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

What if the key to your financial success lies in confronting the self-doubt that whispers you're not good enough? Join us as Diane Watson, the inspiring mind behind She Can Prosper, shares her transformative journey from self-doubt to empowerment in the male-dominated world of finance. With over three decades of experience and a successful book under her belt, Diane is on a mission to empower women to embrace financial awareness and wellness. Her story is a powerful testament to overcoming mindset hurdles like imposter syndrome and self-doubt, providing a beacon of hope for women in business facing similar challenges.

In this episode of the Mindset in Action podcast, Diane candidly discusses how her childhood experiences shaped her mindset and the ongoing personal work she's undertaken to shatter self-limiting beliefs. She invites listeners into her world, offering authentic insights and actionable advice for nurturing a mindset of confidence and capability. Whether you're looking to kickstart your financial habits or seeking reassurance that you're not alone in your struggles, Diane's narrative is both relatable and inspirational. Tune in for a dose of encouragement and a rallying cry to step confidently into your own success story.

Get your Copy of She can Prosper
State Pension Forecast
Making a Will Citizen's Advice
Life Insurance talk to Diane She can Prosper
Diane on Linkedin

The 5 Power Pillars of Podcasting 12th Dec 1pm UK register here > BOOK

www.donnaeade.com

Buzzsprout - Your go to Podcast Host!
Start for FREE

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Transcript

Donna Eade: 0:30

You're listening to the Mindset in Action podcast, the place to be to grow and streamline your business. I'm your host, donna Eade. Let's jump into the show. Welcome back to the podcast, everybody for another mini Mindset Monday with a guest. This week I have with me Diane Watson of she Can Prosper. Diane, welcome to the podcast.

Diane Watson: 0:59

Nice to meet you and, yes, lovely to be here.

Donna Eade: 1:03

So on Thursday we will be talking about financial wellness. We're going to be talking about what 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 your work.

Diane Watson: 1:22

Okay, so I'm a financial advisor. It's a second career for me. I went back to work when the children went to school and I've been running my own business for almost 31 years and I also have a passion, which is to encourage women to be more financially aware and well. So I run events. I have a business called she Can Prosper. I run events, I do talks, I've been on quite a lot of podcasts and I completed a book last year which has done really, really well, and it's all about saying to women come on, this is what you need to understand, you know, take some action. It's a rallying cry, really, and we have a lot of women who have done so, and for that I'm really grateful.

Donna Eade: 2:11

Yeah, yeah, and more to come, I am sure, because it's only just over a year old.

Donna Eade: 2:18

The book, amazing, amazing, so I'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 to cultivate, because, at the end of the day, we are responsible for ourselves and often responsible for family members, and having a good understanding of your finances is really important in being able to do that and do that well. So definitely check the book out. So today, diane, before we go into Thursday's episode where we're talking all about finances, today we're talking mindset, and what I love about these episodes is just bringing the reality to the table is what we are all going through, and I think oftentimes we think we're alone in our mindset blocks and what's keeping us stuck. So bringing on guests and talking about their mindset blocks really just helps us all know that we're not alone and also can give us some tips on how people deal with these things. So please do tell us what has been the biggest mindset block that you've had to shift in your business over the years.

Diane Watson: 3:22

I mean, I think, imposter syndrome, not feeling good enough, questioning my success. I've always had issues. I think people find this quite strange because I have been successful in my career, but you know, I've had issues around my self-esteem around. Am I good enough? I work in a very, very male environment. I've always worked in male environments and that's been quite challenging. And you know, I think being a successful woman in a very male business comes with its challenges and sometimes I've even questioned how.

Diane Watson: 4:00

You know, how have I actually achieved this? Am I actually, you know, am I actually worthy? Have I actually done this? You know, have I just been lucky? That's one of the thoughts I've often had. Have I just been lucky, or is there more to it than that? And that's those kind of thoughts. Have I just been lucky or is there more to it than that, and that that's. Those kinds of thoughts have always swirled around in my mind.

Diane Watson: 4:19

You know, even though I've achieved the, you know, the, the pinnacle of success in terms of my career with St James's Place, I'm one of a very small number of women who've become a principal partner. I've questioned that as well. You know, wow, did I really do that? Yeah, I think women, we do have this imposter syndrome block. I believe a lot of that for me started in my childhood and you know it's something that I've become much more aware of the more work I've done on myself. Probably wasn't aware of it for quite large periods of my life, but I work with lots of business women and I know it's something that it's quite a common theme for lots of, for lots of women. Men don't seem to have the same issues around self-belief and and and self-esteem, but it it, it doesn't matter how successful you are as a woman, you can still have that imposter syndrome kind of nagging at the back of your mind.

Donna Eade: 5:18

Yeah, absolutely, and you said there that you think that it probably stems from childhood. Is there anything that you can pick up on instances of when you were little where that kind of came up for you and what those situations were?

Diane Watson: 5:34

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 quite controlling and I was and still am, but was a massive people pleaser. So anything to please and to do what was expected. And I think that chips away at your self-belief and your self-confidence. And it's something that I've been doing work now with a coach for the last year and it's made such a difference, understanding where it came from. But also, you know, it's not that I'm not blaming my mother because she, you know, did what she did with the best of intentions, but I have a feeling that somewhere along the line, when I was quite small, I just thought, you know what, it's just easier just to do what I'm being told to do rather than to say no, to be then to say no, and that became a pattern of behavior really.

Diane Watson: 6:36

And I think, if you are of that mindset, to then break out and be bold, because you know, when I set up my own business in 1994, there were hardly any women who were running their own businesses. You know it was a very, very brave thing to do. I didn't feel it was brave at the time, but when I look back now, I think I think I think it was and I think what's what's happened for me is there's been this kind of battle between my mum you know how my mum wanted me to be and me wanting to be myself, and I think that you know that that is. And then there's the whole dynamic, isn't there, of being moms and being, you know, business owners and everything that goes with that. I do feel it is slightly different 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: 7:27

Yeah, yeah, I agree.

Diane Watson: 7:29

You know and wouldn't have any thoughts about why they should have become a principal partner, for example. So it's just interesting how that's played out. But you can work on that. You need to have very positive chats in your head with yourself and you need to get to a position where you feel comfortable, Because one of my challenges is I'm from a very poor family and being successful and creating wealth has been something that I've felt uncomfortable with as well.

Donna Eade: 7:56

Yeah, yeah, I understand that.

Diane Watson: 8:00

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

Donna Eade: 8:16

Yeah.

Diane Watson: 8:18

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

Donna Eade: 8:23

It is. It is. And I love the way you sort of mentioned there about guys not having it, because I brought to memory something that I read where it said that if a guy is reading a job description and he's only got one one of the like required elements on there, he'll still apply for the job. But if a woman has got all of them except for one, she won't feel good enough to do the job and won't apply. And that is like ding, ding, ding. That went off in my. The number of times that I've read job descriptions and gone, oh no, well, there's, there's some things on there that I can't do, so I won't even go for it. Yeah, a guy would just oh well, I can do some of those things, so yeah, I'll just, I'll just try my luck, and women don't do it, and, and so that really sort of spoke to me. What are some of the things that you like?

Donna Eade: 9:13

You've said that you're working with 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 where it comes, from that originating place. Are there any other things that you've done in your time where it's reared its head, because I loved the fact that you said you look back at when you started your business and you can see how brave it was. Now, looking back and you can be really proud of yourself for doing that Like in the moment you weren't aware of it, but looking back, like God, that woman, she was bloody amazing. Look at what she did. Are there any things that you do in the moment? Now when you feel that, because you say it's an ongoing thing, is it you can feel like, oh, I'm not good enough? Is there something that you do at that point that helps you to sort of stop and reframe it?

Diane Watson: 9:59

yeah, I mean, I think you, I think when you're more mindful of things, it's easier to reframe, isn't it? You can catch yourself, think, having the thought, and you can question that thought, and you can and also be kind to yourself. You know, I think we, we can be quite hard on ourselves Ourselves. I mean, aside of what else happens. You know, women are not generally kind to themselves. You know we don't feel good enough, we don't feel slim enough, we don't feel successful enough, we're worried about whether we're a good enough mother, all of those things. I think the more work you do, the more mindful you are of when it starts, and then you can stop yourself and analyze that. I mean, I'll be very happy to share this. I've just had a diagnosis of being neurodivergent, can you?

Diane Watson: 10:47

believe it wow at the age of almost 66, and it's only because my friend has been living with me for two months and she said look, I just need to tell you something. I mean, I've known you a very long time but living with you, I can see the stuff going on. And that has been revelatory to me. And what the clinical psychiatrist said is the reason you are successful is because you are neurodiverse. Don't see it as a handicap, but it. It's been very interesting to be and I'm reading a lot and I'm listening to a lot of stuff, how that plays out and how that's out in my career as well. So I'm I'm a massive believer in 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 at the minute called scattered minds by gabord mate, which is all about neurodivergence in families and what triggers it, and and mine goes back to my childhood. Really, that's, that's the thing.

Diane Watson: 11:49

But I'm a, I like to learn, I I'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 you need to go and get it, and then I'm off and I'm doing it. You know I'm very open-minded and I think that's one of the things that you know when I look back on my career. I've always been very growth orientated. My mindset is very open. You know, my world that I operate in has changed tremendously in the 31 years I've been practicing. But you have to just be open minded and move with it rather than say I don't want to do it that way. You know that's not the way I want to be, and those people that are open minded you know I work with lots of people over such a long time are the people who do fare the best.

Donna Eade: 12:41

Yeah, I love that. Thank you so much for sharing. I think that's a really important one. Imposter syndrome does come up a lot when I ask this question because I do interview a lot of women, so it is one that sort of sits there at the top and it's really interesting to see the different ways that people have coped and understood it over the years. So I really appreciate you sharing. Where can people connect with you if they'd like to reach out?

Diane Watson: 13:07

So they can connect. On SheCanProspercom, they can connect 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 social media Instagram, facebook. Linkedin is the one I use mainly for work. We put a lot of stuff out all the time. You know, we've got a newsletter that goes out every week. We've got lots of people that subscribe to that. You know there's always things that are very topical. There's lots of things happening, so that's the best place for people to connect with me.

Donna Eade: 13:41

Brilliant. We'll have all of those linked in the show notes for you guys. Please do go and check that out and make sure that you come back on Thursday for our full episode, where we are talking all about things like critical illness and things like that with regard to our financial wellness. Thank you so much for your time today, diane. Thank you, it's been a pleasure. Join us on Thursday, guys, for another episode. I'll see you then.

Diane Watson: 14:01

Bye for now.