Kimberley Sustad may have been involved in multiple aspects of a number of Hallmark favorites, but that’s not to say she always feels like the powerhouse she is. In fact, she’s made it clear on several occasions that that couldn’t be further from the truth, and she suffers from serious imposter syndrome. Speaking exclusively to Nicki Swift, neuropsychologist Dr. Sanam Hafeez wasn’t super shocked by that — but she did have some tips for how Sustad or anyone else suffering from something similar could push through.
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As Hallmark fans may know, Sustad hasn’t just starred in the channel’s movies (though she has 20 Hallmark films to date at the time of this writing, and that’s not even including her work on the now-canceled Hallmark favorite show “Chesapeake Shores”). She’s also one of the co-writers of the incredibly popular “Three Wise Men and a Baby,” as well as its sequel, “Three Wiser Men and a Boy.” More than that, though, Sustad was actually asked to write the sequel, based on how popular the first film was. In light of all that, one would be forgiven for thinking Sustad felt fairly accomplished. Like we said, though, that just isn’t the case.
Speaking to Us Weekly in the wake of the release of “Three Wiser Men and a Boy,” Sustad shared that her impostor syndrome actually kicked in after the first film got such rave reviews. “I’m like, ‘Oh, no, no, no, I’m not a profesh writer,'” she told the outlet. Understandably, fans of her work disagreed there. “People are like, ‘You are! Write another.’ You are like, ‘Oh my God, what if I can’t?’ And then everyone will know,” Sustad mused. Hafeez’s take? Sustad fell into the category of people who “discount their achievements and attribute success to luck or timing rather than ability.”
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Kimberly Sustad felt more pressured after success
Surprising as it may be, the reason why Kimberley Sustad has been so cautious about celebrating her successes isn’t that unthinkable. As she explained in an interview with Woman’s World, she was terrified she wouldn’t be able to replicate what she’d done before. “It would almost be better if the first one was a flop, try to make the second one better, but it is hard to follow up a hit with another hit,” she shared.
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Fairly understandable, sure. However, Dr. Sanam Hafeez told Nicki Swift that the only way to completely combat that would be for Sustad to completely overhaul her mindset. One way to do that, the neuropsychologist suggested, was by “taking a clear, structured inventory of accomplishments.” Stuck on what exactly that entails? Hafeez explained, “Write [the accomplishments] down, including moments of praise, promotions, or challenges overcome. Seeing this on paper can disrupt the automatic negative thoughts that drive impostor feelings.”
It’s possible Sustad did just that. After all, as we said, her track record of achievements is on the lengthy side. In addition to “Three Wise Men and a Baby” being Hallmark’s most successful film of the year in 2022, Variety also reported that more viewers tuned in to watch it than any other film on cable — and that’s still not all. The viewership numbers the week of the film’s release were second only to “Yellowstone.” Yes, the same “Yellowstone” with countless awards to its name. Granted, considering Sustad specifically said she was scared of trying to replicate the first film’s success, it’s also likely that acknowledging past achievements only added to the pressure, and something tells us she needed to take things a step further than writing a list.
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Kimberley Sustad likely leaned on loved ones to combat her fears
In the event that listing her past wins wasn’t enough to convince Kimberley Sustad of her capabilities, another tip Dr. Sanam Hafeez shared with Nicki Swift in combating impostor syndrome was to open up about the situation. “Most people feel this way at some point, and sharing those thoughts with a mentor or therapist can help normalize them and provide a more objective perspective,” she shared. Even without a mentor, Hafeez shared that it was possible for loved ones to take on the role — so long as they offered “specific and sincere affirmations about their abilities, rather than general assurances.”
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In Sustad’s case, whether she spoke with a mentor or just the people in her life, we certainly wouldn’t rule out the likelihood of her going the “talking through it” route. After all, she told Us Weekly that she and her co-star, co-writer, and friend Paul Campbell (who, by that definition, could have been both a loved one and a mentor) specifically made mention of her impostor syndrome in the eventual script for “Three Wiser Men and a Boy.” As quoted by Us Weekly, at one point in the film, Sustad’s character says, “I was a little worried because last year’s show was so good, it’s hard to follow up a hit with another hit, you know what I mean?” Yeah — it’s pretty clear the coworkers had a ton of conversations about how she was feeling.
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As a bonus, acknowledging Sustad’s feelings in the script also only added to the charm of her and Campbell’s follow-up writing project. “The wink is what it needs and it’s always needed,” Sustad told the outlet of the inclusion. And to think she didn’t know if she could do it!
Kimberley is planning to keep writing
Whatever got Kimberley Sustad to move past her impostor syndrome, it’s safe to say it worked. Speaking to “Long Story Short with Megan & Wendy” in September 2024, the Canadian Hallmark star shared that she was working on something new. In fact, at one point during the video interview, she actually moved her camera to show some of the storyboards she had up on her wall. “This is my wall of madness,” she quipped.
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Granted, Sustad did share that there were still times she had no idea how she’d gotten her first acting job, either. Recounting her nerve-wracking first audition, Sustad shared, “I don’t know how I made it to where I am right now from there. I, like, honest to God don’t know why I’m sitting in front of you today. It feels like a total mistake, but here I am,” she joked. In a move that further proved Sustad will never end up on our list of Hollywood’s most arrogant celebrities, she also got a little awkward when her hosts disagreed about it being a mistake. “That’s kind,” she smiled. As an aside, that’s something Dr. Sanam Hafeez would likely suggest working on. “Practice accepting positive feedback without deflecting — just say ‘Thank you’ and allow yourself to take it in, even if it feels uncomfortable at first,” she told us.
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Even with all the modesty, it’s pretty clear to everyone that Sustad has a good thing going on, and it doesn’t hurt that she loves what she does. Particularly when it comes to writing, Sustad told “Long Story Short with Megan & Wendy” that she found the process “really cathartic.” We love it for her — and whether or not she believes it, we can’t wait to see more.
