When I stood up to speak on International Women’s Day, I asked a simple question:
Who here is new to this space?
Because we all know that feeling: walking into a room and wondering if you belong. The work I do now is all about changing that feeling. Creating rooms where women feel seen, heard, and powerful.
But it didn’t start that way.
Finding My Voice (Before I Knew It Was a Thing)
I grew up hearing “no.” From teachers, from family, from the world around me. I was creative, expressive, full of ideas, but that wasn’t always encouraged. Then, at 13, something shifted.
I became part of a feminist magazine collective in Brixton called Shocking Pink. I spent my summers working alongside artists and writers who treated me like my voice mattered. They encouraged me to speak up, contribute to decisions, and share my opinions. For the first time, I wasn’t “too much” or “too outspoken.”
I was valued.
We travelled around the country selling the magazine to young women who felt isolated and unseen by mainstream media. We received letters from girls telling us it was a lifeline: that finally, someone was speaking to curious, feisty, interesting girls like them.
This was the late 1980s. And in 2024, those same magazines were featured in the Women in Revolt exhibition at Tate Modern. I can’t even describe how proud that made me feel.
Losing Myself… and Finding a New Way
Like many people, my path wasn’t linear. By 17, after pushing myself too hard and trying to live a life that didn’t quite fit, my body shut down. I ended up in hospital for three months, unable to move or speak. It was a wake-up call.
In that moment, I made a decision: if I got through it, I would dedicate my life to helping others, especially women: find their voice.
Creating Rooms Where Women Rise
Years later, that promise turned into action. I started SheSays Brighton in 2011, part of a global movement to amplify women’s voices in creative and tech industries.
What began as a small meet-up grew into rooms of 50, then 150, then 300 women, and a community of over 2000.
But the real impact wasn’t the numbers. It was the women who stood up and spoke, many for the first time. Women who didn’t think they were confident enough. Women who didn’t think their story was “important enough.” And then they spoke… and everything shifted.
What It Really Means to Own the Room
Here’s what I’ve learned after years of building communities, speaking, and coaching:
Owning the room isn’t about being the loudest or the most polished.
It’s about being real. It’s about trusting your voice, even when it shakes. It’s about letting go of people-pleasing. It’s about allowing yourself to be seen, not as perfect, but as you are.
Because when you do that, people feel it. And that’s what changes everything.
What About You?
What would it look like for you to take up space in a new way? To stop holding back? To trust that your voice matters? Because it does.
And you don’t have to figure it out on your own.
Your Next Step
If you’re ready to move from feeling stuck or uncertain… into clarity, confidence, and real momentum, I’d love to support you.
You can book a free 30-minute clarity call with me here: Book your free clarity call
We’ll look at where you are, what’s holding you back, and map out your next steps. No pressure. Just a powerful conversation to get you moving. You don’t need to wait to feel ready. You just need to start.
