I’m Done Playing Small (And Here’s What I’m Doing About It)

It was 2am. Too hot to sleep. My brain doing that annoying thing where it refuses to switch off.

And somewhere between “do I need to wash those towels tomorrow?” and “did I reply to that email?”, I realised something.

I’ve been playing small. Always. My whole life. I’ve kept myself in the safe corner – not too loud, not too opinionated, not too ambitious in case someone thought I was “too much” or, worse, laughed.

I’ve built businesses, yes. I’ve taken risks. I’ve put things out into the world. But I’ve always kept them just small enough that I could shrink back if it didn’t work.

And I’m bloody fed up of it.

Why We Stay Small

Playing small feels safe.
Safe from judgement.
Safe from failure.
Safe from the “who do you think you are?” brigade.

But safe is also suffocating.
It keeps you in a life that feels… fine. Not terrible. Not great. Just fine. And fine is not the life I want.

What Taking Up Space Means (for Me)

I used to think “taking up space” meant barging into a room in a bold dress and making everyone look at you. But I’ve realised it’s much deeper.

For me, taking up space means:

• Being unapologetically visible – not hiding behind vague posts or keeping my best ideas in a draft folder.
• Owning my expertise – even when my inner critic is screaming I’m not qualified enough.
• Letting my personality run the show – no toning it down to fit someone else’s comfort zone.
• Promoting my work like it matters – because it does.

How I’m Making Myself Big

I’m not overhauling everything overnight – that’s not realistic. But I’m choosing to go big in one area at a time:

• Content: Posting the bold, unfiltered thoughts instead of the watered-down “safe” ones.
• Visibility: Saying yes to opportunities I’d usually shy away from.
• Offers: Talking about The Nexus Collective and my resources like they’re exactly what my ideal clients have been waiting for – because they are.

If You’ve Been Playing Small Too

You don’t have to be the loudest person in the room to take up space. You just have to stop making yourself smaller to fit what you think is acceptable.

You’re allowed to want a bigger life. You’re allowed to take up space in it.

And maybe it starts with just one small “big” move today.