy Vaughn:
It’s just really about how we want to define it for ourselves. This one woman who works for a very, very, like, corporate company in the sense that they still have to show up in suits every day in the office 5 days a week says, I have been pouring over executive presence books. I probably have 5 of them at home. I am throwing them all away. I’m getting rid of all of them. I’m throwing them all away, and I am going to spend more time with myself journaling and looking at how I lead and how I wanna show up in the room, how I wanna make people feel, and that’s going to be my executive presence. And it was just such a wonderful moment to see that. It was just like I wanted to stand up and applaud for her, just to kind of see that.
Diamond Drip:
I want to. Right?
Amy Vaughn:
It was just so cool. I mean, because I especially know I’ve been there. You know, I’ve been that person. It’s like, this is the model. This is the behavior. If I want to succeed, this is what I need to follow. And this is where human design, I think, is such a fascinating avenue and tool for folks to start to kind of dig into and learn about. So for our listeners who are new to human design, I would love it if you could kind of break down what it is and why it is such a powerful tool, overall, but also in the context of overcoming imposter syndrome.
Diamond Drip:
Yeah. Absolutely. So human design is a synthesis of a bunch of different ancient and modern sciences. And what it does is it actually maps them over each other to create what we in human design call, body graph. And when you look at this body graph, it shows you how your energy flows. It shows you what your strengths are. And there’s so much insight that can be gained down to what environment you thrive best in, how you digest food, and what your perspective is and motivation is when you’re moving throughout the world. And one of the things that I have found to be deeply satisfying in human design is the main theory behind it.
Diamond Drip:
So we as souls incarnated in this lifetime to experience ourselves. And so what I love about human design is it helps you to almost navigate and move through and welcome opportunities with less resistance. Similar to the story that you told about the person that you met a couple of days ago, or was it yesterday, we spend so much energy and effort trying to be what we think we should be or trying to be who other people expect us to be. And what human design does is it’s like, no. This is how you were designed. These were the gifts that your soul chose in this lifetime to be successful. And if you, and if you stop trying to control everything because we as humans, especially from a cultural perspective, have come to believe that if we just plan enough, if we just do enough things, that we can control the outcome. And many of us are learning and seeing that it’s actually not true.
Diamond Drip:
Like, there are so many sayings about, you know, life is happening. Life is, you know, doing things while you’re busy making plans, and it’s so true. So one one of the things that I love most is that it’s this kind of surrender that happens. It’s like, okay. Well, if we are able to let go of this sense of control that we think that we have over the situation and get out of our heads and get into our bodies and tap into the wisdom of our vessel and the gifts that we were you know, that are that we chose in this lifetime, we can welcome and redefine success with so much less resistance without bumping into so many different things.
Amy Vaughn:
Mhmm.
Diamond Drip:
And so when it comes to the context of imposter syndrome, one of the things that I found is that it helps you understand what makes you different. A lot of people say that human design is the science of differentiation. And so with that in mind, when you start to understand that literally. So I’ve bought over 200 human design charts at this point, and not a single one of them looks exactly like somebody else’s. And so it’s this kind of understanding that how can you know, there’s that saying of, like, comparing apples to oranges. If we are all designed differently, why are we comparing ourselves to things that are outside of ourselves, to people that are outside of ourselves, to accomplishments that you know, we have our own accomplishments. And so that’s really at the root of imposter syndrome is this kind of comparison, this feeling of being like, you know, you should be further along, or you should have this many things because that person has this many things. And when you start to understand that we’re all like, we all know we’re different.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah.
Diamond Drip:
But, like, this is, like, tangible. Your energy flows differently. It’s like, well, how can I compare myself to Right? This other person? Mhmm. Yeah.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah. It’s like looking at 2 different cars. It’s like having, like, a tiny little fuel efficient electric car versus, like,
Diamond Drip:
a Ferrari
Amy Vaughn:
Mhmm. And saying they’re gonna get to the same place at the same place at the same time in the same way. You know? It’s just it’s not. There’s no comparison. And then when you take comparison out of the equation, yeah, there is a lot less suffering. I also have loved learning, you know, outside of, like, the energy types, like, the manifesting type specific and nonspecific, you know, the ways in which you are meant to manifest. I have 2 friends that are both restaurant tours, both about to open up a restaurant. Actually, one who has and one who is working on it.
Amy Vaughn:
And the one who already has is just you know, it’s been rough, you know, physically, mentally, emotionally, and, you know, and worry about her in the sense of, like, all that she has been through to get this place open. And she has just been planning every moment of every day for the last more than 6 months. It’s probably been 6 months. She works close to 120 hours a week, and, you know, you can see it and feel it on her. And the other friend, who has a very similar type of restaurant, is working on opening it yet also traveling to, like, Italy, you know, and had, like, the whole restaurant flooded out 2 weeks before the restaurant was meant to open. And we’re getting together, we’re having a conversation, and, you know, one asks the other, well, what are you gonna do? Are you gonna do a soft opening? Are you delaying your hard opening? You know, very specific questions. Right? And the other friend’s like, yeah, no. I mean, I’ll just figure it out.
Amy Vaughn:
So very nonspecific. And at that moment, I was like, oh my gosh. I wonder what both of your human design types are like. So I put them in like, I pull up their charts. Right? I know. See, I’m such a nerd about this already. Pull up their charts. And what do you know? 1, they’re both manifesting generators, so not much of a surprise there.
Amy Vaughn:
They’ve shared some very similar gifts, and they are both nonspecific. The first woman that is driving herself into the ground and making herself sick, who was insisting on being so specific is working so out of alignment. Like, she’s getting there, but she’s so unwell in the process. You know? While the other one is, you know, you know, she’s like just like her she’s got a catering business. Everything is, like, going her way. Sometimes I joke and say that she’s, like, sat on the leprechaun because she’s just so damn lucky. Like, so much stuff comes her way, And it’s just, you know, she just manifests such great opportunities and business for herself and such a great team. And, again, definitely works hard, but it just does.
Amy Vaughn:
Like you said, it just comes easy, it seems to come so much easier. And she’s so much lighter because of it.
Diamond Drip:
And I really remember
Amy Vaughn:
it was nonspecific. Go ahead. What?
Diamond Drip:
Do you remember what her profile was? Does she have a 2 in there?
Amy Vaughn:
Oh, let me look. I probably have them in my app. So, yeah, I can tell you
Diamond Drip:
really quickly. It’s so I
Amy Vaughn:
I think they might have even had, like, the same they might have even had the same number types. And I do love this. You are right. Like, this whole having and being able to put your people in. So, no. Actually, this is interesting. So they’re both the same numbers, but they’re, oh, no. They’re both 3 fives.
Diamond Drip:
Okay.
Amy Vaughn:
Okay. 3 fives. And I’m not quite as familiar with, like, the numbers quite yet. So yeah. Yeah.
Diamond Drip:
So the reason I asked and it might even be in one of their, because, you know, on both sides, there’s all those numbers next to the planet. So I’m wondering if one of those there’s a 2 in, like, the business sphere because the 2 and this kinda dives into Gene Keys a little bit. The 2 is, like, known as the dancer. They kind of dance through life. And so, consequently, they question whether or not they belong at the table sometimes because things just come easy and people kinda brush them off. But, like, it’s so visible to see. So I was always curious if Yeah.
Amy Vaughn:
It is fascinating. So, like, as I’m just having this conversation, I’m like, oh, well well, Crystal’s clearly nonspecific because she’s just like, I’m gonna roll with this. Like, stuff happens, and I’m just gonna go with it. And Kristen’s like, oh my gosh. Everything has to be planned to the nth degree. And then when I pulled up her chart, I was like, oh, wow. Like, you’re I get that you feel this sense that this is how you have to exist in the world, but your design is saying that you’re nonspecific. You’re working against your design.
Amy Vaughn:
What would it look like for you to just let go a little bit, you know, and maybe manifest things by letting things just happen?
Diamond Drip:
That’s really hard for 3 lines sometimes. So the 3 is like trial and error, the murderer. And so with our conditioning, especially when you think about, like, going into the restaurant business, there’s so much conditioning around. Like, that’s one of, like, the hardest businesses to start to keep because I give so much respect to those ladies. Right? And so there’s all this conditioning. And so when you’re I don’t know if this was the first time they learned their human design. But yeah. When you’re a 3 and you don’t yeah.
Diamond Drip:
When you’re a 3 and you don’t know that you’re a 3, if you are constantly bumping into things, like, you through conditioning, you shift into this mode of, like, well, I don’t wanna keep learning lessons. I wanna just get it right the first time. And they kind of veer into perfectionism almost versus embracing the 3 and just being like, okay. Well, this didn’t pan out how I wanted it to, but what can I learn from this, you know, lesson? And so talk about going against your design. Threes are meant to bump into things. That’s how they learn. And so you’re into perfectionism. It’s like you’re gonna face resistance because you’re going against your process of how you interact with the world.
Amy Vaughn:
Mhmm. Oh, gosh. Yeah. Oh, wow. And so I would say the other thing I love about human design has been it’s really been so insightful for me, and I think this would really help with people’s imposter syndrome, honestly, is the, is your authority. Mhmm. They’re getting, like, more in touch with how you make decisions. I am a sacred authority.
Amy Vaughn:
And so learning that my gut is how I make decisions, and when the world tells me that I shouldn’t be going on my instincts and that I shouldn’t go on my first feeling, but also learning that my gut likes yes and no questions. So simple things like coaching my husband to say, don’t ask me what’s for dinner or what do I want for dinner? Say, do you want Thai food? I will say yes or no that I like. Other other questions will overwhelm me. Outside of the decision fatigue alone, just learning and how to coach, you know, friends, family, coworkers, whomever, you know, to sort of appeal towards my sacral authority, really does help. But then also just affirming that, like, my gut is my strongest sense in decision making, is great because I can’t tell you how many times that it is always proven, you know, in my business and work life where it’s like, this has always been my first choice, and then people make me doubt it. And then I have to go the long route, and then we always just come back to where I started. And I’m like, come on.
Diamond Drip:
Yes. Yes.
Amy Vaughn:
So learning your authority, I think, is another really, really great like you said, it’s almost like it’s just reaffirming, and it helps you get past that imposter syndrome once you kind of understand your design.
Diamond Drip:
Yeah. Like, I would say inner authority is probably you know, any any person you ask, they’d say that your strategy and authority is the most important thing about your human design. So the more you can experiment and practice with it. So I love that you’re, like, coaching people around you to be like yes or no questions. Right. And then actually giving yourself the space to just feel into your body and trust what comes up for you.
Amy Vaughn:
Mhmm. Yeah. Absolutely. And just trying to condition it to be right because we’ve been there’s so much to unlearn because it is hard. Like, I think women specifically were taught to put other people’s needs before our own, especially as mothers, which we were just discussing before we got on the call. Both of us have head colds and sinuses. Kids, colds. Yay.
Amy Vaughn:
You know, everybody’s needs are put first. So it’s like, you know, reconditioning that secret authority is hard. You know? So it does take practice and time. On that note, you’ve worked with a lot of women leaders, and I was kind of curious. What are some of the most common self doubt patterns you see on this topic of imposter syndrome, and how does understanding your human design help to start to break them? I feel like we’ve touched on some of them, but what are some other ones you’ve seen?
Diamond Drip:
Yeah. So, some of the ones that we’ve touched on a little bit already are this, like, fear of judgment, this fear of, stepping into your voice, your message, your power, really, your gifts because you’re afraid that you might step on toes. Like, even with like, you were talking about sacral authority, that then implies that you have an open or undefined emotional solar plexus. And for a lot of people who have that, because they take in the energy from those around them, like, they wanna they’re like, I don’t wanna see or feel you, like, down or sad or whatever. So, like, how can I fix it? How can I make it better? Versus recognizing that they just kinda have to get through it themselves. And so it’s kind of like releasing this conditioning around, like, what they think they or how they think they should or have to show up and stepping into, like, no. And so one of the things that I found that’s been really helpful has been around the incarnation cross piece, which, you know, this is human design, but this is also where you start bringing in some of the gene keys a little bit. But with the incarnation cross, there’s 3 types.
Diamond Drip:
There’s a right angle, so those people who are here have a really personal journey. So they’re here to learn how to operate. They’re here to heal themselves. And then if they so choose, they can then share that information with other people so that they can heal themselves as well. If you’re a left angle, then you came here, and you’ve got some karma from a past lifetime that you’re actually here to clean up. So you’re here to have a really transpersonal journey. You need people in your life to help remind you of your purpose, to help remind you of your why, and then you have juxtaposition, which is like a fixed fate. And so even at that base level, it’s this again, and I’ll probably keep saying it after many other questions.
Diamond Drip:
It’s this surrender of, like, okay. Well, if I’m here to have this, I’ll say, you know, most I learned recently that most people are actually right angle crosses. So they’re here to have this really yeah. I was like, oh, I thought most of us were left angles. Okay. Yeah. But I guess just the people that I attract are left angles because I’m like
Amy Vaughn:
I was gonna say I’m left angled. I just looked.
Diamond Drip:
Yeah. I’m like, I must but that’s aligned. Yeah. Because I’m here having this transpersonal journey, and I can have, like, tips and insights about how I’m moving through this transpersonal journey for other left angles. Yeah. But it’s this kind of surrender of, like, okay. Well, if I’m, for example, a right angle and I’m here to heal myself, it then becomes empowering to take the time that you need for yourself, to recharge, to
Amy Vaughn:
Yes.
Diamond Drip:
To figure out what works for you and to understand that it’s not selfish. So many times, there’s this conditioning around, like, especially like what you’re saying, like moms, women, working moms, it’s like, what? You’re taking time for yourself. Like, what about your kids? What about your business? And then it’s kind of like the shaming that happens, like, oh, you were doing a spa day. Like and it’s like when you’re at a right angle, it’s like, I’m here to heal myself. And it can be really empowering to, you know, understand why you’re here on a soul level and to not let the outside noise, you know, cause you to doubt yourself or to to make yourself wrong for doing things that Yeah. Are aligned, that feels good for you.
Amy Vaughn:
Right. Or to shame you into making yourself more available than you really should be.
Diamond Drip:
Yeah. At the
Amy Vaughn:
end of the day. You know? Because, like, we’ve had that healing time and moment. Like, so this is great. I’d actually never quite understood or could follow, like, this whole right angle, left angle thing. So thank you for that. That’s Yes. That’s really awesome. It just never made a whole lot of sense to me, but then, yeah, that brings a lot of clarity to it.
Amy Vaughn:
But then, yeah, it also helps me understand why, you know, why it’s like, okay. I could show up and I’m a generator too, so I also can know why it’s like I can show up and I can admit and provide and give energy to others and emit energy into the world because I’m not reflecting. I’m not projecting. I’m not, you know, manifesting. Those are all different types of energies. And once you all start to get into all of this I’m also not emotional, which doesn’t mean I don’t have emotions. We can talk about that too here in a minute if you’d like. But, yeah, it’s also because of all this combination plus the left angle, it’s just that I just have that capacity, right, from a design standpoint.
Amy Vaughn:
And this really helps me to understand, like, where I’ve been with my friends in conversations lately, where it’s just I I just have, like, a capacity, a little bit more of a capacity for some things right now, the for, the for some things than others because sometimes others just need, like, more of that time and space. And I think I always wanna recognize and respect that. And I think design is another way. Like, understanding your design and others’ design is a really great way to do that.
Diamond Drip:
Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Like, my partner is non emotional, and both my daughter and I are emotional. And so, even getting him to understand, you know, like, we would have so many fights because, especially in the past, when he is passionate about something, he wants to talk about it right then. He’s like Yeah. If I wait, then I’m gonna, like, lose interest. I’m not gonna feel as passionately about it as I do right now. I wanna talk about it right now.
Diamond Drip:
And he would poke the bear and try to get me to talk. And I’d be like, I don’t wanna talk right now because I’m saying something that’s gonna hurt your feelings in this state that I’m in. Right? All my emotions, feeling all the feels. And I’m not gonna be like, I am not gonna know how to come back from that. Right? I’m gonna be scared that you’re gonna, like, use it against me. So I’d rather, if we’re having a heated discussion, take some time to really reflect and assess how I feel and then come back neutrally. And that’s you know, human design has helped him understand that because he’s like, oh, yeah. Like, he sees he sees my emotional wave with my business.
Diamond Drip:
And so he’s like, I understand that it’s not just a me thing. It’s not just you know? And it just creates that deeper level of understanding and empathy, and encouragement to actually, you know, give the person what they need, which is sometimes space.
Amy Vaughn:
Right. Right. And correct me if I’m wrong. I feel like nonemotionals too, like, tend to like, emotionals tend to put out a lot of emotion, like, emit a lot of emotions, in the way generators emit a lot of energy or provide a lot of energy into the world. But nonemotionals tend to be received. So, like, for me, like, as a non-motional, even though I again, we all have emotions. It’s more about, like, I can hold space for people’s emotions. I tend to be my daughter’s also not emotional, but very, very empathic empathic.
Amy Vaughn:
And so it can be very draining in that sense of, like, I can kind of hold, when I’m holding space for others, I’m holding back and holding down my emotions. And so that could be very exhausting and very draining. So you have to kind of really be, like, intentional about how, when, and where you’re spending your energy and your emotion and and giving time and space for your own emotions. Because as a non-motional, you don’t express it often or you don’t often feel like you can. Right? Because you’re the container versus the one admitting it. Would you agree? Is that right?
Diamond Drip:
Yeah. Emotionals put out that energy. And it’s funny because I have this example now. We went to dinner. And I have a favorite restaurant at this, a favorite restaurant, a favorite waitress at this restaurant. And the host was like, okay. You’re gonna be in the Marcia section. And I was like, oh, yay.
Diamond Drip:
I love Marcia. Like, this is great. It’s gonna be great. And then this other waitress comes, and her name is Jessica. And she’s like, hi. I’m Jessica. I’ll be your waitress. And I just kinda was like, like, you know what?
Amy Vaughn:
You’re like, you’re not Mercia?
Diamond Drip:
Yeah. And so, you know, eventually, they fixed it, and Mercia came over, and she was like, yeah. I’ll be your waitress and things like that. And he’s like, I felt you deflate. Like, I felt more energy. He was like, you are so excited To
Amy Vaughn:
read the rest. This
Diamond Drip:
yes. And it’s because you know? And I wanna address the nonemotional thing. Right? Everyone has emotions. We are emotional beings. Like, hands down. The thing with people who have an open or undefined solar plexus, which makes you non-motional in human design, is that you are empathetic because you take in the energy from your environment and from other people. And for a lot of people, you know, when I’m doing readings, I’m like, you know, as a child, it probably was difficult and you were labeled as emotional because it was difficult for you to, you know, figure out, like, is this mine or is this and so sometimes people who don’t have that solar plexus defined, they have short fuses because they’re just like, I’m taking in all this. Right.
Amy Vaughn:
What do I
Diamond Drip:
What do you do with this?
Amy Vaughn:
And I’m feeling
Diamond Drip:
It’s gonna
Amy Vaughn:
spit my gun at you.
Diamond Drip:
Yes. But you guys are very empathetic, which is why I’m glad that you have that with your daughter.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah. Yeah. Because she’s even more so. Like, she just picks up on all the energy. I feel like even more so than me, or maybe I’ve just, maybe even just I’ve forgotten that part of myself over the years and have conditioned myself for more to to take in less. But yeah. No. She definitely feels it all.
Amy Vaughn:
She feels it all, which is sometimes just hard to see because she’s, you know, only 11. It’s like, oh, don’t do that to yourself. You know? But yeah. So we talked a little bit earlier about trusting your gut. I wanna come back to that. Through human design and this lens, what does that actually mean, practically for some of these different types?
Diamond Drip:
Yeah. So I consider trusting your gut to be synonymous with intuition. And so we live in a cultural context where certainty is praised over flow. And it’s, you know, statistics and logic and everything is praised over intuition. And so for any type, any authority, with the exception of, like, mental authority, because, like, that’s a rare breed of authority where, like, actually everything is happening in your head. But you have to talk it out and have this sounding board, you know, to see how it but even then, it’s like you were technically labeled as mental authority, but you have to talk it out with other people. You have to be in the right environment with those you trust so that they are your sounding board and you can hear what’s being reflected back to you and see how it lands in your body once you speak it out. So in every single authority, there’s this element of, like, body.
Diamond Drip:
If it’s your if you’re emotional, it’s, you know, riding out your emotional wave and coming to a decision from an emotionally neutral place. If it’s splenic, it’s in the moment. You know right then and there. I’ve heard many people, many splenic projectors, talk about this whole body, like, hell, yes. That happens. Or, like, if there’s hesitation, it’s probably a no or not right now. Even for self projected authority, like, they have to talk it out. They have to hear their truth in their aura in order to gain that clarity.
Diamond Drip:
And so in all of these, you notice how there’s not, like, you know, planning or, like, logic.
Amy Vaughn:
Or There’s no pros
Diamond Drip:
and cons list. There’s no right? There’s no, which way do I do? And so it’s this return to the wisdom that’s actually in the body. And it’s so hard for people when they first find human design to trust that because we’ve been conditioned for so long Mhmm. That, you know, if you can’t back it up with a 10 point PowerPoint presentation, then, like, it’s not valid. And intuition doesn’t have that. Like you said, it doesn’t have a pros and cons list. You feel something or you don’t. And it’s a process of realigning and learning how to trust the wisdom in the body, but really trust yourself.
Diamond Drip:
Yeah. Because this is something, like, for me as an emotional authority Mhmm. I was diagnosed with bipolar 2 when I was 14. And so for, you know, over a decade, I made myself wrong for my emotions. I thought that there was something wrong with me for having really strong emotions or having these up and down waves. And so yeah. It took a long time, and I’m still on that path of, like, okay. What do I feel? Because for so long, my feelings were invalidated.
Diamond Drip:
When I grew up my mom didn’t have a defined solar plexus, and she had a lot of mental issues, her head is defined, and here is defined. And so where you have definition, that’s the energy that you put out. And so a lot of times, you know, I would talk about how I felt, and she’d be like, but right? And then with her undiagnosed borderline personality with narcissistic tendencies
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah.
Diamond Drip:
I would be made wrong for feeling what I felt. And so there was always this element of questioning how I felt. And now I’m in a place where I’m like, no. That’s actually what I’m supposed to do. But how do I navigate these ups and downs? And that’s what the experiment is all about is, like, learning how to trust yourself again after years of being basically programmed, not
Amy Vaughn:
Right. And, I mean, talk about seeing, being able to see that disconnect. And then when you can see that kind of a disconnect, one, you’re finding alignment with yourself, but then you’re also finding the reason behind the disconnect so that there’s no shame or blame. Right? Because you can see, like, what’s behind the disconnect. Right? And I think that that really helps because sometimes it’s like we talk to other people, we look at other people, and we’re just like, what the hell are you thinking? Where are you coming from? I don’t understand you, and it’s because we’re not designed the same. We don’t, we don’t, we don’t process the same. We don’t always emote the same. And so it’s like, if we can kind of just use a little bit of understanding and compassion, that’s one way.
Amy Vaughn:
But, also, I think this human design stuff, there’s some really cool factors to it, for sure. And I love what you were just saying there too about, you know, one of my favorite quotes is just never outsource your knowledge. And if anybody here also, again, fans of the podcast know I love enneagrams as well. I’m an enneagram 9, so I tend to merge. I’m a peacemaker and, like, harmony. And so general consensus used to be, like, my MO, and it still is, like, when it comes to certain decisions. Right? But as far as decisions that come, it as far as I am concerned now, I am with human design. I feel like I’m much more informed as to how I want to move in the world and make certain decisions for myself, because it’s just, you know, having that other information.
Amy Vaughn:
It, like, the Enneagram to me is more of, like, that shadow type of work where, like, the design is kind of, like, more of that internal knowledge. You know? And, again, I don’t have to, like, keep going outside of myself to get the consensus from everybody else. You know, it’s nice to have that alignment from other people when certain matters, but it doesn’t need to be in all things. So yeah, that used to be the way I went about everything. And now I’m like, no, I don’t need to call and complain or talk to everybody and process this out. Sometimes I just need to sit with myself, you know, and think through this or work through this or trust the gut feeling that I have about this, that this isn’t the right thing for me, and I need to make a move. So yeah. Alright.
Amy Vaughn:
Let’s dig into Gene Keys a little bit because this is new for me. How does it complement human design when it comes to building authentic leadership?
Diamond Drip:
Yeah. So Gene Keys takes a closer look at the 64 gates in human design. In Gene Keys, they’re called the 64 keys. And so it takes a closer look at the Chinese Yi Ching element in quantum physics in that every single key, every single gate has these 3 frequencies. And so the shadow is kind of the challenge, really. So when you talk about, like, the shadow work with the Enneagram, like, Jean Key is this is a perfect Similar. Yeah. So, the shadow is the challenge that you’re here to overcome.
Diamond Drip:
It’s gonna keep showing up. And the gift, which is the next frequency up, that’s what when you embrace your creative power
Amy Vaughn:
Mhmm.
Diamond Drip:
That’s what shines through. That’s when you step into your authenticity, when you’re aligned, when you’re moving on your path, like, that’s what shines through. And then the highest frequency is the city. And so this is a transcendent realization of, you know, it’s like a culmination of, like, okay. This is aligned. This is that feeling of satisfaction, that feeling of success, that feeling of surprise that happens when you just kinda surrender to life and just live within your gifts. And so it complements human design, which I like to see as very practical. It’s like, this is how you make decisions.
Diamond Drip:
These are your gifts, and this is how your energy flows. This is where some of your conditioning comes in. And then Gene Keys is for a lot. I like to see it as a more in-depth personal development tool because it involves a lot of contemplation. It involves a lot of thinking about your past and how, you know, these shadows have shown up and how you could have turned those into a gift. How can you be in your awareness more so that you don’t dip into whatever that shadow is? Like, for me, in my brand sphere, in what I’m here to do in this lifetime, I’m here to be a force of continual expansion, and that’s actually the gift of expansion. But the shadow is immaturity. This being in a place of external fixation and external validation and not being internally grounded. And you can see the relationship of when you let go of this need, this fixation for, you know, external people to to say, like, oh, you’re doing great, which the school system does not help this at all because you’re all about, like, grades and everything.
Diamond Drip:
Uh-huh. But you have to, like, let go of that. And once you’re able to validate yourself, once you’re able to have that internal stillness, you do expand more. You’re able to step into more things. And at its highest frequency, the city is superabundance, which was a trip for me because it was a push to actually even redefine what I thought of as abundance. Because so many of us, we equate abundance with money or or this, you know, outside things, but there’s so many different variations. There’s health abundance. There’s an abundance of time.
Diamond Drip:
Yeah. You know, relationship abundance. There’s so many different elements that can be pulled in there. And so I think that it complements because, you know, when you’ve been in the experiment for a long time, but you’re still hitting some of those blocks in your conditioning, the gene key is being able to look at some of those, you know, tumultuous times in your life where maybe you chose the shadow out of fear, out of lack, out of scarcity, out of this distrust. Like, how can you trust yourself enough to live in the gift, to show up in the highest frequency that you can?
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah. I love that so much. And it kinda brings it back to where you started, which is redefining success. Right? Stop chasing the things that aren’t truly for you. Because what’s gonna happen is you’re gonna work your ass off. You’re gonna get there, and you’re gonna go, why aren’t I happy? I work so hard. Where’s that shining moment of success and triumph? It just falls flat, and you’re wondering why. Here’s why.
Amy Vaughn:
I love it. Alright. We’ve talked about comparison a lot today, but I think it’s just it’s so you just can’t say it enough. It’s you know, we live in a very digital heavy, social media heavy world where comparison is just constantly in our face. How can women use some of these tools that we’ve talked about today to stay grounded, and kind of find their unique value to just avoid this trap?
Diamond Drip:
Yeah. So I found that really leaning into your gifts. So doing, I always say do a reading because it’s the quickest way. Like, I am one line in human design, and so that’s the investigator researcher. So I love going down a good rabbit hole. I’ve watched videos. I’ve read different books. And so, you know, human design is one of those things that lots of people can go and Google and find different information.
Diamond Drip:
But if you really want, like, practical strategies and tips for your design, I always say grab a reading so you can get that understanding. Because once you have an understanding of what you’re here to do in this lifetime, I always start with, like, the incarnation cross because it tells you what you’re here to do, what you’re here to learn, what deeply fulfills you, and what your purpose is. And once you know and understand what that is for yourself, then other people try to push you on a different path or make you be something that you’re not, you’re just like, that’s not, you know, that’s not the way I was designed. That’s not in alignment. And you’re able to have that validation with these tools of, like, I was designed this way. This is how my soul chose to show up in this lifetime, how my energy presents itself to those around me and how I interact with the world. And so it can be really empowering to lean into these tools and to exit out the outside noise. Like, one of the things that I recently had to do in my business was figure out all of the little things that I was leaning into that was causing me to exert more energy and effort in my business than was actually needed at the time.
Diamond Drip:
Like, many of us use social media in our business. And there’s this kind of unspoken, sometimes spoken rule. I don’t know if it’s still spoken because I’ve been in the process of exiting outside noise. But there’s this rule of, like, if someone comments, you have to respond back, like, within an hour, the algorithm’s gonna ding you or whatever. And I’m like and I spent so much time and effort trying to adhere to these unspoken rules that, you know, I’ve just been, you know, hearing about. And what I found is that when you actually do what feels right for you, you still like it, you have much more success. And not only do you have much more success, you feel better. Like, you were saying, there’s this thing when you’re trying to do all the things that people say that you should do in order to find that joy, to find that fulfillment, it’s almost like, well, I did the things, and I don’t have that.
Diamond Drip:
So
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah.
Diamond Drip:
What am I not doing? And then you’re forced to continually get that external noise in trying to tell you like, okay. Well, you did these things, and you don’t have it. So why don’t you do these other things? And then you spend so much time and energy, like, doing things versus, like, being able to validate yourself, being able to say, like, this is what feels right in my business, being able to to bring those elements out.
Amy Vaughn:
Mhmm. Yeah. And then, again, you’re not comparing. You’re not comparing, and you’re not trying the things that aren’t going to be working for you. Yes. What would you say is the most surprising insight you discovered about leadership through combining, both your brand strategy and human design?
Diamond Drip:
The most surprising thing that I found about leadership with this combination, so many of us, we have a message that sometimes people are scared to share. So we put on these masks of what we think we should be sharing, and it has been the greatest joy to see the surprise on my client’s face when I’m like, well, this is actually in your life, for example, in your Mercury. This is what’s in your Mercury. This is what you’re designed to share, or, you know, this is in your north or south mode. And so this is how this has shown up in your life, and this is what you’re moving into. And it’s actually a line for you to talk about that. And they’re like, oh my gosh. Like, I thought people were gonna shun me for that.
Diamond Drip:
And so just giving them the encouragement of, like, no.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah.
Diamond Drip:
Like, that’s actually and then seeing the transformation that happens when they start leaning into what it is that’s actually aligned for them to share. It’s like, oh my gosh. I didn’t know it could be this easy because we’ve been conditioned to believe that is hard. It’s you gotta grind and hustle and do all the
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah. It’s so it’s kind of, like, helping them. So it’s, like, affirming. Right? That internal voice, not the imposter syndrome. The opposite. Right? The authentic true voice that the imposter syndrome has been speaking over and rudely interrupting for god knows how long. Right? And it’s like human design has been able to sort of tap that voice and say, hey. Yo.
Amy Vaughn:
Actually, you are the one we’re supposed to be listening to and hearing, but social conditioning has been telling us, you know, keep it down, keep it shut. And it is so true. I think, you know, all of this aside, I think it was interesting. I was actually having a conversation with my husband last night. When we started this conversation, I know, imposter syndrome’s real for both men and women. He left academia and went into the professional world for the first time in his entire life, and it’s been different. You know? It’s a different world, and, you know, he’s very he’s a researcher. He’s introverted.
Amy Vaughn:
And he wants to be social. He wants to feel connected. He wants to have friends. And, you know, I told him, I said, one of the biggest unlocks for me, I think, was really just finding that people want to know the real you. They want to hear your true authentic voice, and that if you are willing to just open up and share a little bit more and hold back a little bit less. I’m not saying you just need to go out and be, like, obnoxious and rude and inappropriate, but I think if you just be, you know, what would it look like to be 10% more you, 10% more authentic? You know, because he’s, like, a wonderful human being with loads of great ideas. So I’m like, I don’t know what you’re trying to hold back, but, like, it’s like if you were to just be a little bit more than that, what would that look like? You know? Because I feel like the more granted, you know, we have such a great safe space here with Together Digital where women can kind of really step into and practice that authentic voice in a space that they don’t have to worry about being shamed for, or, you know, having backlash for. So I have that privilege of just having that all the time, and I forget how to act in polite society.
Amy Vaughn:
So because I’m just used to just being able to talk about all the things. But, yeah, you know, not having that privilege. I understand, you know, a lot of us pick up and put on sometimes mini masks in one day. And I just do think a lot of this, so any tool that you can pick up and start to use for self awareness to tap into, find that authentic voice, and give yourself permission. When you put that out, people are so afraid it’s going to detract, but it really does attract. Like you said, it attracts opportunity. It attracts friendship and connections in ways that you’re just gonna be so surprised by.
Diamond Drip:
Yeah. Exactly.
Amy Vaughn:
Oh, yay. Can you tell? I just love all this stuff so much. Alright. We’ve got some folks listening live as always, so we love having our live listening audience. Before we go into our fun power round of questions, just wanna make sure that you all know you can ask questions in the chat if you have them. I know all this stuff you guys are like. Some of them you’re like, what do you guys do? I don’t know what’s been going on for the last hour, but you’ve all hung in there. So a couple of questions actually, like, I wanna make sure that we ask, before we go to the power round questions too is, you know, if folks want to learn more about human design, what are some good general resources for them?
Diamond Drip:
Yeah. So, on my website, they can pull their chart, and I actually send them a cheat sheet that helps them decode their design, as well as a playlist on my YouTube channel, which goes into visual explanations of these different things. Another resource that I have found super helpful, a lot of people know the traditional human design language. But Karen Curry Parker, she actually has language in Quantum Human Design, which actually, takes it a step further and talks about, you know, emotional authority as creative authority. And so it’s a little bit more empowering, and it brings in some of the different quantum elements of, you know, inside the body. So I’d say any of her work is amazing to learn more about human design.
Amy Vaughn:
That rabbit hole just got a little bit deeper for me. That is oh my goodness. I will be sure to include some of those links for the YouTube channel and your website into our show notes as well. Alright. I’m checking the chat to see if we’ve got anything in there. No questions yet, but alright. We’ll hit the, let me make sure I have the right open live stream chat. There we go.
Amy Vaughn:
Oh, look at that, Danielle. Thank you so much. She’s my winging woman today on the, and all the resources and the links. Look at her. She’s on fire.
Diamond Drip:
You’re the best.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah. I love it. I was in the wrong chat. I was like, I have a sense I’m in the wrong chat. Alright. Cool. Cool. Cool.
Amy Vaughn:
Fantastic. Sharon was asking what app we are using? Do you have an app that you use for any of this?
Diamond Drip:
So I know Jenna has her app, the My Human Design app. Most of the time, I just have people download their chart so they can have it as a quick reference. Mine is actually my screensaver. That’s a great
Amy Vaughn:
idea. Quick reference.
Diamond Drip:
Yeah. I’m like, oh, wait. They’re talking about gay 28. I think I have that. Oh, okay. Now I can really lock in and tune in.
Amy Vaughn:
That’s fantastic. And then Gurnell was asking if, if there’s, like, something about the numbers. What are the numbers? Do you want me to go back and do that for just a second? Yeah.
Diamond Drip:
Yeah. The profile line. So there are 6 different lines, 12 different profiles in human design. And so, essentially, this shows this goes into how your energy shows up in the world. So the first part of the fraction looking number is how other people see you. It’s kind of like, you know, what your aura presents to the world. And then the second part of the fraction is your underlying script of how you interact with the world. So, you know, as we were talking about earlier with the 35, so a lot of people probably see these women.
Diamond Drip:
If yeah. You said they’re the same. They see them, like, trying out a bunch of stuff. They see them, you know, bumping into things, learning things through that. But the 5 is the solution person, Mhmm. The challenge solver, the save the day kind of energy. And so they’re always gonna be looking to fix something.
Amy Vaughn:
Mhmm.
Diamond Drip:
And so that’s just their underlying script. For me, I’m 51. So do other people. Yes. Yay. High 5. High 1. Yes.
Diamond Drip:
Yes. And I and I kinda sense that when you were like, oh, this is gonna take me deeper. And so, like, the 5 is, you know, like I said, we’re the solutions people. And so people will project onto us that we have something for them. They can just kinda sense it. And that’s why we as 5 lines have to be really careful about the expectations that we set that we set for people because if they project that we can help them with something that actually we don’t have a foundation in, then it turns very quickly from, oh my gosh. You’re my savior. You’re awesome.
Diamond Drip:
You’re amazing to, like, oh my god. I hate you. Like, why did you give me this advice? Like, it didn’t work for me, and then your reputation’s kind of on the line. So the 5 lines have to be really careful about, you know, who they’re attracting and what solutions they’re providing. And then our one line, we’re investigators. We love getting to the bottom of stuff. We love a good rabbit hole, a strong foundation of knowledge, which we also have to be careful of because sometimes it can be hard to trust that you know enough to then take it to the world. That was one of the things about human design that really resonated with me.
Amy Vaughn:
Yeah. Yeah. That’s so, so interesting. I love that. Yeah. This whole, like, that when you were talking earlier too, I almost brought up my 51 when
Diamond Drip:
you were talking about the,
Amy Vaughn:
fix the fixer. I was like, oh, when I was reading that portion of it, the challenge over, I was like, oh, okay. Yeah. Yeah. No. I don’t have to try to fix everything. But then also being, like, the voluntary one constantly where, you know, it’s like I get it that you might have natural leadership tendencies, but it’s just ridiculous how you could walk into a room and say very little. And somehow still, how do I walk out of the room being the one told, like, oh, you’re gonna lead this.
Amy Vaughn:
Right? I’m like, what did I just didn’t even say anything. How did this happen? But once I read that, I was like, oh, okay. Got it. Yes.
Diamond Drip:
Oh my goodness.
Amy Vaughn:
Well, thank you all for dropping the questions during the conversation. I love it. I love it. And, don’t be afraid to reach out to Diamond as well if you have any additional questions after. Yes. Alright. Let’s go through these rapid fire questions real quick. What is your go to mantra when self doubt creeps in?
Diamond Drip:
It’s one of 2 things. So what’s on the other side of this, or what story am I telling myself here?
Amy Vaughn:
Oh, I like both of those. They are pretty. Three words or less, what’s the biggest mistake people make when dealing with impostor syndrome?
Diamond Drip:
Caught in comparison.
Amy Vaughn:
Yes, ma’am. Can’t say that enough. If you could put one message on a billboard about authentic leadership, what would it say?
Diamond Drip:
Yeah. So, sometimes the bravest thing you can do is trust that inner voice that’s saying there’s another way.
Amy Vaughn:
I love it too. Alright. Last one. Complete the sentence. The moment you’ll, the moment you’ll know you’re stepping into your power is when?
Diamond Drip:
Without any extra effort other than living your truth and teaching what you’ve mastered, the universe starts to bring you opportunities that you’re excited to take advantage of.
Amy Vaughn:
Oh, I love it. You’re so prepared. I love it. Thank you so much, Diamond. This is wonderful. I hope all of our listeners really enjoyed this. And, again, I just found one more tool and way to learn more about myself, feel empowered, and hopefully understand and empower others as well. This is fantastic, Diamond.
Amy Vaughn:
Thank you so much.
Diamond Drip:
Thank you.
Amy Vaughn:
Of course. Of course. And thank you, live listeners. We appreciate you all and our podcast listeners. We’re excited to have you gotten back with us next week. Until then, everyone, keep asking, keep giving, and keep growing. We’ll see you then. Bye.
