What Holds Us Back From Sharing Our Big Ideas?
Listen to this episode on the Purpose + Profit Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or the podcast player of your choice.
Last week, I vulnerably shared my own journey toward my big idea. I told you how I felt that pull to say and do something bigger.
I explained how for months, years, I had that deep knowing in my bones that my vision for myself and for other women was bold and audacious and that it needed to be shared.
And yet, despite how much it mattered to me, there was something - that icky gremlin - keeping me from going all in and bringing it out into the world.
If you’re feeling that way, too, you’re not alone.
The Invisible Barriers
For many of us, the biggest obstacle to sharing our big ideas isn’t a lack of ability, resources, or time. It’s the stories we tell ourselves.
In all my work with women and their big ideas, here are thoughts I hear most often that are keeping women stuck:
“It’s already been done.”
We look at the noise in the world—social media posts, podcasts, articles—and convince ourselves there’s no room for our voice. We discount the unique perspective we bring to the conversation and opt for other voices to lead the way.
But here’s the truth: even if the idea isn’t new, your perspective is. You bring experiences, insights, and emotions that no one else can replicate. That’s why I always talk about the “O” - Original - in the BOLT™️ framework. Because your unique point of view is really freaking powerful, and it hasn’t already been done yet.
“My idea isn’t ready yet.”
Big ideas rarely come fully formed. They start messy, unclear, even a little chaotic. In fact, every speaker I’ve ever worked with, including those who were preparing for the TEDx stage, had ideas that were all over the place. It was the act of digging, exploring, and examining them in detail that they took real shape.
If you’re waiting for everything to gel, I can tell you it won’t just happen by thinking. Refining your idea and polishing it up, so that it finally feels read, happens through action.
“Who am I to do this?”
Oh, the ugliest of all the gremlins. Self doubt has a way of creeping in just when we’re about to step into something big. I don’t know a single person this hasn’t been true for. But the question isn’t, “Who am I to do this?”—it’s, “Why not me?”
Seriously. Why not you?
The Cost of Staying Silent
I’d be remiss if I didn’t address the cost of staying silent. Often, we think that keeping our ideas to ourselves, is safer. But over time, that safety comes at a cost.
Opportunities missed: That idea you’ve been sitting on? Someone else could benefit from it right now. Think of it this way - if you had the cure for cancer, you’d be shouting it from the mountaintops, doing literally everything to tell people about it.
You and your ideas ARE the cure to someone’s cancer.
Regret: You may look back and wonder, What if I had just tried? In fact, in 2021, I wrote a blog that spoke directly to this. Here’s a little excerpt about this:
Here’s the truth though: that discomfort you don’t want to deal with is nothing compared to the minutes, the hours, the days, the years of regret you’re going to feel if you quit. When you really want something, you accept the discomfort that goes along with it because you know you’re going to come out on the other side with more confidence and newfound capabilities. Every. Single. Time.
Is it worth the lifetime of regret just to avoid a few uncomfortable minutes? You get to choose.
A world unchanged: This, above all the others, feels the weightiest to me right now. As I look at the world, especially at the realities for women in the U.S. and across the globe, I can’t sit and do nothing.
You may not have all the answers, and you probably can’t fix it all by yourself (remember, impact is communal), but the issues you care about deserve action—and your voice could be the catalyst for change.
How to Move Past the Fear:
Start Small:
Sharing your big idea doesn’t have to mean launching a full campaign or stepping onto a stage right away. Begin with a journal entry, a conversation with a friend, or a social media post. It’ll probably be messy and imperfect, and that’s okay. Just start!
Find Support:
Surround yourself with people who believe in your vision and will cheer you on when self-doubt creeps in. That’s one reason I created the Social Impact Roundtable. I wanted people who were passionate about impact and who were running mission-driven businesses to have people who are on the same journey!
Focus on Impact:
Instead of fixating on whether your idea is “good enough” or if you’re the “right person” to talk about it, think about who it could help. Shifting the focus from yourself to others often makes the first step feel more doable.
Here’s what this looks like for me. When I get all up in my head, I go back to my core mantra: when we empower women, we empower entire communities.
I think about how microfinance institutions often prioritize lending to women because they know the ripple effect is profound. Studies show that women reinvest 90% of their earnings back into their families, supporting education, health, and nutrition. Entire villages benefit when women are given the resources to lead.
Your big idea has the power to create that same kind of ripple effect.
When you step up and share your voice, you’re not just changing your own life—you’re building a legacy of impact that can transform families, neighborhoods, and even entire industries.
An Invitation to Begin
If you’re ready to stop waiting for the “perfect moment” and start showing up for your big idea, I invite you to join me in The Big Idea Incubator.
This isn’t about rushing or forcing your vision. It’s about creating space to explore, refine, and amplify it—step by step, with guidance, support, and community.
When you finally take that leap and unpack, and ultimately share, your big idea, something shifts. You realize you’re more capable, more powerrful, more impactful than you thought.
The world needs more women like you—bold, brave, and ready to lead with impact.
Learn more about The Big Idea Incubator here.
