What does it really mean to be visible? Not just seen, but seen in a way that feels aligned, intentional, and true to who you actually are right now?

That question sits at the heart of this conversation. And the answer is more complicated than most visibility advice lets on.

In this episode, Alex Standley is joined by Antonia Taylor, PR and communications strategist, founder of Antonia Taylor PR and Comms, and author of the report Being Seen: Women, Leadership and Visibility at Work. With over 25 years in B2B communications, Antonia has spent her career helping organisations amplify female voices and create environments where women can lead sustainably and visibly.

Alex and Antonia explore the real barriers that hold women back from being seen, and why the answer is rarely about strategy, and almost always about self.

They talk about the paradox of visibility (keep your head down and get overlooked; step forward and face the backlash), the internal critic that talks us out of everything, and what it actually means to build a visibility practice that you can sustain.

They also get into identity transitions, the symbolic power of shedding old versions of ourselves, and why your wardrobe might be holding a version of you that you've quietly outgrown.

This is a conversation for the woman who wants to be seen, but on her own terms.

EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS

06:03 — When the purpose behind your business quietly shifts

08:27 — What professional visibility actually looks like for women (it's not one thing)

10:17 — How hybrid working pushed women to the margins

14:35 — The paradox of visibility: overlooked or punished for standing out

16:24 — Wanting to be seen, wanting to be liked, and the permission women aren't giving themselves

17:05 — Fearing the exposure that comes with being visible

19:00 — The misogyny women have internalised about other women — and where it really comes from

23:22 — Consistency not constancy: building a visibility practice that doesn't break you

27:30 — Brené Brown, Adam Grant, and the bit everyone missed about vulnerability and boundaries

29:00 — Defining your own version of visibility and knowing your boundaries before you begin

31:02 — Loop it through your heart: the filter one TED Talk speaker uses before posting anything

38:32 — The black column dresses: a coach's advice and a symbolic shedding of an old identity

41:12 — Wardrobe scarcity mindset and the "one day" clothes that quietly chip away at self-worth

51:44 — Style evolution: Antonia on finding your own aesthetic as you get clearer on who you are

54:13 — Why caring about style is joyful, not frivolous

58:36 — The first step if you want to be seen but aren't sure how

1:00:14 — Having a bigger purpose than yourself as the reason to stand on stage

CONNECT WITH ANTONIA

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/antoniataylorpr/

Report: Being Seen: Women, Leadership and Visibility at Work

https://www.antoniataylorpr.com/being-seen/

ENJOYED THIS EPISODE?

If this conversation resonated, share it with a woman in your world who is ready to be seen, but hasn't quite given herself permission yet.

Ready to align how you show up with who you are actually becoming? Book a Style Strategy Call with Alex:

https://www.alexandrastandley.co.uk/service-page/style-strategy-call