Empowering a Network of Women to Have it All
November 17, 2023

It’s never been tougher to be a woman in business in the UK.

The Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship Progress Report 2023 reveals half of female business leaders found it difficult to secure funding in the year 2021/2022, and 44% expected it to become even more difficult - highlighting the challenges they continue to face in comparison to their male counterparts.


And for those that could, and are now able to have it all, all too often they’re also expected to do it all, too. And so burnout is (understandably) increasing. 


So, with women busier than ever before, it’s important that they learn how to effectively manage this juggle, and strive to live - and love - their best life. As an incredibly busy woman herself - running two businesses, sitting on several Boards, and a working mum of two primary school aged children - Fliss believes she has the secret to having it all, without burning out.


Asked to explore these insights at the Shropshire Chamber’s Network of Women event a few months ago, to a room full of female peers seeking to find the perfect balance and ditch the guilt, she’s keen to share these lightbulb moments far and wide: 


“I’ve spent many years investing in, learning, and mastering coaching, empowerment, and the psychology of language. And, I’ve brought a conscious awareness to my personal voice and inner cheerleader, all of which has allowed me to set (and maintain) strict boundaries, show myself compassion and never minimise my success. Mindful of the language I use, I avoid words such as ‘just’ and give more power to words like ‘no’. After all, it is a full sentence.


Often, women in business will outsource tasks that are outside of their remit or pay grade - yet for some, adopting this approach to their personal lives and engaging the services of a cleaner, gardener, or someone to take on the ironing, still carries some guilt. But why? These are tasks women took care of when they weren’t busy building business empires, so it stands to reason they may now need to make way for other roles. I accept that I can’t do it all so I delegate these tasks to enable me to focus my time more effectively.


And then there’s self-care - a topic that’s very close to my own heart and something I’m a huge advocate for. It is so important for women as leaders, mothers, or whatever roles they take on, to keep their resilience topped up - whether that looks like a bath and an early night, or taking up an adventurous new hobby.”


We’ve all heard the old adage that you can’t pour from an empty cup. In many ways, what Fliss actually gave the women at this event was permission to stop trying - along with her seven insightful secrets to having it all, without burning out: 

  • Your truth is not the truth
  • Challenge beliefs
  • Energy comes in cycles
  • ‘Busy’ is not a badge of honour
  • You can have it all. Just not all at the same time
  • Check your language
  • Stand in your power


If you loved this then give it a share!

Mastering the Art of Corporate Storytelling

By Felicity Wingrove • August 13, 2024
Storytelling is certainly a powerful art - both in the creation of intentional stories released into the world to entertain, enthuse, or inspire, and in the internal dialogue which has evolved to keep each of us safe. But it also holds significant weight as an effective corporate communication tool… We recently shared our insights about the importance of determining your truth in amongst the truth when it comes to the tales we tell ourselves as a response to the world around us. But once this has been mastered, storytelling can help you to further connect and engage – whether at Board level or communicating with your entire workforce.

A Tale as Old as Time: Storytelling Myths We Tell Ourselves

By Felicity Wingrove • July 10, 2024
From early childhood we’re taught the ancient art of storytelling. We start with ‘once upon a time’ and end with ‘happily ever after’, and we carry on telling ourselves stories as we grow and step into the world around us. But they don’t always serve us well. And that’s in large part because we’re each so unique and we view the world through our own personal stained-glass window sunglasses. Each pane of glass has been shaped and coloured by our own lived experiences, the culture in which we were raised, and the many ‘truths’ we’ve been taught along the way. And these impact how we interpret, respond and react to the stories we’re told, and that we tell ourselves. We read into a person’s intent, decipher what they ‘really’ mean, or work to sense what’s coming next. It’s all perfectly natural and it’s ultimately how our brain has evolved to keep us safe, but it’s rarely the truth and very much more often our truth. Take a lunch with friends as an example. Imagine walking into the restaurant and seeing them all together over the other side of the room, laughing and having a great time. You walk towards them and as soon as they see you, they fall quiet and look a bit awkward. You could make that behaviour mean that they were talking about you, or that they were planning a surprise birthday party for you. Neither may be the whole truth but just think about how you’d act if you believed either of those stories, how your friends would respond, and how the end of that lunch might look and feel… So few of us realise that our inner narrative doesn’t come from a neutral place, instead, just like our stained-glass sunglasses, it’s moulded by our experiences, self-image, and personal filters. And this is ever-applicable in the corporate world too. Two individuals receiving the exact same email, can have wildly different interpretations, and that comes down to their filters and how they read or process it. When we assume the intent behind a message based on our inner storytelling narrative, it absolutely impacts our response to that message. Our reaction may be defensive, potentially leading to a negative exchange that may have been completely unnecessary in reality. So always pause. And bring conscious awareness to anything that a communication (regardless of its form) brings up for you, and then ask yourself if the messaging you took from it was the truth, or was it your truth?

Download our guide to learn the five secrets to compelling communications.

Share by: