How to Overcome Credibility Issues as a Female Creator

Stop teaching women to be confident. We don’t need another pep talk. We don’t need more “you got this” speeches or workshops on how to feel stronger. Because let’s be real: women already are confident. They study. They deliver results. They lead teams. They launch businesses. They have the expertise. Confidence isn’t the problem. The real gap? 👉 Credibility — when a man speaks, authority is assumed. When a woman speaks, her credibility is questioned. 👉 Self-trust — not “can I do it?” but “do I trust myself enough to stop apologizing, overexplaining, or shrinking when I do it?” And yes, this is maddening to witness: we’ve all seen mediocrity celebrated as authority on one side of the table, while brilliance gets interrogated on the other. Double standards drive me crazy. So instead of pushing women to “fix themselves” with more confidence, the work is two-fold: ⚡ Fix the systems that undermine them. ⚡ Practice the subtle shifts that close the credibility gap. Here’s the simple micro-framework I share with clients when influence feels harder than it should: 1️⃣ Align — Anchor in what actually matters: your values, your expertise, your goals. And ask yourself the hardest question: am I sitting at the right table? Because if you’re at the wrong one, it’s like fighting windmills. No amount of “confidence” will make that worth it. 2️⃣ State — Share your perspective clearly. No hedging. No over-explaining. No apologizing for taking space. This is the one piece where practice is everything — the muscle you build each time you refuse to downplay yourself. 3️⃣ Evidence — Back it up with data, examples, proof. Unfair? Absolutely. Necessary? Yes. Because credibility isn’t handed to us the way it is to others. We build it, brick by brick. Here’s the secret: 👉 Just “being confident” without credibility, without alignment, without self-trust… is like shouting into the wind. 👉 Alignment + clarity + evidence? That’s what shifts the room. And no, you don’t have to wake up every day ready to “fix the system” by yourself. None of us do. But every aligned statement, every piece of evidence, every time you refuse to shrink — you’re not just protecting your seat. You’re reshaping the table. Now tell me: when was the last time you noticed credibility being assumed for someone else… and questioned for you? (And if this hit home: my DMs are open.)

If you’re the only woman on a tech conference panel, congratulations on not being cast in the role of the supportive moderator. Congrats also for being recognized for your expertise and not only being up there on stage because your presence breaks the bad optics of a manel. But, because audiences bring all their unconscious bias with them, I recommend you employ strategies that clearly signal your credibility and that you do it very consciously. For example, in your self-introduction try these: 1. The present – past - future format 2.  If you were head-hunted, say so 3.  Talk $ 4. Use the word I - Women often use 'we' to describe achievements and 'I' for failures. Not on a panel where you’re the only woman, you don’t. This is what that could sound like: Today, I’m the Chief Data Officer at (your current employer). I bring experience from the defense, cyber-security and the autonomous vehicles industries. I was head-hunted from (company name) and built the integration of AI processes from the ground up. I started with $X but today my budget is $XX. As we get ready to IPO, my responsibility as the CDO is to oversee the integrity, security, and transparency of the company's data to ensure investor confidence. During the panel: 1.  Use key data points to make your case. The specifics of numbers help to demonstrate your expertise and reinforce our sense of your expertise 2.     Use inclusive language like “we” and “our industry” to position yourself as a peer with the other panelists 3.     Make your case studies short clear and link them to the bigger idea you want to convey. For example, if your goal is to position yourself as an industry leader, then link the case studies you reference to your company's goals. 4.     Build off ideas that others share. You don't always have to wait until it's your turn to contribute. Wait for the first time you're given the the mic but after that, even a brief response to the others on the panel will help you stand out. 5.     Handle interruptions gracefully. If you're interrupted you can say, I'd like to finish my point, calmly and firmly. You can also acknowledge the interrupter's comment and then return to your original thought. Physically 6.     Speak loudly. A good way to do this is to think about speaking to the back row of the room. 7.     Take up space. Use the armrests of your chair and lean back a little. Relaxation when we speak in public conveys authority. 8.     Audiences expect women to smile more than men. You do you, period. 9.     Wear whatever you want - But make sure you feel fabulous in it. Go get ‘em - and next time, bring three other women with you. #publicspeaking #presentationskills #breakthemanel #shespeaks

The internet keeps giving women lazy advice: ↳ Work hard ↳ Advocate for yourself ↳ Get a mentor It sounds empowering but in reality, it keeps high-performing women stuck in roles they’ve long outgrown. Like so many high-achieving women I followed this advice for years. Personally, it cost me over $300,000 in lost compensation and four promotions I didn’t get. I did everything “right”: Worked harder than most. Spoke up in meetings. Advocated for myself. Connected my work to business impact. And I still got passed over. It wasn’t until I became an executive and sat in actual promotion rooms that I saw what was really happening: - Speaking up ≠ visibility - Hard work ≠ credit for impact - Advice ≠ being taken seriously in leadership meetings The women who advanced fastest were doing something different: ✅ Driving innovation that impacted the business ✅ Communicating like operators, not doers ✅ Building the kind of credibility that positioned them as obvious choice ✅ Earning sponsorship; not just mentorship These are the exact strategies I’ve taught to over 500 women across 10+ years; strategies that have helped them: ↳ land promotions faster by thinking 1-2 levels up ↳ speaking like operators ↳ and showing up with the kind of credibility executives can’t ignore Because it’s not about working harder. Or advocating for yourself. It’s about being seen differently by the people who make decisions. 💬 What’s one piece of advice you were given... that didn’t actually move you forward? #womenintech #womenleaders #leadershipdevelopment #womeninleadership #careergrowth

I speak with women everyday who want to become thought leaders in their space. But most of them are making 4 key mistakes that are costing them their credibility: I see it all the time – brilliant women, incredible expertise, years of experience. Yet, when it comes to building authority and becoming a thought leader in their industry? They all make the same mistakes: 1. They Don’t Tell Their Own Story Women are fantastic at talking about other people’s success. But when I scroll through their LinkedIn, I see nothing about themselves. If you never share your journey, your struggles, and your insights – why should anyone trust you? 2. They Get Storytelling All Wrong Your audience won’t appreciate your highs if they never see your lows. Here's an example: One of my clients helps adults return to college. She talks about the “comebackers” she supports. But SHE'S also a comebacker herself. Yet, nowhere in her content does she mention her own experience. That story is her credibility. But she wasn’t leveraging it. 3. They Bury the Lead I’ve worked with women who've signed billion-dollar deals, led Fortune 500 initiatives, and even painted portraits of Nelson Mandela. But when you ask them to introduce themselves? They all start with the same: “I have a dog and live in Williamsburg.” I always tell them that their most powerful and credibility-building moment shouldn’t be a footnote. It should be the first thing out of your mouth. 4. They Let Limiting Beliefs Hold Them Back I hear it all the time: - "No one will read this" - "People will judge me" - "I don’t have anything new to say" And my answer is always the same: ↳ Everyone will read this ↳ Your unique experiences make your insights one-of-a-kind ↳ People are already judging you, so you might as well own the narrative Here’s a quick exercise to fix these issues: ✔️ Decide you are the subject matter expert – no one is going to grant you permission. You have to claim it. ✔️ Write down every limiting belief you have – then write the exact opposite and shift the script. ✔️ Use scripts to help frame your message. I share scripts constantly because they’re what saved me in my TV career – and now I use them to help women step into their expertise (reply in the comments with the word "SCRIPT" and I'll shoot them your way). Here's the thing you have to remember: You already have the experience. And you already have the credibility. All that's left for you to do is to step up and own it.