🎙️ Episode: You Don’t Need Permission — Rewriting Your Career Narrative

Many high‑earning, high‑achieving women feel trapped by the “good girl” script. In this episode, we explore how to break free from people‑pleasing and perfectionism, claim self‑authorship, and rewrite your career narrative without waiting for external validation.

The idea? You don’t need permission to evolve. You just need your own pen.

💡 What We Cover

1. The “good girl” trap: Why cultural scripts pressure women to be attractive but modest, ambitious but self‑sacrificing health.clevelandclinic.org. How these contradictory expectations fuel perfectionism, people‑pleasing and self‑abnegation health.clevelandclinic.org.

2. Inherited roles vs. chosen roles: Michelle Kay Anderson’s insights on how roles like the “good girl,” “grateful guest” or “strong one” quietly shape behaviour michellekayanderson.com. Why it matters that many of our stories were written about us, not by us michellekayanderson.com.

3. Self‑authorship explained: A definition from developmental scholar Marcia Baxter Magolda — self‑authorship is “the ability to collect, interpret and analyze information and reflect on one’s own beliefs in order to form judgments” researchgate.net. How self‑authorship differs from mere confidence or agency researchgate.net.

4. Permission vs. claiming your expertise: Lessons from Penny Locaso — fear is data, not a stop sign, and clarity comes from action womensagenda.com.au. Expertise isn’t handed out; it’s claimed when you stop apologising for what you already know womensagenda.com.au.

5. Actionable tools: How to name and challenge your inherited scripts, write a new narrative grounded in your values, and take imperfect public actions that reinforce your self‑authored story.

   
   

   ✨ Key Takeaways

   • You are not alone in feeling the weight of “good girl” expectations. Cultural scripts demand contradictory traits — be attractive but not too sexy, be ambitious but never show off health.clevelandclinic.org. Recognising these scripts is the first step.

   • Your story can be reauthored. Many of the roles we play were imposed on us michellekayanderson.com. Self‑authorship gives you the power to replace them with ones you consciously choose researchgate.net.

   • Expertise is claimed, not granted. Waiting for permission keeps you small. Locaso’s mantra: act first and clarity will follow womensagenda.com.au.

   • Rewriting your narrative is a political act. Breaking the “good girl” script challenges cultural power structures michellekayanderson.com.

     
     

     📝 Reflection Prompt

     Where in your career are you still waiting for someone else’s validation? List three beliefs you inherited about being a “good girl” and write a counter‑script that reflects your own values.

     
     

     🔁 Share This Episode

     Share this episode with a friend or colleague who:

     • Is questioning her next career move

     • Struggles with perfectionism or people‑pleasing

     • Needs a reminder that her expertise doesn’t require a permission slip

     You may be the catalyst she needs to pick up the pen.

     
     

     🤝 Connect With Me

     For weekly insights on confidence, money and reinvention, connect with me on LinkedIn (Sheena Burce) or at www.fireyfemmes.com.

     Want more on this topic? Send me a DM with your favourite takeaway!