THE EMAIL GROWTH SHOW EPISODE 218
Somewhere in the shiny online business world, we decided that in order to be credible, we had to be broken first.
That our power only counts if it’s earned through pain.
That our story only matters if it includes rock bottom.
And the more we hear the same I lost it all before I found myself stories, the more it quietly reinforces a belief that I think is deeply toxic for women.
That our strength has to be proven through suffering.
Listen to this episode here:
TL:DR
What you’ll learn in this episode:
– Why vulnerability ≠ credibility
– How we’ve confused drama with depth
– And what authentic storytelling looks like now
A Simple Next Step
If this stirred something for you, clarity is usually the next move.
My Business Breakthrough Audit gives you an outside perspective on your message, positioning, and next steps – without noise, drama, or overcomplication.
You don’t need to fall apart to rise.
You just need clarity, alignment, and the courage to lead differently.
The Event That Sparked This Conversation
I went to a beautiful women-in-business event this week.
Stunning venue.
Thoughtful curation.
Incredible women on stage.
And yet, by the third keynote, I felt exhausted.
Not because the stories weren’t powerful – they were.
But because they were the same story.
Rock bottom.
Tears.
Redemption.
Success.
Over and over again.
And I found myself thinking, haven’t we evolved past this yet?
When Vulnerability Becomes a Formula
I love storytelling.
I believe in vulnerability.
I value honesty.
But what I witnessed didn’t feel like truth.
It felt like a script.
Cue the pain. Cue the tears. Cue the rise.
Instead of leaving inspired, I left drained.
And that’s when the real question landed for me.
Have we mistaken vulnerability for credibility?
The Quiet Damage This Does to Women
Somewhere along the way, many women internalised this idea:
- I can’t lead unless I’ve survived something tragic
- I can’t speak with authority unless I’ve rebuilt myself from the ashes
- I can’t be inspiring unless my story makes people cry
I remember sitting in rooms like this years ago and thinking, maybe I just haven’t earned it yet.
Like I needed a bigger failure.
A darker chapter.
A more dramatic rebirth.
That belief keeps women small.
Because while they wait for their “worthy” story, they silence themselves.
You Don’t Need Pain to Be Powerful
Here’s what I believe now.
You don’t need pain to be powerful.
You can be powerful because you chose alignment.
Because you built something sustainable instead of sensational.
Because you led yourself without losing yourself first.
That is leadership.
And yet, the women quietly growing businesses with integrity and consistency are often overlooked – because their story isn’t dramatic enough.
When Popularity Lowers the Bar
Another thing that struck me hard that day?
It almost didn’t matter what was said on stage.
The audience was already clapping.
Already swooning.
Already posting.
Once someone reaches a certain level of visibility, the bar seems to drop.
They can recycle the same story from ten years ago and it’s still called “life-changing”.
But shouldn’t leadership evolve as we do?
What I Wish Women on Stage Would Do Instead
I don’t want less honesty.
I want different honesty.
What if speakers started with curiosity instead of tragedy?
What if instead of I hit rock bottom, we heard:
- This is what I’m questioning right now
- This is what I’m experimenting with
- This is what I’m learning without burning everything down
Because resilience isn’t only built in the dark.
It’s built in the everyday.
In boundaries.
In quiet pivots.
In choosing rest.
In choosing sustainability over reinvention.
We Don’t Need Trauma Porn. We Need Truth.
One panel at the event stood out.
They spoke about nervous systems.
About capacity.
About filling yourself up first.
It was refreshing.
And it made me want more depth and less drama.
More substance.
More nuance.
More leadership.
The business world doesn’t need more celebrity coaches.
It needs truth tellers.
A Message for the Next Era of Women in Business
We don’t need more rock bottoms.
We need more honesty about what growth actually looks like.
We’ve evolved.
And our stories should too.
A Simple Next Step
If this conversation resonated and you’re craving clarity, leadership, and depth in your own business, sometimes the most powerful move is getting an outside perspective.
That’s exactly what my Business Breakthrough Audit is designed for.
One personalised review.
Three clarity shifts.
A grounded plan to move forward without drama or noise.
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