I have a confession to make

Hey Verbalizer,

There's one thing I've noticed that continues to hold us women between the ages of 35 and 55 back more than anything.

And it doesn't get near enough attention as it deserves.

Despite what you may think it's not lack of confidence.

It's not a lack of skill.

It's not even imposter syndrome.

No.

It's something far more subtle.

Something that was trained into us long before we ever stepped into our professional lives.

It's the voice I like to call The Judge.

Let me tell you about my own Judge...

I remember laying in bed after running 20 miles while training for the London Marathon. It should have been a moment of pure celebration.

But then she appeared.

"Who do you think you are?"
"Running marathons?"
"Training executives?"
"Who gave you permission to dream this big?"

That voice... the one that shows up when you lie in bed to list all your mistakes.

To remind you why you're not enough.

To question every achievement you've earned.

She's universal. We all have her.

But here's what most people don't realise...

She's just one of ten saboteurs living in our minds.

Ten different voices trying to "keep us safe" by keeping us small.

Maybe yours shows up as:

👉 The Avoider (who whispers "maybe it'll resolve itself").

👉 The Pleaser (who puts everyone else first).

👉 The Hyper-Achiever (who's never done "enough").

👉 The Stickler (who needs every word perfect).

👉 The Hyper-Vigilant (who sees danger in every silence).

But here's the beautiful truth I've discovered...

There's another voice waiting to be heard:

I call her the Sage.

She lives in the part of your brain where creativity flows.

Where empathy deepens.

Where wisdom already lives.

And accessing her is simpler than you might think...

It starts with one intentional moment of connecting with your power.

Because when you learn to quiet The Judge…

When you recognise these saboteurs for what they are…

Everything changes.

So let me ask you:

On a scale of 1-10, how much permission do you give yourself to speak up in rooms where your voice matters?

(1 being "please leave me alone, I'm terrified" and 10 being "let me loose on the world!")

Hit reply and let me know - would love to hear from you Verbalizer 😁