LISTEN HERE | WATCH HERE

Self-Trust and Visibility Wounds: What Soul-Led Entrepreneurs Actually Struggle With
ft. Mentees - Tonia, Kristen, Kara and Rachel

There's a moment that happens in business that no one really prepares you for. Your offer is aligned. Your messaging feels true. You've done the inner work, mapped out the strategy, and you're ready to be seen. And then your body freezes. Your voice shakes when you hit record. You dilute your truth before you post it. You second-guess your pricing, your authority, your right to even be here.

If you've been there, you're not alone. And you're definitely not broken. In episode 200 of the podcast, now officially rebranded as the F*ck Yes Frequency, I handed over the microphone to four women I currently mentor: Tonia, Kristen, Kara, and Rachel. What unfolded was raw, unscripted, and deeply resonant. They asked me questions I didn't see coming about self-love, visibility wounds, daily practices, and what it really takes to build a sustainable business when you're also rebuilding yourself. This conversation isn't polished. It's real. And if you've ever struggled with self-trust, visibility fears, or the pressure to perform your way to success, this is for you.

Why Self-Love is the Foundation of Sustainable Business Growth

When Tonia asked me what I'd tell my younger self just starting this journey, the answer came instantly: love yourself more. Not in a fluffy, bubble-bath kind of way. I'm talking about the deep, structural self-love that becomes the foundation everything else is built on. I left school halfway through Year 11. I didn't finish my exams. All I wanted was to work, create, and make things happen. But that decision came with stories. Stories about not being educated enough. Not being credible enough. Not being enough, full stop. Those stories followed me into my first business, where I lost $40,000 in my early twenties. They followed me into the shame spiral that came after. And they followed me into this business, where I started from survival mode, trying to prove my worth with every offer, every post, every conversation.

Here's what I know now: every challenge I faced, every pivot I made, every moment I felt like I was failing was actually an opportunity to meet myself differently. To become the woman who could hold what I was building. But I couldn't see that then. Because I didn't love myself enough to trust that I was already enough. For spiritual entrepreneurs, coaches, and healers, this is the work that matters most. You can have the perfect strategy, the aligned offer, the beautiful branding. But if you don't believe in your bones that you're worthy of being seen, heard, and paid well, your nervous system will sabotage you every single time. Self-love isn't a nice-to-have. It's the energetic foundation of sustainable business growth.

The Three Layers of Visibility Wounds Spiritual Entrepreneurs Face

Visibility is one of those words that gets thrown around a lot in the online business world. "Just show up," they say. "Be consistent. Post more. "But visibility isn't just about posting content. It's about being willing to be seen for who you actually are. And for most of us, that's where the real fear lives. Through my own journey and the work I do with soul-led entrepreneurs, I've identified three distinct layers of visibility wounds. Most people only address the first layer. But true visibility requires healing all three.

Layer One: The Fear of Being Seen at All

This is the surface layer. The body image stuff. The perfectionism. The "I can't post that video because my hair looks messy" or "I'll wait until I lose weight to do the photoshoot. "I've been there. I used to believe I had to look a certain way to be respected. I'd spend hours getting ready before filming content. I'd only post when everything felt perfect.

But here's the truth: that perfectionism isn't about your appearance. It's about safety. Somewhere along the way, you learned that being visible wasn't safe. Maybe you were criticised. Maybe you were made fun of. Maybe you learned that being seen meant being hurt.

Your nervous system remembers that. And it's trying to protect you by keeping you small. The antidote? Showing your body that it's safe to be imperfect. I post in active wear now. No makeup. Messy room. Not because I don't care, but because I'm teaching my nervous system that I'm safe even when I'm not polished.

Layer Two: Visibility with a Mask

This is where most people live. You're showing up. You're posting. You're visible. But there's a level of masking happening that you might not even realise. For me, this showed up as trying to sound more clinical when I talked about trauma and nervous system work. I toned down the spiritual side because I was afraid people wouldn't take me seriously. I didn't swear. I didn't share my playful, sarcastic side. I performed a version of myself I thought would be more acceptable. And it worked, to a degree. People hired me. But they weren't getting the real me. And I was exhausted from trying to maintain the performance.

For spiritual entrepreneurs, this often looks like hiding your intuitive gifts to appear more "professional." Or diluting your truth because you're worried about being judged. Or playing small because you're afraid of being too much. The work here is permission. Permission to be all of you. Permission to be spiritual and strategic. Soft and spicy. Deep and playful. You don't have to choose.

Layer Three: Embodied Authentic Expression

This is the deepest layer. This is where you're not just visible, you're fully expressed. You're showing up as the identity you're becoming, not the one you've outgrown. This means being willing to be seen for what you believe, not just what you do. It means speaking your truth even when it's uncomfortable. It means owning your desire, your pricing, your authority. It means showing up in a room full of family members who don't understand your work and still claiming your identity as an entrepreneur. It means being seen as a leader, not just a service provider. This is where most visibility work needs to go. Because if you can't own who you are in your own life, you'll struggle to own it online.

Daily Practices That Keep You Regulated While Building Your Business

One of the questions Kristen asked me was about my daily practices. How do I hold so much space for clients without absorbing their energy? How do I stay regulated when I'm navigating my own challenges?

The truth is, my practices have changed over the years. I've been through phases of 5am starts and rigid routines. I've tried meditation, hypnosis, tapping, breathwork. What I've learned is that the practice itself matters less than the consistency of showing up for yourself in some way. Right now, my mornings look like this: I start with a Bible reflection and journaling. I let whatever needs to come up, come up. Sometimes it's messy. Sometimes it's profound. But it's always honest. Sleep is non-negotiable for me. I will say no to late-night events if I know I'm holding space the next day. I need rest to be present. Movement is another anchor. I aim for five to six days a week, even if it's just a walk. My body needs to move to process the energy I hold.

But here's what I think is most important for spiritual entrepreneurs and coaches: the space between sessions. I used to go back-to-back, believing I could hold the energy. I couldn't. I'd end the day with a headache, feeling off, absorbing things that weren't mine. Now, I cleanse between every session. Sometimes it's just stepping outside, touching the grass, shaking off the energy. Sometimes it's a two-minute breath practice. But I don't skip it.

Before each session, I set an intention. I ask to be of service. I ask to meet this person with whatever they need. It's simple, but it sets a tone that reminds me this isn't about me performing. It's about showing up. These practices aren't about being perfect. They're about building a business that can hold you, especially when life gets hard.

When You Want to Burn It All Down: Understanding Frequency Mismatches

Rachel asked me what I do when I feel overwhelmed or want to give up. When the business feels heavy or I've lost direction. I used to try to force my way through those moments. I'd sit at my desk and try to logic my way to clarity. I'd push harder, work longer, convince myself I just needed to figure it out. It never worked.

What I've learned is that the "burn it all down" feeling isn't a sign that your business is wrong. It's a sign that there's a mismatch between who you're becoming and the business you've built. You've evolved. But your business hasn't caught up yet. This happens to soul-led entrepreneurs all the time. You do the inner work. You heal trauma patterns. You step into a new identity. And then you look at your offers, your messaging, your entire business model and think, "This doesn't fit anymore." That friction is information. It's telling you that something needs to shift.

The answer isn't to burn it all down. The answer is space. Space to feel. Space to let the next aligned step reveal itself. Space to trust that you don't need to have all the answers right now. I gave myself that space recently. I was feeling the friction. I knew something was off. And instead of trying to figure it out, I asked for guidance. I pulled a card that said "rebirth." And suddenly, it clicked.

I didn't need to change what I was doing. I needed to speak about it differently. I needed to lead from frequency, not just strategy. That's how the F*ck Yes Frequency was born. But I only got there because I stopped trying to force it. I let the emotional wave move through me. I trusted my body to show me what was next.

For spiritual entrepreneurs navigating this, the key is to find the lowest-hanging fruit to create income while you're in the transition. Don't put pressure on yourself to have the new thing figured out immediately. Just keep moving, keep feeling, keep trusting.

Self-Trust is at the Root of Every Business Block

One of the themes that came up again and again in this conversation was self-trust. Self-trust in your pricing. Self-trust in your message. Self-trust in your ability to hold space, to lead, to be the authority. Kara asked me about my journey leaving traditional employment. And what I realised as I answered her is that every major decision I've made in business has come down to one thing: trusting myself enough to take the leap. I left my corporate role without knowing exactly what my business would look like. I extended my maternity leave multiple times because something in my body told me not to go back. I gave notice on a permanent position before I had proof my business would work. And every single time, there was fear. There were doubts. There were people asking me when I was going to start earning a "real income."

But there was also a deep knowing. A trust that even though I couldn't see the full path, I could trust the next step. That's what self-trust is. It's not about having all the answers. It's about believing in yourself enough to move forward anyway. For soul-led entrepreneurs, self-trust is the foundation of everything. It's what allows you to raise your prices even when your nervous system panics. It's what allows you to show up visibly even when you're afraid of being judged. It's what allows you to lead even when you don't feel ready.

Building self-trust isn't a one-time thing. It's a practice. It's making small promises to yourself and keeping them. It's listening to your body and honouring what it tells you. It's giving yourself permission to pivot, to rest, to move at your own pace. And it's remembering that your timeline is not anyone else's timeline. Your journey is your own.

The F*ck Yes Frequency: What 2026 Looks Like for Soul-Led Entrepreneurs

At the end of the episode, I asked each woman what their F*ck Yes Frequency for 2026 looked like. Their answers were powerful. Tonia said self-trust. Trusting herself enough to shine. Rachel said trusting herself to show up in her truest expression and trusting her pivot. Kara said trusting the process, being okay with her own timeline, and sparking action. Kristen said backing herself, leading with certainty, and honouring that her timeline is different from everyone else's.

For me, it's playfulness, spiciness, and groundedness. It's leading from my natural motivation, which according to my Human Design is innocence. Playfulness is one of my most natural states, but I disconnected from it for so long. Now, I'm bringing it back. I'm letting myself be spicy, sarcastic, and a little wild. And I'm doing it all from a grounded, anchored place.

The common thread through all of this? Trust. Self-trust. Body trust. Timeline trust. That's what frequency-led business is about. It's not about following someone else's formula. It's about tuning into your own energy and building from there.

Building a Business That Feels Like Home

This episode wasn't just about celebrating 200 episodes. It was about celebrating what's possible when women stop performing and start leading. When they trust themselves enough to be seen. When they build businesses that honour their nervous systems, their timelines, their truth. If you've been running yourself into the ground trying to prove you're enough, this is your permission slip to stop.

You don't need to be perfect. You don't need to have it all figured out. You don't need to look like anyone else. You just need to love yourself enough to keep going. To trust yourself enough to be seen. To build a business that feels like home, not a prison. That's sustainable business growth for spiritual entrepreneurs. That's feminine leadership. That's the F*ck Yes Frequency.

And it's available to you right now.

Ready to dive deeper? Listen to the full conversation in Episode 200 of the F*ck Yes Frequency podcast. You'll hear the unedited, unfiltered truth about what it really takes to build a soul-led business that lasts.

Want to connect with the incredible women featured in this episode?

• Tonia: @‌evolveandgrowcoaching | evolveandgrowcoaching.com.au

• Kristen: @‌timetobloom.coaching

• Kara: @‌mod_health_coaching

• Rachel: @‌rachelsimons.holisticwellness

And if this resonated, I'd love to hear from you. What's your F*ck Yes Frequency for 2026? If you're ready to move beyond performing and step into embodied leadership, my Visibility Rebirth programme launches in February 2026. DM me on Instagram @jessica.read.ilc to learn more or join the waitlist.

Because the truth is, you don't have to sacrifice yourself to build something successful. You don't have to choose between being seen and feeling safe. You just have to be willing to trust yourself enough to lead from your frequency, not someone else's formula.