It’s so funny when I think about the times I would be nervous to start a new Yoga class, like to the point I’d rather miss out, so I don’t have to do the ‘new person in town walks into the local bar, then all heads turn’ thing.

And so, whether it’s a networking event, a high-end dinner party, or even a new fitness class, it almost always comes down to the fear of being seen, judged, or even worse, completely ignored.

For many women, this moment is loaded with anxiety because we’re conditioned to crave social validation or fear standing out in the wrong way.

In this article, I’ll break down how to turn the nerve-wrecking feeling into a confidence-building power play. We’ll look at:

• The real reasons why walking into a room alone feels so uncomfortable, and how to shift your thinking around it

• What confident women do differently in those first 30 seconds

• Simple strategies to keep all eyes on you for the right reasons

• Questions you should ask yourself before you even step through that door

By the end of this article, you’ll never hesitate at an entrance again.

As much as we sit back and pretend we don’t care what others think, to be respected by our family, friends, partners, colleagues and even strangers is a feeling that makes us feel good.

But there’s one particular skill that makes people instantly respect you, and it has nothing to do with what you look like, the bag you’re carrying, the clothes you wear or who you know.

Instead, it’s how you show up for yourself and if you show up for yourself in the same way you expect others to show up for you. Most people hold others to a higher standard than they hold themselves, and then wonder why they’re not taken seriously.

I know, I know. You should be respected no matter what, but unfortunately, that’s not how society works.

So either you wait another century for the world to wake up, or you play the game, win, then use your newfound power to help change it quickly.

In this article, I’ll walk you through why keeping the promises you make to yourself is the ultimate credibility builder, the consequences of following through versus flaking on yourself, and the mental shift that will change the way you operate in every area of your life.

I always find it so ironic that people think that because you’re an extrovert, you automatically are given the gift of confidence.

But when you get around really confident people, they come off as an introvert. They hate small talk, they value their privacy, they limit their presence online, and they are quite happy in their own company.

And although we’re told confidence is about speaking up, making the first move, being outgoing, the truth is that, if it’s not in your nature to force it, acting this way will just drain you and make you feel like a fraudulent Fiona.

In this article, I’m going to show you how that as an introvert, you don’t need to ‘out-loud’ anybody at an event, or talk about the weather to create a conversation. You can be confident without uttering a single word.

It’s been the reason I’ve been so fortunate in many situations. From interning at fashion magazines, styling photoshoots in Paris and Rome, launching a beauty brand and now guiding women around the world into their best versions.

And in the same breath, it’s the reason I’d held back for over three to four years from speaking both on and to the camera to share my thoughts more intimately.

I always found it strange that I could be so confident in one setting, say in a group of friends, where once upon a time I’d be deemed ‘the loud one’, then in the next moment my stomach would turn at the thought of speaking to a bunch of strangers online who didn’t know me at all.

Confidence is often sold to us as a one-size-fits-all, but if you think about it long enough, that can’t be right, surely?

It also can’t be right that some women are just born with it and some are not? You don’t come into the world strutting around the hospital wing, hi-fiving all of the other babies.

Confidence is not one thing, it’s three…

And if you’ve been struggling with self-doubt, insecurities, impostor syndrome, or simply feeling as though you’re never quite enough, then it’s either because you’ve been focused on building the wrong type of confidence or even skipping one entirely.

In this article, I’m going to share the three major types of confidence, how to recognise them, how to build on them and finally how to layer all three to turn you into a full-blown icon.

I went back and forth about whether to use the word influencer in the title because, since the rise of social media platforms, the meaning has totally changed.

At the same time, using it made the most sense.

Because at the root of it ‘influence’ isn’t something you hope people grant you, it’s something you build internally and then embody externally.

Then others believe in it.

Open TikTok and you’ll see it. Everyone’s an influence in some respect.

• A girl sharing her skincare routine.

• A single mum of two breaking down time management.

• A student voicing an opinion that goes viral overnight.

• Influence is no longer exclusive to celebrities. It’s a rite of passage in the default currency of the digital age.

Whether you realise it or not, you’re already influencing how people feel, think, and respond through your energy, words, choices, even your silence.

The only difference between women who lead the narrative and women who follow it is how deliberately they’ve programmed their influence.

And as a woman, that matters more than ever. Influence gives you leverage in your career, your income, your relationships, and the way the world reflects back who you are. It’s not about being loud. It’s about being undeniable.

In this article, I’ll break down exactly how to program yourself for influence from an identity standpoint to showing up intentionally, so you no longer just hope to be influential, but also impactful.

For once, I was running on time, meeting a friend for lunch. Clothes were on, makeup was done, hair was finished, and I had about 20 minutes to spare before I needed to leave to catch my train.

What could I do in those 20 minutes?…

That was the first time I ever showed up on camera to the community on social media, Instagram, to be specific.

It wasn’t planned, I didn’t really know what I was going to say, but what had taken me 4 years to pluck up the courage to do, I suddenly felt compelled to do in the heat of the moment on a random Wednesday afternoon and hit the record button.

So believe me, I know. That tightness in your chest that you feel every time you feel called to speak up, or post online, or walk into a room full of people and introduce yourself to someone is frightening, but it isn’t always because you're shy.

Yes, being shy is a personality trait, but there’s more to it than just being shy.

When you feel the urge to step forward, but feel as though something is holding you back, it’s because you are ready to be seen, but for so long you’ve trained your mind to hide.

You want to express yourself through your voice, your inner power, even your style, but before you’ve even uttered a word, you feel like something is shutting you down. You want to be confident, bold, and influential, but instead you shrink…

And the fear sets in.

You start wondering:

• “What’s wrong with me?”

• “My life would be so much easier if I were a confident girl”

• “What would it take for me to just put myself out there?”

But before you get frustrated with yourself, you should know that there’s nothing wrong with you, and the good news is, being shy is something you can easily overcome.

I’m not talking about ‘fixing your shyness’ because there’s nothing wrong with you in the first place. Instead, in this article, I’ll show you a framework to step into who you really are and finally find the confidence to be seen.

Listen, you’ve got good ideas. Lots of them. You’ve got a strong vision. Big enough to fill an arena. And you’ve made more than a few promises to yourself about who you’re becoming.

But deep down, you also know what it feels like to ignore your inner voice and abandon the plan that’s collecting dust somewhere in the back of your mind as you say “I’ll start on Monday”, knowing you won’t

I know. I’ve been there.

And I soon realised, before I blamed it on motivation or a lack of confidence. This came down to the relationship I had with myself…

It was about self-trust and whether or not I actually believed myself when I said “I can do this”

If second-guessing, starting over, or overthinking is keeping you stuck in a loop, it’s not because there’s something wrong with you, it’s because somewhere along the line, you stopped being someone you could rely on.

The good news is that can change.

But it won’t happen with any more vision board, or an empty morning routine. It starts with honesty, small wins and rebuilding the relationship you have with the most important person in your life, you.

In this article, I reveal the thing you didn’t see that enables you to keep letting yourself down and how to finally stop.