Hello, hello you bloody lovely humans. Today I’m dismantling my long-term love affair with self-deprecation - the jokes I used to make so nobody else could beat me to it and I’m showing you how I swapped being the punchline for backing my bloody brilliance.

Why this matters (the science bit):

• Self-deprecation ≠ strategy: It can boost likeability but tanks perceived competence (the old competence–likeability bind).
• Self-perception theory: We believe what we hear ourselves say. Keep saying “I’m just winging it,” and guess what sticks.
• Neuroplasticity: Confidence is a trainable skill; every time you back yourself out loud, you wire that pathway in.
• Persistence effect: Speak up, hold the floor, try again — credibility rises with visible persistence.

What’s inside:

• The Millie Tant nickname and why I laughed instead of led.
• The night I told an L&D CEO I was the “queen of bullsh*t”… and what changed after my stomach fell through the floor.
• How I re-wrote my inner code so my outside world caught up.
• Five practical ways to back yourself today (no vision boards required).

Five practical plays to try this week:

1. Swap your opener. Retire the “just…” and the joke. Write a grown-up intro you can actually say out loud.
2. Evidence folder. Screenshots, testimonials, wins. Title it ALLOW and read it when you wobble.
3. Thought flip. When “Who do you think you are?” pops up, answer: “Someone who’s bloody earned this.” Add three receipts.
4. Best-mate test. If you wouldn’t let anyone speak to your best mate like that, you’re not allowed to speak to you like that.
5. Borrow belief. Until your brain catches up, stand under someone else’s scaffolding (coach, mate, Collective).

Sticky soundbites:

• Brilliance doesn’t need a punchline. It needs backing.
• Likeable is lovely. Credible pays the bills.
• Confidence requires evidence — start saving yours.
• Stop auditioning for rooms that were never built for you.

Listener challenge:
What’s one phrase you’re retiring this week and one bold sentence you’re using instead? Tell me on LinkedIn or Insta so we can cheer you on (and keep you honest).

Six-word memoir for this episode:
No more shrinking. Back Your Brilliance.

Sarah is the founder of FoundHer Fire—a membership space for experienced women in business who know real success isn’t just about strategy, it’s about self; a place, a space, a community where women find their fire, for women who aren't done yet and who are ready to write their own rules of success. Sarah also co-founded The Plot Twist (un)Awards, celebrating female founders and women smashing through glass ceilings with purpose, passion and joy.

Find out more about me and how I can work with you:

• On LinkedIn
• On Instagram
• On the Web
• Or drop me an email sarah@mindthegap.academy

This chat is sweary, funny and very, very human. You’ll feel seen.

We get into:

• Who’s on your bus (and who’s getting kicked off at the next stop). Cat-bumhole faces, your time is up.
• Midlife & hormones - the rage, the fog, the 17 minutes of joy (thank you, Victoria Wood) and what actually helps.
• High-functioning anxiety - why external gold stars never fill the gap, and how to back yourself anyway.
• Authenticity (but useful) - flexing your style without selling your soul. Read the room, keep your edge.
• Iolism - talking to yourself in the third person so you stop being a cow to… yourself.
• Gut over faff - if there’s any doubt, there’s no doubt. Move.

Your little takeaways to crack on:

• Not everyone gets a permanent seat. Edit your bus without sending a memo.
• Anger can be data. Channel it, don’t marinate in it.
• Bin the “shoulds.” Find your spinach (the stuff that powers you up) and do more of it.
• You can’t control the game, but you can choose how you play.
• Back yourself out loud - the plan can be “take the next right and see.”

Penny’s six-word memoir: "Trusts gut. Speaks boldly. Sparks change."
And yes, I bloody love her - everyone needs a Penny in Your Pocket.

Listen if…

You’re done shrinking to fit, your tolerance for bullshit is at an all-time low, and you’re ready to back yourself - with humour, grit and zero apology.

Sarah is the founder of FoundHer Fire—a membership space for experienced women in business who know real success isn’t just about strategy, it’s about self; a place, a space, a community where women find their fire, for women who aren't done yet and who are ready to write their own rules of success. Sarah also co-founded The Plot Twist (un)Awards, celebrating female founders and women smashing through glass ceilings with purpose, passion and joy.

Find out more about me and how I can work with you:

• On LinkedIn
• On Instagram
• On the Web
• Or drop me an email sarah@mindthegap.academy

Well, hello you bloody brilliant lot - welcome back to It’s Got Pockets, the podcast for women who are done shrinking to fit and rewriting the rules one plot twist (and one swear word) at a time.

This week, I’m taking you behind the scenes of my Olympic-level procrastination skills.

Picture this: I had a game-changing proposal to write - the kind of thing that could shore up my business for years.

And instead of cracking on? I made granola from scratch, cleaned out my husband’s sh*t drawer (COVID masks and rogue belt ends included), sharpened all my pencils, walked the dog the scenic route and even pegged out washing with matching pegs like I was auditioning for a Daz advert.

Why do we do this? Because procrastination isn’t about laziness - it’s about protection. When the stakes are high, our brains would rather do a hundred little dopamine-hit tasks than risk f*cking up the big thing that matters.

In this episode, I dig into:

• The neuroscience behind procrastination (dopamine, mood repair, and that Zeigarnik “unfinished business” effect).
• Why your faffing might actually be your brain’s way of gearing up for peak performance.
• My “Procrastination Power Hour” trick that lets me sharpen pencils guilt-free AND still get the bloody work done.
• How to shift from perfection paralysis to identity power: showing up as the kind of woman who gets it done.

So, if you’ve ever found yourself deep-cleaning the fridge instead of writing the proposal, this one’s for you. Procrastination isn’t your enemy - it’s the pre-party. But at some point, you’ve got to step onto the dance floor.

🔗 And if you fancy a little extra firepower, come and join me inside FoundHer Fire. Because honestly, the real magic happens when you’ve got the right women around you cheering you on to crack the f*ck on.

Sarah is the founder of FoundHer Fire—a membership space for experienced women in business who know real success isn’t just about strategy, it’s about self; a place, a space, a community where women find their fire, for women who aren't done yet and who are ready to write their own rules of success. Sarah also co-founded The Plot Twist (un)Awards, celebrating female founders and women smashing through glass ceilings with purpose, passion and joy.

Find out more about me and how I can work with you:

• On LinkedIn
• On Instagram
• On the Web
• Or drop me an email sarah@mindthegap.academy