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#171 - Women in Business: Identity Shifts, Self-Belief & Imposter Syndrome
162 Plays3 days ago
Women aren't underrepresented in business because we're not capable — it's what we've been taught about who gets to take up space.
In this solo episode, I dig into why so few women start, run, and lead businesses, and why so many of us hold ourselves back before anyone else gets the chance to. I share the stats (Irish and global) on female founders, CEOs, school leadership, and VC funding — and why it's cultural, not a capability problem.
I get into the identity shift nobody warns you about: going from employee (fit in, wait to be picked) to entrepreneur (stand out, pick yourself). We cover the loss of security, getting comfortable with uncertainty, who to share your goals with, manifestation, identity-based habits, calm decisions over emotional reactions, delegating at home and in business, connection over productivity, and why imposter syndrome getting louder is proof you're levelling up.
I finish with journaling prompts — and if this lights something up in you, it's exactly the work we do inside LeadHer.
Have a listen, then go do the thing.
Chapters:
00:00 Women in Business Today
01:00 The Stats and Reality
02:55 Cultural Roots and Upbringing
08:22 Lessons from Men in Business
11:58 Employee to Entrepreneur Shift
14:33 Security Risk and Going All In
20:53 Manifestation and Identity Habits
24:59 Calm Decisions and Problem Solving
29:43 Delegation and Having It All
34:55 Imposter Syndrome Gets Louder
36:23 Stop Hiding Start Sharing
42:52 Recap Journaling and Next Steps
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- Music by LiQWYD Free download: hypeddit.com/link/xxtopb Promoted by FreeMusicPromo https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbycji-eySnM3WD8mbxPUSQ / @freemusicpromo
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Transcript
Introduction to Women in Business
00:00:01
Speaker
Hello everyone and welcome back to another episode of the Kate Hamilton podcast. So solo episode today, i want to talk a little bit around females in business. I want to talk about why a lot of women seem to struggle in business, why women are underrepresented in business. and I want to talk about the identity shift. If you are becoming an entrepreneur and moving from being an employee to becoming an entrepreneur,
00:00:29
Speaker
moving from being an employee to being a business owner and everything that comes alongside that as well, that you have to keep going, like relationships, parenthood, and all of the life responsibilities alongside making this huge identity
Statistics and Cultural Challenges
00:00:43
Speaker
shift. And then I want to spend some time in this episode talking about imposter syndrome, why it gets louder as you grow and why you have to do things anyway and how it is just completely normal and there's nothing wrong with you. So that's what we're going to get stuck into today.
00:01:00
Speaker
And so the first part, I really want to just talk about women being underrepresented in business.
00:01:10
Speaker
so going to share some statistics with you. So only 20% of Ireland's entrepreneurs are women. That was a study done in twenty twenty five twenty percent in
Personal Reflections and Family Influence
00:01:21
Speaker
2025. 20%. 19.2% of CEOs in large Irish enterprises are women.
00:01:26
Speaker
So similar statistic. This is an interesting one. I won't close to my heart because it's, you know, my background is in primary school teaching. 84% of primary teachers are women.
00:01:38
Speaker
but men hold 34% of principal posts. So 34% of the leadership posts, like the head leader in a school ecosystem, let's say are held by men, although women make up 84% of the the primary teaching workforce.
00:02:01
Speaker
Another statistic for you, only about 10% of global venture capital goes to female founded companies.
00:02:10
Speaker
And only one in ten Irish women say that they want to start a business in the next three years. These are these statistics. And I think by having the teaching statistic in there, like it's very obvious this is not just a business thing. This isn't just these aren't just business statistics.
00:02:28
Speaker
And it's a cultural pattern. And a lot of us women are carrying it really without realizing it. So what's actually going on here? OK, so it's not capability.
00:02:40
Speaker
It's never been capability. We know that us females are very much capable. and We know it's not just business, that business didn't create the pattern. It's just business has kind of made it more visible when we look at it from this perspective.
00:02:54
Speaker
um And I do think the issue is older, it's deeper, it's cultural and women carry it their whole lives. And for some women, it's heavier than for others. And it's funny, this is something that I've only really noticed in recent years since I stepped into the fitness industry and then into the world of building a business. and And, you know, my background is in primary teaching. But even before that, I like my mum. My mum is...
00:03:25
Speaker
fiercely independent. She is borderline feminist feminist. She's an old hippie at heart and she is happily married to my dad, but she is very independent. She instilled the importance of independence in me and my sister and how important education was and that it was really important that we were never dependent on a man and that, or not even a man, that we, but that was, they're her words, but really that we are not dependent on another human being, that we can stand on our own two feet Be confident.
Balancing Work and Family
00:03:56
Speaker
So from a very early age, I was really lucky that I never questioned my right to be in a room. I never questioned my intelligence and I never questioned my self-worth in that way. And and I know not all women are as lucky and have had upbringings where they're They have been taught to play smaller and to support the men and um and every culture is different as well. I'm very respectful of that. But I just kind of want to give that background of you know, that's where I come from.
00:04:28
Speaker
And, you know, my sister is an amazingly independent woman as well. She has small kids at home now. She works in the corporate world. She's managing it all. It's not easy. She makes it look easy despite the fact that I know it extremely, despite the fact that I know it's not easy.
00:04:45
Speaker
And even when I look back another generation, like my grandmother, my mom's mom and was an incredible woman as well. Very, very strong willed. And and she was a nurse. And so she qualified as a nurse after school and and worked as a nurse and she traveled to America. And then she got married to my granddad. And back then, which we're talking the nineteen fifty s she in Ireland, you had to retire when you got married. So she had to give up her career to get married. She wasn't allowed to work once she got married. And i think we forget as women that that's really not that fucking long ago. Like we're talking like my grandmother who only died 10 years ago.
00:05:29
Speaker
um in the 1950s had to give up her career and she used to talk to us about her nursing days and you know when we fall and we get a little caught and you know anything she or my mum used to ring her for advice you know if we were sick or anything like that because and she would just slot into nurse mode and she was so proud that she was a nurse and she talked about her nursing days a lot and I just think like how strong and independent she was my granddad was amazing and such a kind man and and she was very lucky. I know there was a lot of women who had to give up their careers to get married and their husbands were not as as wonderful as well. And so she had a great marriage and she was a fantastic mother and grandmother, but there was definitely a part of her that wasn't fulfilled and that was taken away from her, not by my granddad, but by the law at the time. And, um,
00:06:13
Speaker
And it's I just think it's really important to remember that as women, and whether we choose to work, whether we choose to stay at home and raise our kids, whether we choose to build a business that we get to choose. And not that long ago, our grandmothers did not get to choose. And and depending on what country you are listening to this in, maybe your mothers didn't get to choose.
00:06:34
Speaker
and And I think it's really, really important that we remember that. But I also just kind of wanted to give that background to you on on how I was raised. and So I was I was always surrounded by strong, independent women. and I'm really girl I'm really pro girl power as well. You know, I'm i the era of the Spice Girls. and I was born in 1986, so I was, what, ten when the Spice Girls came out and it was all about girl power. And I'm just very c pro women. And i love to see women win and I love to to be able to help and lift up other women. This is literally what I do as my job now. But in in and the early days of my career, when I worked as a primary school teacher, I worked as a primary school teacher for 15 years and
00:07:22
Speaker
um During my time, the principal was male and then the principal retired and the next principal was also male. Both fantastic principals, fantastic men and a lot of amazing women that I worked with. Strong, independent, intelligent, the organizational skills, the people skills that like I was surrounded by the most incredible women from the age of 21.
00:07:51
Speaker
up until the age of 36.
Confidence and Gender Perspectives in Business
00:07:53
Speaker
thirty six and And I grew up in that school around the most amazing women. And it really wasn't until I stepped out into the fitness industry and into business mentorships and started learning about business that I really saw how different the gender roles are in the real world when I stepped outside of my bubble. And it kind of shocked me a little bit.
00:08:22
Speaker
and And one thing that I really took from being around men in business rooms, because keeping in mind, I only have one sister.
00:08:33
Speaker
I went to an all girls secondary school and I ah worked in a female dominant job for 15 years. I really hadn't spent that much time working alongside men. And now that I am, have one thing I really learned quite early on was the difference things that men have in business and probably just in life in general that a lot of women don't is this unshakable baseline self-belief.
00:09:08
Speaker
ah like it It absolutely flabbergasted me and made me really think, if a 23 year old man, i like a lot of these were young men in these mentorships, and I'm not even just talking about the men who were leading the mentorships, the young men that were in the mentorships, 23, 24, 25 years old, and they have this unbelievable confidence and self-belief. Why can't I? Why am I asking for permission? Why am I waiting for permission or waiting for the right time? Why do I need to think I need to do another course to be perfect? Why do I still not think that I'm good enough to put myself out there and help others when these young, capable men and they are young, capable men. And of course, they're entitled to to step out into the world and and put their stamp on it.
00:09:53
Speaker
and And they are great. But so are we. And why are we asking for permission? And why are we waiting and hesitating in the sense when these guys are not doing it in the same way? I'm definitely not anti-man. I just want to put it out there. I'm not. I'm happily married to my husband. I'm raising two sons. I am. i think men are incredible. But I also I love to learn.
00:10:18
Speaker
Business from men. And the reason why I do is I like to be in rooms of men in relation to business because they think differently to us women.
Transition from Teaching to Entrepreneurship
00:10:28
Speaker
Naturally, they think differently. They compartmentalize things differently. They're less emotional about things. And I do think that our emotion and our connection is our superpower as females. But I also think that learning from men in the industry and then taking what I see and what I observe and what I learn from them and interpreting it into a way that is relevant for women.
00:10:53
Speaker
I just love doing it and and, you know, and putting it into practice and and sharing it with other women. And it's it's just so incredibly empowering. And I'm so excited for the future to be able to see how far I can go with my business and how much I can grow it and how much of an impact I can have and how much I can help other people. And and that comes from as well just stepping into rooms of people who are unapologetic, who are unbelievably ambitious, who have this self-confidence that like have that fear.
00:11:29
Speaker
The fear is still there. The the doubt. But they do it anyway. and And I don't know, maybe it's a generational thing. Maybe the younger generation have a stronger sense of self-confidence or belief in themselves than than us millennials and older um have. But i I. I really just want to be able to to I really just want to be able to help people step into their power in the same way that I have seen so many young people, mainly young men do.
00:11:58
Speaker
Another big thing for me in relation to when I stopped being a teacher and stepped into becoming a business owner and was having to move from the employee identity. so Like as a teacher, i had to fit in.
00:12:15
Speaker
Like as a teacher, you don't want to be standing out. You know what mean? You don't to be too eccentric. You don't want people talking about you. You want to fit in. You want to conform. You want to do your job well. and And as a teacher, what other people thought of me was a job requirement. You know what mean? You had to be that stand up person in the community. And you had to obviously be sensible and responsible to look after other people's kids and to educate them and to teach them. And it that job is a privilege and it's so important. And I took it very seriously, but also being able to manage parents and learning how like that, per those personal skills of, you know, having difficult conversations, but also keeping people on side and
00:12:55
Speaker
These were all things that came with that. it's it so where Some of these skills have become really useful in business, you know, like being a the the communication skills, the people skills, the being able to have difficult conversations that translates amazingly into the world of business. and But the fitting in and the conforming and the worrying about what other people thought of you, that was something I had to leave behind. I had to step forward and it really wasn't like, you know the first couple of years in business I did ah job share.
00:13:26
Speaker
I did a job share for the first year and then I did two years career break before I actually resigned. And I think it wasn't really till I knew for sure that I wasn't going back teaching that I felt like I could relax and just get myself out there a bit more online because there was always that underlying chatter of, oh my God, that's Kate who teaches down there in Ashford now. And, you know, like, and I would worry a little bit about what people thought of me. And And it's like if you want to build a successful business, you have to stand out.
00:13:57
Speaker
Now, that doesn't mean you have to overperform and become someone you're not. Absolutely not. You need to be authentically yourself online. You need to get your message out there. You need to get your personality out there. You need to get your authenticity out there. That's how you stand out.
00:14:13
Speaker
So you can't do that if you're trying to fit in. You can't do that if you're worried about what other people think of you. And and that's very, very difficult and it takes time. That's what i help people with. So please do keep listening to this podcast and I will help you and overcome a lot of these issues. But they do take time. So be patient with yourself as well. Another thing from moving from teaching into the business world was security and balance. OK, so I was raised on that. So I was raised to believe, you know, the importance the importance of family, which is still a very, very strong value of mine and quality time, value and quality time and presence, how important that is. Not presence as in giving and receiving presents. I mean, you know, being in the present moment and how important that is, and that quality time that you spend with loved loved ones and that family comes before anything.
00:15:03
Speaker
That's still very much a very strong belief of mine. But another value that I was raised on was having a secure, pensionable job and how safety and security and balance and having a balanced life are the most important, most valued things.
00:15:22
Speaker
And the interesting thing is those are things that entrepreneurship cannot guarantee. And so when I was leaving teaching, I did come across as a bit crazy to everyone else around me. Like people were like, oh, you wouldn't really leave teaching, would you? And I'm like, oh, I like it was very much a time where I just held my cards very close to my chest. my I was dreaming really big. I could feel it. i I was effectively manifesting what was to come because I just I felt like this successful business person. I wasn't even clear on exactly what it was going to grow into or you know, how I was going to do it, but I knew everything was going to work out.
00:15:58
Speaker
And when I left teaching, I didn't have any savings, but I just knew it was going to be OK. I read like a deep knowing that it that it was going to be OK and that no one was going to die. So it'd be fine and we'd figure it out. And like, but but I know people were very much like, Kate is losing it.
00:16:17
Speaker
Like, I know my parents were worried like and and it's funny, I I say this all the time and you've probably heard me say it already. That that belief, that's support and belief and encouragement that you're looking for from your friends and your family and your loved ones.
00:16:36
Speaker
You won't receive it until you don't need it anymore. You have to rely on yourself and you have to get comfortable being uncomfortable. There will be people in your life that you can share your thoughts and fears and worries and excitement and goals and hopes and dreams. But please be so careful who you share that with. Like I was so selective with who I shared my goals with, you know, just a couple of friends that were business owners that really got it. And my husband, like i did I didn't talk to my parents about it really. And, you know, i I talked to my sister a little bit about it, but.
00:17:12
Speaker
only what I wanted to share, if that makes sense, because I didn't want to be brought back to earth. I didn't want to hear the practical advice that I probably needed, but it would have stopped me. And and i just think it's really important to to note that entrepreneurship is never going to feel safe. and You need to get okay with that uncertainty. And I think one thing that I realized was the fear and the and so the fear that that uncertainty brought was totally Like overshadowed by the excitement and the potential of what the possibility of what it could grow into.
Entrepreneurial Mindset and Identity
00:17:51
Speaker
So the potential freedom, the potential in impact, potential financial abundance. And I still have that excitement to this day. It's like you can dream as big as you want. There is no ceiling and you can.
00:18:04
Speaker
you can work You can work towards whatever goals you want and build and grow your business in whatever direction you want. And that outweighed any of the fear and uncertainty because I couldn't deal with the predictability of my teaching job any longer. It's same, although you're different kids year in, year out, it was the same routine year after year after year, same back to school time, same school holidays, same holidays.
00:18:34
Speaker
occasions in school at the same time each year, same routine, same little break, same big breaks. It like it was just it it it was like Groundhog Day. And for someone who was extremely fulfilled by teaching, that is enough because you're connecting and you're present and you're you you know, that you're it it's so fulfilling and it gives you energy. For me, I was a good teacher. I was connecting with the kids that I was working with. I was educating them, but I didn't have the same fire for it that I did for building business. So the prospect of staying and teaching just felt a little bit like this is it.
00:19:10
Speaker
I do this till I'm 65 and then I retire. There's no excitement there now. And that's because it wasn't my calling, my vocation. And I think that teaching very much is a calling. You know, there's a certain person who was born to be a teacher. My mom was one of them. And i can think of several teachers that I worked with over the years that are just born teachers and they're absolutely incredible and they change lives. And and but for me,
00:19:38
Speaker
ah especially after experiencing the excitement of starting to build a business when I was job sharing and even when I was just on career break, one of my biggest fears became, I'm afraid I'm going to have to go back teaching. And that ended up being my worst case scenario. And I had remember having this conversation with my sister and she's like, what's the worst that's going to happen? like And I was like, my worst case scenario is that like I know we're not going to starve. I know we're not going to lose the house if everything falls apart. My worst case scenario is I end up back in the classroom.
00:20:08
Speaker
And that was my answer to know that I needed to step away and actually resign my permanent job and move and and really jump into this entrepreneur identity full time. So and I just want you to know that, like, you know, I think when we look back, things can always seem romantic. that It's always romanticized. It always seems idyllic.
00:20:30
Speaker
But it's fucking hard. it's It's uncertain. And it's important that you know that. And if you're feeling uncertain and're uncertain and you're feeling scared, but you also have and like a gut feeling, like fire inside you that you know, you're like, I will fucking make this work because it's my everything.
00:20:48
Speaker
If you have the fire inside you, fucking go for it. You will regret it for the rest of your life. If you don't, i promise you that. when you're stay So when you're deciding that you're actually going for it, okay,
00:20:58
Speaker
what's really important here, and this is actually the basis of manifestation as well. And I'm a big believer in manifestation. I i've i practice manifestation um in my day to day life and I don't mean it in a woo woo way. and I actually have a definition of of of manifestation, which I want to read to you.
00:21:17
Speaker
So definition of what is manifesting. So this was, and this definition is by Gabrielle Bernstein. Manifesting is cultivating the experience of what it is that you want to feel and then living and believing in that.
00:21:32
Speaker
And then living and believing in that experience so that you can allow it to come into form. So manifesting doesn't, have it's not magic.
00:21:45
Speaker
What manifesting is, is feeling it and believing it before you see it. And that is exactly what I did without even realizing it. Those early days when I wasn't making much money at all. And I had to work a job on the side, two jobs at one stage, and I was building the business on the side. But I was listening to business podcasts and I was listening to business books and about scaling and marketing and sales and you know everything.
00:22:10
Speaker
And a lot of spirituality and personal development and building my confidence and connection and I felt like that most, I felt like the most successful business owner there ever was. Like I just, I had such a fierce belief that everything was going to be okay. And it's only now looking back, I'm like, I manifested that because I was feeling it before it existed. Okay. So when it comes to shifting that identity into building your business, you need to become the identity now.
00:22:44
Speaker
You are an entrepreneur. You're not an entrepreneur when your business looks real enough. You're an entrepreneur now.
00:22:53
Speaker
You need to practice identity based habits. So like what we I do with my Nourish Her Ladies in relation to health and fitness. Identity based habits is figure out who is entrepreneur you?
00:23:08
Speaker
Who is this version of you that you want to step into? OK. What does she do every day? How does she think? How does she feel?
00:23:21
Speaker
And then just step into that identity.
00:23:27
Speaker
Your actions follow the identity, not the other way around. So who are you? What are you here to do? And every decision that you make needs to align with that. Who are you? What are you here to do?
00:23:43
Speaker
There's no like hemming and hawing. Oh, should I do this? Should I not? Oh, but I'm afraid. Well, it doesn't matter if you're afraid. Does it align? Does it align with who you are and what you're here to do? If it does, then it's a hell yes. If you're unsure if it's a right fit because it doesn't align, then it's a no.
00:24:00
Speaker
So although you might be making risky decisions and sometimes things will not be easy. Yes, you need to take full responsibility for your actions, the consequences of them, learn from them and go again.
00:24:14
Speaker
but you do not need to beat yourself up. and You're not a failure when things don't go right. This is what leads to perfectionism and perfectionism is the worst type of self-sabotage and procrastination. OK, it's not about being perfect. It's about just fucking getting out there and doing it. Just get out there and do it and pick yourself up, learn from it and do it again. The only way you fail is if you give up on yourself. and The only way you give up on yourself is if you start attaching so much emotion to what you do or don't do.
00:24:49
Speaker
So learn what needs to be done. I'm here to help. I'll help you learn what needs to be done to grow your business. I'll help you through this podcast. I help people through my mentorship and I'll help people through my content.
00:25:05
Speaker
But what you need to do is realize when a launch doesn't go well or you don't sign up a client or a client leaves or you don't make as much you you don't make as much money as you thought or you have to let someone go or you know, you end up in a negative month or, you know, things are financially you're really struggling.
00:25:23
Speaker
It doesn't make you a bad person. It's not your like it's it's emotionally you shouldn't have an emotion attached to it. It's data. It's like, OK. This is the reality, so brutal facts.
00:25:38
Speaker
Look at that, look at the brutal facts. This is my reality. What needs to happen now? And the worst thing you can do is make any type of business decision from a emotion.
00:25:49
Speaker
If you make a decision out would of fear, you'll regret it. If you make a decision out of anger, you will regret it. If you make it a decision out of excitement, you will regret it. So the like my mantra is let it be the Beatles song.
00:26:05
Speaker
Honest to God, like I listen to that now as an adult. I'm like, oh, so fucking true. Let it be. There is no rush. And that doesn't mean overthink and overthink and overthink every decision. It's like when things are difficult, just say this month you're like, shit, I don't think there's enough money there to to pay everything.
00:26:24
Speaker
Obviously, you're going to sit down and look at the numbers eventually. But if you're feeling really emotional about it and panicked and stressed, you need to let it be for a little bit of time. Go for a walk. Get on with your day. Keep it out. Like if it keeps coming into your mind, moving it away, breathing it away.
00:26:43
Speaker
and getting on with your day and being present in the present moment and then having the designated time set aside where you sit down and you deal with this problem from a place of calm, from a place place of clarity. If you're from a place of emotion, you will never make the right decision and you will regret it. So let it be is so important.
Delegation and Work-Life Balance
00:27:02
Speaker
Stop being perfect and know that running business is about problems.
00:27:08
Speaker
I know I sound like sound like Roy Keane here, but it's your job. Solving problems is your job as a business owner, particularly as you take on staff, but even just with clients, that is your job as a business owner. So if you think you're going to build a business and you're not going to encounter problems, you're probably not supposed to build a business. You will encounter problems.
00:27:30
Speaker
But as you start to overcome problems and solve them, i you'll build the evidence that you can do this. And it gets easier. and It's important to know as well as you grow a business, as a business grows, the problems tend to grow as well.
00:27:45
Speaker
ah So you need to, one thing I've learned is that business owner identity and that fear and that panic and the not feeling enoughness, that needs to be dealt with at while you're at a smaller scale because as you grow,
00:28:01
Speaker
it will magnify what's inside you. So as the business grows, the problems and the insecurities will grow with it. And so you have to face them head on. Another thing I help with, so make sure you're following on, we'll be doing a lot of mindset work around this as well. And this again is what I work with my clients with. As well as a business owner, another thing to remember, and I see this so much with people starting out, especially as they start to, you know, get some level of success and they're building a client base and they're getting more and more clients in,
00:28:29
Speaker
You are no longer selling your time. You're selling your worth, your value and your magic. OK, so that is not 40 hours a week. That is not 60 hours a week. It's not work, work, work, work. Please don't fall into the trap of being a busy fool.
00:28:44
Speaker
As you start to grow, you will have to start to delegate. And yes, that's going to affect your profit a little bit. But if you have goals to grow further, you will need to. Otherwise, you will get trapped in a prison of your own making and you'll end up resenting the business. And this is why a lot of small businesses fail. And and that's a trap that you don't to fall into. Obviously, if you're just starting out,
00:29:06
Speaker
you will have to to do everything initially and your time is being traded in the early days until you have enough money, until you've made enough money. And as soon as you've made enough money, you need to buy back some of your time and how you become more and more valuable and how you end up being able to charge more for your services and really start to build profit in your business is by being valuable.
00:29:31
Speaker
The information that and the services that you are giving to people are worth what they pay and you will need to protect that magic like it's the most precious thing in the world because it is.
00:29:43
Speaker
So then for us women, on top of all of that, quite often we also still have to be a mother, a wife or a partner, and we have to keep all that going along this alongside it. We have to keep our our relationships going. and But I just want you to know that you can have it all.
00:29:58
Speaker
And I have managed to achieve that the balance of ah of the home life and the relationships and the business. You can have it all. You just can't do it all. You can't do everything.
00:30:10
Speaker
You have to delegate when it gets to a certain point. And if you can't afford to a delegate to delegate the business stuff, you have to delegate some of the home stuff. OK, you can't do it all, especially at the same time.
00:30:21
Speaker
but And just remember, a strong woman isn't someone who does everything. It's someone who's leading everything. OK, so like I said, delegate, ask for help, help and build your team at home and in business like the early days. Dave took over, my husband took over a lot of the housework, a lot of the home stuff and a lot of the child stuff as well. Now, I wasn't completely gone, but, you know, it it became more.
00:30:46
Speaker
Imbalanced for a while when I built the business. And, you know, as I've spoken about it before, I had a lot of mom guilt around that at the time. It's more balanced now, but then there are times when things need to get a bit imbalanced again. I obviously, as I built Nourish Her Coaching, was able to hire a team. So, you know, i have I have coaches and I have an assistant there to help me with the things that I don't have to do within the business so that I can be fully present and creative in the parts I am involved in the business and that's really important and that can be different for everyone like for nourisher I am involved in the education side of things so I share weekly lessons with with the group I'm involved in the whatsapp group I send a morning message every morning to the whatsapp group and we have a weekly group call and I lead the weekly group call and it's very much mindset based so in nourisher
00:31:35
Speaker
That's my magic. That's what like a funny how I've suddenly sloted slotted back into being teacher and educator. and But that's that's my strong point in the business. And then I have my coaches that do the check-ins and I have Lindsay as my head coach and she helps the ins and outs of running the business day to day. have Sarah, my assistant, who helps in the background with all the admin. And and now with LeadHer, LeadHer is very much being run by me. I am my business mentorship leader, but I have my husband, Dave, helping out in the background with editing, with the podcast, ah podcast production. So he is doing all of this. So I record the podcast and he edits it and he gets it produced and out there into the world. And so like, because I wouldn't have time to do all of it. I wouldn't have the energy
00:32:25
Speaker
to do all of it. So you have, so, but that's, that's what works for me. and What works for someone else is going to be different. So over time, as you start to grow, you'll know what you need to delegate. You need to delegate the stuff that, that depletes you the most. And we all thrive in different ways. So it'll be different for you, but building your team at home and in the business needs to happen as time goes by.
00:32:48
Speaker
And when it comes to mom guilt, just remember your kids do what they see, not what they're told. And so building this business is the lesson. Like ah as I record this, I'm sitting at my desk in the corner of my sitting room and opposite me, there's a little and makeshift desk that my eight year old has built for himself with his little toy laptop.
00:33:07
Speaker
and his little toy microphone. And he literally mimics me like he he plays pretending that he's running his business and he's recording his podcast. And it melts my heart. And five years ago, when he was only three, I felt so guilty leaving him and missing bedtimes because I was working two jobs and to make this work. And I was like, maybe i'm being selfish and I should go back teaching.
00:33:33
Speaker
Oh, my God, am I glad I didn't. Last point in relation to this identity shift is and in relation to, you know, not working all the hours and, you know, that it is about your value, not about the time worked. Just remember connection over productivity. It's not about how much work you get done. It's the quality of the work that you get done. and Same with my next point, quality over quantity. That's true for the quality of your work over the quantity of how much you work. But it's also true of the quality time that you spend
00:34:06
Speaker
with your family over the quantity. I think about how much time I spent with my kids when I was a teacher, but most of it was me being tired, stressed and cranky with them and just giving out to them all the time. and Whereas now i I quite often can be busier in the afternoons, but then when I switch off, I'm so present and I'm so much happier and I'm lighter. And like, I know my oldest has once said to me, he's like, you're way nicer now that you're not a teacher anymore.
00:34:32
Speaker
And that was a real like, oh, my God, moment. I think that shifted a lot of mum guilt for me when he said that, because I was like, holy shit, I actually am a better person because now I'm doing something that's more aligned to who I
Imposter Syndrome and Sharing Knowledge
00:34:44
Speaker
am.
00:34:44
Speaker
So if you are beating yourself up about things, maybe just look at it, look at look at all the evidence. And hopefully I've given you a little bit of. a perspective change when it comes to that.
00:34:55
Speaker
Okay. Last thing I want to talk about, which we've kind of touched on already is imposter syndrome. Okay. So imposter syndrome is so fucking common. 84% of entrepreneurs experience this 87% admit they felt it. So you are most definitely not alone.
00:35:12
Speaker
So Maya Angelou, really, really famous thought leader, author. After 11 books, she's quoted to saying they're going to find me out. So even some of the world's most successful people they ah They feel it too. OK, so it doesn't go away as you grow. So don't think that as you build your business bigger or you make more money that your imposter syndrome is going to go away. It won't. It will get louder.
00:35:38
Speaker
So, like, you know, you've got first client, first five K month, first podcast, first 10 K month. There's a fresh wave of imposter syndrome every time I kind of enjoy it now. Like I feel a little bit of imposter syndrome now with recording these business podcasts, with building up my and my business mentorship and And I feel it and I'm like, oh, this feels a bit uncomfortable. And then I'm like, that fucking that's a good sign.
00:36:02
Speaker
That is a good sign. It's a sign. It's not a sign that you're not ready. It's a sign that you're growing. And that's exciting. You know, you're onto the right track when you feel that discomfort, because remember, nothing grows in the comfort zone. You have to step out of your comfort zone in order to grow. And that's where all the fulfillment lies and all the excitement lies as well.
00:36:23
Speaker
Another thing that I see in relation to imposter syndrome with a lot of female entrepreneurs in particular is this hiding tactic. OK, and if this is you, you're going to feel very seen doing course after course.
00:36:38
Speaker
qualification after qualification thinking I'm just not ready yet. So it looks like dedication to your craft but what it is is hiding dressed up as professionalism.
00:36:50
Speaker
You know like obviously ask yourself do I have the skills required like have I qualified in what I'm actually helping people with and have I done the courses and Not do I feel qualified?
00:37:03
Speaker
Am I factually qualified and certified to help these people? and do Even if it's not something that requires ah qualification, do I have the experience that I would be a few steps ahead that I could teach these people?
00:37:16
Speaker
if you if that it If you are qualified and you have that little bit of experience, you are ready. While you're busy being like, oh, I better do another course. I need to get another qualification. I'm not going to start this until I get this degree or whatever.
00:37:31
Speaker
There are people way less qualified than you are that are making a fortune doing what you do. And I see this all the time. Really, really good coaches, really, you know, coaches, dietitians, nutritionists, physios, personal trainers.
00:37:52
Speaker
Gym owners, so many different types of service based people who are so qualified, have decades of experience and they're just bitter and angry at the less qualified, less educated people who are building more successful businesses than theirs because they just fucking went for it.
00:38:11
Speaker
Don't let that be you. OK, you are qualified enough. You are enough. You just have to start sharing what you know, because remember, your knowledge doesn't make you money.
00:38:22
Speaker
Sharing your knowledge makes you money.
00:38:26
Speaker
Your knowledge doesn't help people. Sharing your knowledge helps people. So when you're feeling that imposter syndrome, what I find really helps is when I'm feeling like, oh, am I good enough to do this? Or ah I'm kind of afraid to share this. or little Like it's fucking not about me.
00:38:42
Speaker
It's not about me. It's about the people that I'm trying to help. If I have a piece of information that I want to make a reel about or a podcast about or a newsletter about or whatever,
00:38:54
Speaker
By me being like, oh, is it worth, am I worthy enough to, to, am I worthy enough to share that information? You're withholding information that could help someone else because you don't think you're worthy enough to put it out.
00:39:06
Speaker
It's not about you. It's about them. And actually an analogy that Brian Keane has used a few times, I've i've witnessed him use, which I think is really great. If you're in the desert and someone is like dying of the thirst and you have a bottle of water.
00:39:20
Speaker
Oh, I'm so thirsty. And you're like, oh, I have this water, but I am. I don't know if I'm worthy, worthy enough to share this water. Yes. You know, I don't don't know if my self-worth is there. You know, you know to mean? Like the person who wants the information or wants the help or wants the water. Wants what you have. So so give it and help and stop making it about you.
00:39:45
Speaker
And i know like I know this imposter syndrome is worst when it comes to social media because you're putting yourself out there. you're as you As you post something on social media, you are starting a conversation basically with the whole world and you're inviting people's opinions and comments in. And you need to be confident in what you're saying. So like, obviously make sure you stand by what you say. Like don't say stupid shit that um you can't back up just to get views because there's plenty people out there who do that and that's just fucking stupid.
00:40:15
Speaker
But and
00:40:19
Speaker
it is easy to feel confident in private with clients and online is a different beast, okay? The audience feels enormous and permanent and you don't get any immediate feedback
00:40:33
Speaker
There's also that people who knew you before are watching, you know, your old colleagues, your friends, your family. and
00:40:42
Speaker
But you really have to learn to block it out. You need to just stay clear to your message. Remember, who are you? What are you here to do? And every piece of content, just put it out there. Put it out there.
00:40:53
Speaker
The people you're worrying about judging you, they're not the people who are going to buy from you. Remember that, OK? You are not trying to please your friends, your colleagues, your family, you are trying to help people who need your help. And and that's going to be your ideal client. So you only ever talk to your ideal client. And remember what you, especially as you start to put out more and more content, what do you consider basic and obvious is genuinely life changing for someone else. So, you know, if you talk about calories and you talk about protein and you talk about resistance training, talk about them on repeat, because first of all, your reels are going out to different people all the time on social media. And, you know, it'll take some skill and refining to get your views up a little bit. You just have to structure your reels, but that comes with practice. I will also help you with that. It's what I help people with within my mentorship too. um
00:41:46
Speaker
But you will be repeating yourself. You'll be saying the same thing in different ways. and And although it feels like second nature to you, forget there's a lot of people out there who don't know these things. It's funny, I talk to my friend Katrina a bit about this, who owns a salon and, you know, she's talking about nails or she's talking about lashes or brows or skincare or whatever. I'm like, I don't know these things because I just I go to the salon and I pay someone to do it for me. And so when I'm but so information that's so obvious to her, it isn't that obvious to me. and
00:42:19
Speaker
as someone who doesn't who doesn't know that. So it's just important to remember whatever your area of expertise is, there's plenty of people who who need to know your knowledge. I don't know who said this originally, but this quote has really always stuck with me.
00:42:32
Speaker
If you don't share your value online, you will remain the world's best kept secret. So you're doing the world a disservice. It doesn't matter how good you are. It doesn't matter how qualified you are.
00:42:46
Speaker
doesn't matter how confident or unconfident you are. If you don't share it, no one will know who you are.
Conclusion and Encouragement
00:42:52
Speaker
Okay, so just to close up the episode, I'm just going to do a little bit of a recap here. Okay, so imposter syndrome is a feature of growth. It's not a flaw in you. Remember that, okay? does It's not a sign you're doing something wrong. The identity work comes first.
00:43:05
Speaker
Strategy without it doesn't stick. Okay, so you can do all the strategy in the world. If you don't feel it, if you don't become that person, it's not going to stick, okay? Feel the discomfort, feel the imposter syndrome, do it anyway. Okay.
00:43:19
Speaker
I have three journaling prompts for you, so you can pause this and do it now or you can take these down or you can come back to this later. Number one, what am I afraid people will find out?
00:43:32
Speaker
And is it actually true?
00:43:36
Speaker
Prompt number two. Am I hiding or am I genuinely missing a skill I need right now?
00:43:48
Speaker
Journaling prompt three. Whose life could I change this week if I shared what I already know?
00:43:58
Speaker
I just want you to remember you are not behind. You are not unqualified. You are not a fraud. You are a woman who is growing into the version of herself that already exists.
00:44:09
Speaker
And last few things I want to recap on. Most people won't support you until you don't need their support anymore. You can have it all. You just can't do it all, especially at the same time.
00:44:21
Speaker
You're no longer selling your time. You're selling your worth, your value and your magic. Kids do what they see, not what they're told. Think connection over productivity.
00:44:34
Speaker
And last one, your knowledge does not make you money. Sharing your knowledge does.
00:44:41
Speaker
And that is all. Thank you so much for listening. I hope you found this episode helpful. um And. As always, if you have found it helpful, please do share it with any business owner friends that you have that may be interested in learning a little bit more. and Share it on your stories. Tag me at Kate Hamilton Help. If you do share it on your stories, and leave a review, leave a comment. And if you are not already subscribed to the podcast, and if you could subscribe, that would be so helpful. It really does make such a difference. And thank you so much for listening.
00:45:14
Speaker
If you feel like you could do with a little bit of extra support with growing your business, I have Lead Her Mentorship. for women um and all of the information on LeadHer. I'm going to share a link in the show notes to the application form for my LeadHer mentorship. If you want to fill it out, I will be in contact. i will share the information with you. We can see if we're a good fit, hop on a call and hopefully work together if we are. Thank you so much for listening and I'll see you on the next episode.