One concept I encourage women to move away from is this idea of being ‘likeable’ simply because it’s a relative term, one that society tries to influence us to become, mainly to find success in both romantic and platonic relationships.

But you are only likeable to the people who like you.

And let’s face it, you play a different character in everyone’s story. To your mother, you are Princess Jasmine, and to your mother-in-law, you are Ursula.

Not only that, you can’t be respected if you’re more concerned with being understood. It’s one of the hardest lessons we as women have to learn, but only when you truly grasp this message can you step into your power.

Because what’s the alternative?

Spending years over-explaining yourself, shrinking your intelligence to fit in rooms you’ve outgrown just to make those around you comfortable, even though you are talented, kind and hardworking, as you pay the cost of still feeling invisible?

That can’t be life? That’s not living, that’s surviving.

The women who can command a life they feel in control of know that power and visibility aren’t granted, it’s engineered.

In this article, I’ll break down the subtle shifts and five power plays that make a woman impossible to ignore - in circles, in rooms, in relationships, in entire industries.

But before we get into that, ask yourself one question:

If someone else looked at your life from the outside, right now, would they instantly know you’re the main character?

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.

Let me start with something that might rattle your vision board straight off of your wall:

The last thing I ever want you to do is work toward your goals.

Sounds wild.

And you’re probably thinking, “Is this Patrice? The woman who claims she’s helping women worldwide become to the best version of themselves? And now she’s telling us to ditch our goals?”

Yes, it’s me. And no, I don’t want you to ditch your goals, but I do want you to redirect your approach….

We’ve been spoon-fed the hustle, the five-year plans and the idea that delayed gratification will eventually reward us with the life we want.

And while these concepts are important to know, what you’re not being told is…

Working towards your goal is often the very thing keeping it out of reach.

Don’t get me wrong, having goals is important. After all, they are your north star. They give you a target. They pull you out of the noise and give you a reason to keep going.

Of course, our goals are sacred.

But what I’m about to reveal might just flip the entire script inside out.

There comes a point in every transformation where the Pinterest vision board are no longer enough, the self-love quotes aren’t quite hitting the same, and the to-do list feels pointless. It’s at this point you realise you need an actual system that rewires how you see yourself, how you think, and how you move through your world.

This is why I created The Femme Fatale Framework.

Now I know the title sounds like an outdated trope of a woman seducing her way through life, but that concept couldn’t be further from this modern and empowering new way of thinking. The Femme Fatale Framework is about remembering your own power, one which cannot be faked, bought or imitated.

It’s about being rooted in your truth, clear in your vision, magnetic in your presence and unstoppable in your energy.

So here’s what the framework is, and why it changes everything.