22-25 April 2026 
Why Am I Here? Dealing with Imposter Phenomenon
Proposed session for SQLBits 2026TL; DR
Many people question their abilities, attributing success to luck rather than skill. This is known as the Imposter Phenomenon, an experience shared by an estimated 70% of the population. Common symptoms include:
Discounting Achievements: Minimizing successes while focusing heavily on mistakes.
Feelings of Inadequacy: Feeling like you don’t belong or that others are more qualified.
Fear of Exposure: Avoiding new challenges for fear of being revealed as a "fraud."
Persistent Anxiety: Constant worry regarding professional or personal endeavors.
This session offers a personal perspective from someone who deals with these feelings daily. Rather than promising "magic cures," the discussion focuses on shared experiences, practical strategies, and hard-won techniques used to navigate these emotions.
By attending, you will realize you are not alone in these struggles. You will leave with fresh insights, new ideas, and a different way of looking at your own accomplishments and potential.
Session Details
Have you ever questioned your abilities? Think that everyone else is so much better than you? Consider that your current role or successes are down to luck or something you did not do. You are not alone; it is estimated that 70% of the population struggles with these feelings. Maybe you have felt this way sometimes ;
You attribute success to luck or external factors rather than your skills and abilities.
Excessive focus on mistakes and shortcomings while minimizing or discounting achievements
Feeling like you don't belong in your current role or that others are more qualified
Avoiding challenges or opportunities due to fear of failure or being exposed as a fraud
A persistent sense of fear and anxiety related to your work or personal endeavors
The Imposter Phenomenon is something that I deal with every day. This session is about what I have discovered about the Imposter Phenomenon. What strategies and techniques do I use to deal with all the feelings that come with my Imposter Phenomenon?
This session is not about magic solutions or cures. Someone sharing techniques, ideas, suggestions, and thoughts on the Imposter Phenomenon. If you want to know that it's not just you, come along and listen. You may leave with a different way of looking at things.
You attribute success to luck or external factors rather than your skills and abilities.
Excessive focus on mistakes and shortcomings while minimizing or discounting achievements
Feeling like you don't belong in your current role or that others are more qualified
Avoiding challenges or opportunities due to fear of failure or being exposed as a fraud
A persistent sense of fear and anxiety related to your work or personal endeavors
The Imposter Phenomenon is something that I deal with every day. This session is about what I have discovered about the Imposter Phenomenon. What strategies and techniques do I use to deal with all the feelings that come with my Imposter Phenomenon?
This session is not about magic solutions or cures. Someone sharing techniques, ideas, suggestions, and thoughts on the Imposter Phenomenon. If you want to know that it's not just you, come along and listen. You may leave with a different way of looking at things.
3 things you'll get out of this session
Help people to see it is not just them who feel like an imposter
Share ways in which one person has combats imposter Phenomenon
Allow attendees to see it is not just them
Speakers
Robert French's other proposed sessions for 2026
Tech's Secret Sauce: The Power of Neurodiversity - 2026
Are Pie Charts Evil? - 2026
Soft Skills for Success - 2026
Robert French's previous sessions
How to be awesome at getting your next job
Finding that job you desire and want can be hard work. First, writing that CV that gets your name on the interview list. Then, making the first good impression at the interview, handling those tough questions easily. These skills are something you can learn
This session, is based on many years real life hard won experience. What will be shared is tips and techniques that have got me jobs I wanted. This session is full of practical advice that you to can take away and use in your life. I will share some of the tips and techniques I have used to get roles over our career.
* Creating a CV that gets noticed.
* How to work with recruitment agents.
* What to say when you speak with recruitment agents.
* Ways to get your name to the top of the recruiter's list.
* How to prepare for an interview
* Get some insider tips on how to deal with those difficult interview questions.
* What to say and what not say at an interview.
* First hand advice from someone who has been on both sides of the job interview.
When you leave this session, you have techniques and tips you can use as soon as you leave the session to help you in your search for that role you want.
Power BI Incremental refresh made simple.
Power BI has many amazing features that will make life much easier and more efficient. Yes, incremental refresh is one of them, so you read the official Microsoft documentation. Maybe once, then again, just a few more times. Now you have more questions than answers. Or was that just how I felt? If you thought the same thing or want to ask questions, this session is for you.
This session will look at setting up incremental refreshes for both Dataflows and Datasets. Explain what ALL the different settings mean and words we can all understand. How will I perform this daring feat? Using a combination of words, pictures and examples. As part of the presentation, I will share the demo code so you can try this at home.
Leaving this session, you will understand how to configure Incremental Refresh and use it when you return to your office. You will have a link to the code shown as part of the session. So that you to can see how it works.
The art and skill of listening
We all want to be listened to. In our busy world sometimes we forget how to listen, often to other people. There are advantages to listening, and its a skill we can learn.
10 reasons to look at using Azure Data Studio
Yet another new tool from Microsoft ! Why should you consider using it? Thats a good question. In this session we will explore at least 10 reasons to use the tool, and maybe a few more.