I used to straighten my hair before every big meeting. Not because anyone told me to. I had simply absorbed the idea that looking “polished” meant looking flat.

It took me years to realise that no one in the boardroom was judging my hair. They were paying attention to whether I knew what I was talking about, whether I could handle tough questions with confidence, and whether my energy made people want to work with me.

Now I show up with my curls, a pink suit that doesn’t apologise for existing, and the meetings go exactly the same. Because it was never about the hair.

If you’ve been making yourself smaller, straighter, or quieter just to fit into a room, stop. Don’t shrink yourself to match the room. Show up as you are, and let the room adjust to you. 🙌 … more