Overcoming Self-Doubt to Thrive in Finance with Diane Watson | EP288 - Mindset & Action: Grow and Streamline Your Business

Episode Transcript
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Donna Eade (00:00):
You're listening to the Mindset in Action podcast,
the place to be to grow andstreamline your business.
I'm your host, donna Eade.
Let's jump into the show.
Welcome back to the podcast,everybody for another mini

(00:20):
Mindset Monday with a guest.
This week I have with me DianeWatson of she Can Prosper.
Diane, welcome to the podcast.

Diane Watson (00:29):
Nice to meet you and, yes, lovely to be here.

Donna Eade (00:33):
So on Thursday we will be talking about financial
wellness.
We're going to be talking aboutwhat you can do to kickstart
your financial good habits.
So do come back for that one.
But before we get there, diane,give people a brief overview of
what it is that you do in yourwork.

Okay, so I'm a financial advisor.
It's a second career for me.
I went back to work when thechildren went to school and I've
been running my own businessfor almost 31 years and I also
have a passion, which is toencourage women to be more
financially aware and well.

(01:12):
So I run events.
I have a business called sheCan Prosper.
I run events, I do talks, I'vebeen on quite a lot of podcasts
and I completed a book last yearwhich has done really, really
well, and it's all about sayingto women come on, this is what
you need to understand, you know, take some action.

(01:32):
It's a rallying cry, really,and we have a lot of women who
have done so, and for that I'mreally grateful.

Donna Eade (01:41):
Yeah, yeah, and more to come, I am sure, because
it's only just over a year old.
The book, amazing, amazing, soI'll have that linked in the
show notes for you guys.
Please do go and check it out,because financial intelligence
is something that we all need tocultivate, because, at the end

(02:01):
of the day, we are responsiblefor ourselves and often
responsible for family members,and having a good understanding
of your finances is reallyimportant in being able to do
that and do that well.
So definitely check the bookout.
So today, diane, before we gointo Thursday's episode where
we're talking all about finances, today we're talking mindset,

(02:23):
and what I love about theseepisodes is just bringing the
reality to the table is what weare all going through, and I
think oftentimes we think we'realone in our mindset blocks and
what's keeping us stuck.
So bringing on guests andtalking about their mindset
blocks really just helps us allknow that we're not alone and
also can give us some tips onhow people deal with these

(02:43):
things.
So please do tell us what hasbeen the biggest mindset block
that you've had to shift in yourbusiness over the years.

I mean, I think, imposter syndrome, not feeling
good enough, questioning mysuccess.
I've always had issues.
I think people find this quitestrange because I have been
successful in my career, but youknow, I've had issues around my
self-esteem around.
Am I good enough?

(03:12):
I work in a very, very maleenvironment.
I've always worked in maleenvironments and that's been
quite challenging.
And you know, I think being asuccessful woman in a very male
business comes with itschallenges and sometimes I've
even questioned how.
You know, how have I actuallyachieved this?
Am I actually, you know, am Iactually worthy?

(03:35):
Have I actually done this?
You know, have I just beenlucky?
That's one of the thoughts I'veoften had.
Have I just been lucky, or isthere more to it than that?
And that's those kind ofthoughts.
Have I just been lucky or isthere more to it than that, and
that that's.
Those kinds of thoughts havealways swirled around in my mind
.
You know, even though I'veachieved the, you know, the, the
pinnacle of success in terms ofmy career with St James's Place

(03:55):
, I'm one of a very small numberof women who've become a
principal partner.
I've questioned that as well.
You know, wow, did I really dothat?
Yeah, I think women, we do havethis imposter syndrome block.
I believe a lot of that for mestarted in my childhood and you

(04:15):
know it's something that I'vebecome much more aware of the
more work I've done on myself.
Probably wasn't aware of it forquite large periods of my life,
but I work with lots ofbusiness women and I know it's
something that it's quite acommon theme for lots of, for
lots of women.
Men don't seem to have the sameissues around self-belief and

(04:37):
and and self-esteem, but it it,it doesn't matter how successful
you are as a woman, you canstill have that imposter
syndrome kind of nagging at theback of your mind.

Donna Eade (04:48):
Yeah, absolutely, and you said there that you
think that it probably stemsfrom childhood.
Is there anything that you canpick up on instances of when you
were little where that kind ofcame up for you and what those
situations were?

Well, I think my mother was quite authoritative
Remember, they're still alive,she won't be listening to this
podcast but my mother was quitecontrolling and I was and still
am, but was a massive peoplepleaser.
So anything to please and to dowhat was expected.
And I think that chips away atyour self-belief and your

(05:26):
self-confidence.
And it's something that I'vebeen doing work now with a coach
for the last year and it's madesuch a difference,
understanding where it came from.
But also, you know, it's notthat I'm not blaming my mother
because she, you know, did whatshe did with the best of
intentions, but I have a feelingthat somewhere along the line,

(05:50):
when I was quite small, I justthought, you know what, it's
just easier just to do what I'mbeing told to do rather than to
say no, to be then to say no,and that became a pattern of
behavior really.
And I think, if you are of thatmindset, to then break out and
be bold, because you know, whenI set up my own business in 1994

(06:14):
, there were hardly any womenwho were running their own
businesses.
You know it was a very, verybrave thing to do.
I didn't feel it was brave atthe time, but when I look back
now, I think I think I think itwas and I think what's what's
happened for me is there's beenthis kind of battle between my
mum you know how my mum wantedme to be and me wanting to be

(06:37):
myself, and I think that youknow that that is.
And then there's the wholedynamic, isn't there, of being
moms and being, you know,business owners and everything
that goes with that.
I do feel it is slightlydifferent if you're a man.
I don't, you know, I don't.
I think men have got, naturally, have got bigger egos than
women.

Donna Eade (06:57):
Yeah, yeah, I agree.

You know and wouldn't have any thoughts about
why they should have become aprincipal partner, for example.
So it's just interesting howthat's played out.
But you can work on that.
You need to have very positivechats in your head with yourself
and you need to get to aposition where you feel
comfortable, Because one of mychallenges is I'm from a very
poor family and being successfuland creating wealth has been

(07:23):
something that I've feltuncomfortable with as well.

Donna Eade (07:26):
Yeah, yeah, I understand that.

How can I have done so well when it sits very
uncomfortably with me?
So that's been another kind ofdynamic as well around that, and
that's why I do so much stufffor nothing, because I feel very
grateful that I've been able tobe successful.

Donna Eade (07:46):
Yeah.

So yeah, the maelstrom of mindset for women
is huge really.

Donna Eade (07:53):
It is.
It is.
And I love the way you sort ofmentioned there about guys not
having it, because I brought tomemory something that I read
where it said that if a guy isreading a job description and
he's only got one one of thelike required elements on there,
he'll still apply for the job.

(08:14):
But if a woman has got all ofthem except for one, she won't
feel good enough to do the joband won't apply.
And that is like ding, ding,ding.
That went off in my.
The number of times that I'veread job descriptions and gone,
oh no, well, there's, there'ssome things on there that I
can't do, so I won't even go forit.
Yeah, a guy would just oh well,I can do some of those things,
so yeah, I'll just, I'll justtry my luck, and women don't do

(08:37):
it, and, and so that really sortof spoke to me.
What are some of the thingsthat you like?
You've said that you're workingwith a coach now, and have been
working with a coach for a year,which has helped you to address
some of this sort of from whereit comes, from that originating
place.
Are there any other things thatyou've done in your time where

(08:58):
it's reared its head, because Iloved the fact that you said you
look back at when you startedyour business and you can see
how brave it was.
Now, looking back and you canbe really proud of yourself for
doing that Like in the momentyou weren't aware of it, but
looking back, like God, thatwoman, she was bloody amazing.
Look at what she did.
Are there any things that youdo in the moment?

(09:18):
Now when you feel that, becauseyou say it's an ongoing thing,
is it you can feel like, oh, I'mnot good enough?
Is there something that you doat that point that helps you to
sort of stop and reframe it?

yeah, I mean, I think you, I think when you're
more mindful of things, it'seasier to reframe, isn't it?
You can catch yourself, think,having the thought, and you can
question that thought, and youcan and also be kind to yourself
.
You know, I think we, we can bequite hard on ourselves
Ourselves.
I mean, aside of what elsehappens.
You know, women are notgenerally kind to themselves.

(09:51):
You know we don't feel goodenough, we don't feel slim
enough, we don't feel successfulenough, we're worried about
whether we're a good enoughmother, all of those things.
I think the more work you do,the more mindful you are of when
it starts, and then you canstop yourself and analyze that.

(10:11):
I mean, I'll be very happy toshare this.
I've just had a diagnosis ofbeing neurodivergent, can you?
believe it wow at the age ofalmost 66, and it's only because
my friend has been living withme for two months and she said
look, I just need to tell yousomething.
I mean, I've known you a verylong time but living with you, I

(10:32):
can see the stuff going on.
And that has been revelatory tome.
And what the clinicalpsychiatrist said is the reason
you are successful is becauseyou are neurodiverse.
Don't see it as a handicap, butit.
It's been very interesting tobe and I'm reading a lot and I'm
listening to a lot of stuff,how that plays out and how

(10:55):
that's out in my career as well.
So I'm I'm a massive believerin educate yourself.
You know, I'm like a sponge.
I want to be, I want to absorb,I listen.
I'm listening to a podcast atthe minute called scattered
minds by gabord mate, which isall about neurodivergence in
families and what triggers it,and and mine goes back to my

(11:17):
childhood.
Really, that's, that's thething.
But I'm a, I like to learn, II'm very open-minded and I'm
very interested and very curious.
I'm not a person who says no,I'm not.
That's not for me.
If someone says I think youneed to go and get it, and then
I'm off and I'm doing it.
You know I'm very open-mindedand I think that's one of the

(11:39):
things that you know when I lookback on my career.
I've always been very growthorientated.
My mindset is very open.
You know, my world that Ioperate in has changed
tremendously in the 31 yearsI've been practicing.
But you have to just be openminded and move with it rather
than say I don't want to do itthat way.

(12:00):
You know that's not the way Iwant to be, and those people
that are open minded you know Iwork with lots of people over
such a long time are the peoplewho do fare the best.

Donna Eade (12:11):
Yeah, I love that.
Thank you so much for sharing.
I think that's a reallyimportant one.
Imposter syndrome does come upa lot when I ask this question
because I do interview a lot ofwomen, so it is one that sort of
sits there at the top and it'sreally interesting to see the
different ways that people havecoped and understood it over the
years.
So I really appreciate yousharing.

(12:32):
Where can people connect withyou if they'd like to reach out?

So they can connect.
On SheCanProspercom, they canconnect with me personally.
I'm on LinkedIn Diane Watson,through St James's Place, but
I'm there in my own right.
So I've got all of the socialmedia Instagram, facebook.
Linkedin is the one I usemainly for work.
We put a lot of stuff out allthe time.

(12:57):
You know, we've got anewsletter that goes out every
week.
We've got lots of people thatsubscribe to that.
You know there's always thingsthat are very topical.
There's lots of thingshappening, so that's the best
place for people to connect withme.

Donna Eade (13:11):
Brilliant.
We'll have all of those linkedin the show notes for you guys.
Please do go and check that outand make sure that you come
back on Thursday for our fullepisode, where we are talking
all about things like criticalillness and things like that
with regard to our financialwellness.
Thank you so much for your timetoday, diane.
Thank you, it's been a pleasure.
Join us on Thursday, guys, foranother episode.
I'll see you then.

Bye for now.

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Overcoming Self-Doubt to Thrive in Finance with Diane Watson | EP288

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Overcoming Self-Doubt to Thrive in Finance with Diane Watson | EP288