Women are often socialised to believe that confidence will make them unlikeable or threatening. Lauren Currie OBE, founder of Upfront, shares her experience of receiving messages from childhood that "the world prefers me when I am quiet and small". This pressure leads many women to hide their accomplishments and dim their light.
But confidence is not something we're born with, but something we can learn and cultivate. Lauren has built an organisation that has upskilled over 11,000 women globally in confidence, leadership, and speaking up in situations where they might otherwise have stayed silent.
Women who continue to hide their talents miss opportunities to fulfil their potential and impact the world. This perpetuates systems that depend on women remaining "silent and unquestioning". Meanwhile, younger generations continue inheriting these limiting beliefs about what it means to be a woman.
This conversation will help you
- Learn how to build authentic confidence by making your curiosity "one millimetre bigger than the fear"
- Discover how to recognise and challenge internalised misogyny that makes us see other confident women as threats rather than inspirations
- Understand how to align your actions with your values and set boundaries that protect your energy to prevent isolation
Highlights
- [00:05:40] What success means for Lauren
- [00:08:28] 27 fears
- [00:10:53] "The world isn't kind to confident women"
- [00:16:35] How to show up if your presence triggers others
- [00:20:45] The scarcety narrative of the patriarchy
- [00:27:25] Lauren's biggest fear
- [00:30:58] A story of love and potential
- [00:33:18] What is Lauren's end goal?
- [00:36:25] What Fearless Forward means to Lauren
- [00:37:08] Takeaways from Sally-Anne
Resources
What is Fearless Forward?
At some point in our lives we all get scared – of making the wrong decision, of not being a good parent, or that everyone will figure out we’re just making it up as we go.
I’ve spent years helping leaders work through fear, stress, and uncertainty. Now I’m making a podcast about how they face their fears and come out stronger.
It’s for founders, leaders, and business owners who feel like they’re constantly fighting uphill and not finding the balance they need to be effective at work and present at home.