{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"158. How real women stop hiding to promote themselves and be more visible","description":"How real women stop hiding to promote themselves and be more visible   Welcome to this very special mini-series for International Women\u2019s Day but not only that I am also celebrating 10 years in my business. Now, this one feels a bit special to me. Because over the next few episodes, you\u2019re not just going to hear from me - you\u2019re going to hear from some absolutely brilliant women I\u2019ve had the privilege of working with over the years. We\u2019re catching up. We\u2019re hearing what\u2019s happened since. We\u2019re talking about what visibility has actually changed for them. And honestly? Some of these conversations gave me goosebumps. But before we dive into those interviews, I wanted to kick us off properly. I want to talk about why this matters. Why visibility matters. Why it\u2019s not fluffy. Why it\u2019s not self-indulgent. And why, if we\u2019re serious about women\u2019s career progression, it\u2019s non-negotiable. Because here\u2019s the thing. Women are not lacking in talent. We are not lacking in capability. We are not lacking in qualifications. What we are often lacking is visibility. And that is not the same thing.   The Visibility Gap For years - decades - we\u2019ve been told: \u201cPut your head down.\u201d \u201cWork hard.\u201d \u201cDon\u2019t blow your own trumpet.\u201d \u201cGood work speaks for itself.\u201d Spoiler alert: it doesn\u2019t. Not in the rooms where decisions are made. Not in the conversations where promotions happen. Not in the spaces where opportunities are handed out. And so many of the women I work with come to me saying things like: \u201cI don\u2019t want to look arrogant.\u201d \u201cI don\u2019t want to put myself out there.\u201d \u201cI\u2019m not ready yet.\u201d \u201cWho am I to say that?\u201d \u201cI hate talking about myself.\u201d Sound familiar? And this is where the barriers come in. Because it\u2019s not just confidence. It\u2019s conditioning. We\u2019ve been socialised to be modest. To be grateful. To not take up too much space. To not be \u201ctoo much.\u201d And let\u2019s be honest - women who are visible often get labelled in ways that men simply don\u2019t. Too loud. Too ambitious. Too pushy. Too difficult Too emotional Too confident. But here\u2019s what I say - and I\u2019ve been saying this for ten years now (and those of you that know me well know I have been saying this for a lot longer than that) If you are not visible, you are optional. And I don\u2019t want you to be optional. 10 Years of This Work I\u2019ve been doing this specific work for a decade now. And its all come from my own experience of hiding behind others, employees, behind the brand, behind my fears. Ten years of helping women own their voice, own their expertise, own the space they walk into. And in that time, I\u2019ve worked with over 5,000 women in some form or another. From right back in the beginning, if you were with me back then and Fiercemums and a random blog I decided to hit publish on after a few wines with my sisters that built a huge community of women wanting to find their fierce, from the threats of law suits because apparently there is a woman who owns the word fierce so I couldn't use it in anymore, and so came The F Movement and you can imagine the F words that came up from that, from facebook lives to awareness workshops, to intimate networking events for introverts in business,  From 1:1 coaching sessions where we\u2019re unpicking years of self-doubt\u2026 To group programmes where women find strength in community and RiSE together\u2026 To interactive workshops where lightbulbs go off across the room\u2026 To work with male allies because women's career progression and the gender pay gap isn't only a woman's responsibility to sort out, To keynote talks -from Barnsley to Barcelona already this year - and across time zones that have absolutely ruined my sleep pattern but been worth every second. Different industries. Different countries. Different levels of seniority. Different women. But the one thing in common? They want to be seen. They want to be heard. They want the recognition they deserve. They want to showcase how bloody brilliant they are and what they bring to the table. And not in a fake, performative way. In an aligned, grounded, authentic, powerful way. The women usually show up anyway. Why Visibility Matters for Career Progression Because visibility isn\u2019t about being famous.  It\u2019s about being known for what you want to be known for, so that in turn you can make a difference, an impact and influence others in a positive way It\u2019s about: Being front of mind when opportunities arise. Being invited into rooms you used to wait outside of. Being considered for promotion. Being asked for your opinion. Being paid properly for your expertise. Because here\u2019s the uncomfortable truth: You can\u2019t progress in a career where nobody knows the value you bring. You can\u2019t influence decisions if people don\u2019t associate you with leadership. You can\u2019t change systems if you\u2019re not in the room. Visibility creates influence. Influence creates opportunity. Opportunity creates progression. And progression is what creates change - not just for you, but for the women coming up behind you. Its ultimately why I do this work. The Barriers That Keep Women Small So why don\u2019t we just all \u201cput ourselves out there\u201d? Because it\u2019s not that simple. Some of the biggest barriers I see time and time again: 1. The Good Girl Conditioning 2. Perfectionism  3. Fear of Judgement 4. Imposter Syndrome 5. Lack of Role Models And none of this is about individual weakness. Women arent broken. We dont need fixing. What Happens When Women Do Become Visible Now here\u2019s the exciting bit. Over the next few episodes, you\u2019re going to hear from women who have done this work. Women who once told me: \u201cI hate talking about myself.\u201d \u201cI don\u2019t see myself as a leader.\u201d \u201cI\u2019m just doing my job.\u201d And now? They\u2019re leading teams. They\u2019ve stepped into promotions. They\u2019ve changed roles. They\u2019ve raised their profiles internally and externally. They\u2019re speaking at events. They\u2019re influencing strategy. They\u2019re setting boundaries. They\u2019re owning their expertise. And the ripple effect has been huge. Not just in salary. Not just in job titles. But in confidence. In presence. In how they introduce themselves. In how they walk into rooms. Visibility changes how other people see you. But more importantly \u2014 it changes how you see yourself. Why This Mini-Series Matters for #IWD International Women\u2019s Day can sometimes feel like a lot of hashtags, purple balloons and cupcakes. And don\u2019t get me wrong \u2014 I love a cupcake like the rest of them But the real work? It\u2019s this. It\u2019s the daily decision to speak up. To put yourself forward. To challenge the narrative that says \u201cwait your turn.\u201d To build careers that reflect your capability. This mini-series is about showing what\u2019s possible. It\u2019s about real women. Real journeys. Real shifts. Not overnight transformations. Not glossy highlight reels or so called social media influencers. But practical, grounded examples of what happens when women stop hiding. A Personal Note When I started this work ten years ago, I didn\u2019t know it would grow into what it has. I didn\u2019t know I\u2019d be working across time zones. I didn\u2019t know I\u2019d be speaking in cool places like Brighton and Barcelona. I didn\u2019t know I\u2019d have the privilege of meeting and supporting over 5,000 women. But I did know one thing: There are too many brilliant women being overlooked. Too many ideas not being heard. Too many promotions missed. Too many pay rises not asked for. Too many women playing small to make others comfortable. And I wasn\u2019t \u2014 and still am not \u2014 okay with that. Your Invitation So as you listen to this series, I want you to ask yourself: Where am I holding back? Where am I waiting for permission? Where am I downplaying what I do? Where could I be just 10% more visible? Because visibility isn\u2019t about becoming someone else. It\u2019s about becoming more of who you already are \u2014 out loud. You deserve to be seen. You deserve to be heard. You deserve recognition. You deserve progression. And not because it\u2019s International Women\u2019s Day. But because you\u2019re bloody brilliant.   Thank you for being here.  And thank you to all the women I have had the privilege to work with.   Thank you to all the organisations that have invested in their women because they understand the assignment. In the next episode, you\u2019ll hear from our first incredible guest, and I cannot wait for you to hear her story. Until then \u2014 take up space. Own your voice. And stop making yourself smaller. If you are waiting for permission to stop hiding then this is it.   Get in touch if you've been with me since the beginning (have we known each other for ten years or more) or maybe you are brand new here - let me know what you brought you here and what has resonated? Speak soon. \ud83d\udc9b   I want to hear from YOU so get in touch with me: Book a chat with Gemma - This is the place to book a call to see how Gemma can help you or your company support female leaders to raise their profile, increase performance and visibility and build more allies. Get the White Paper > \u2018Visibility at Work: The Importance of Self Promotion for Women\u2019s Career Progression Connect with your host Gemma Stow: Website: https:\/\/www.gemmastow.com\/ LinkedIn: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/gemmastow\/ LinkedIn: Business Page https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/no-more-hiding\/ Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/nomorehidingco Blue Sky: https:\/\/bsky.app\/profile\/gemmastow.bsky.social ","author_name":"No More Hiding","author_url":"http:\/\/gemmastow.libsyn.com","html":"