“I’m not a real business owner yet.” “I’m just starting out.” “I don’t have enough experience.” I hear these phrases constantly from creative entrepreneurs – even ones who’ve been successfully running businesses for years. This single limiting belief is costing you money, opportunities, and confidence, but the good news is it’s completely fixable. As we reach our 100th podcast episode, here’s the mindset shift that changes everything about how you see yourself and your work.

That email you’ve been staring at for twenty minutes, trying to sound “professional” but ending up sounding like a robot? I’ve been there. For years, I thought being professional meant hiding my personality behind formal language and corporate-speak. Then I met Elisa, a Sardinian event planner who was completely herself in every interaction… warm, direct, enthusiastic, while running a hugely successful international business. She taught me that authenticity doesn’t make you less professional; it makes you more effective. Here’s how to find the balance between being genuinely yourself and being professional, and why your real voice is your greatest business asset.

That beautiful pitch you sent months ago? The one that never received a response and left you feeling completely rejected? The silence doesn’t mean what you think it means. After two years of rejection from Selfridges, I was told I “wasn’t fashionable enough.” Instead of giving up, I created fashion-inspired flower arrangements and turned up at their offices. That persistence became the foundation of one of my most important business relationships. Here’s what I’ve learnt about the difference between thoughtful persistence and being pushy, and why your gentle nature is actually your biggest business strength.

That dream you haven’t dared say out loud? The one that feels embarrassingly unrealistic? It might be exactly what your business needs. I started my flower business delivering bud vases to rural pubs, secretly dreaming of working with luxury brands. That impossible vision didn’t make building my business harder, it made everything clearer. When you aim for something extraordinary, certain decisions become obvious. Here’s why thinking 10x instead of 2x transforms everything from your daily choices to the opportunities you attract, and how to hold massive dreams without losing your mind.

That story running in your head about being too far from the action? It might be exactly what’s keeping you stuck. When I started my flower business outside London, I watched established city florists dominate every venue list and felt genuinely constrained by my location. But here’s what I’ve learnt from building my own business and watching hundreds of creative entrepreneurs succeed: your distance from major hubs is never the disadvantage you think it is. In fact, it can become your most powerful differentiator. Here’s how to rewrite your location story and turn perceived limitations into genuine competitive advantages.