What if everything you believed about confidence was wrong?This week on Birth2Boardroom, we're joined by Elif Kose — a woman who arrived in the UK from Turkey at 22 with a business degree, a borrowed sewing machine, and a bicycle she bought for £10 from a car boot sale. What she built from those humble beginnings — a thriving fashion house, national media appearances, celebrity clientele — looked like the ultimate success story. But underneath the designer dresses and the accolades, something was quietly breaking.Elif opens up about the burnout that cracked her open in the best possible way, the concept of "toxic loneliness" (staying in rooms where you don't belong just to avoid being alone), and the profound realization that she had built her entire identity around being needed. She even shares a stunning admission: that her own published book, How to Build Confidence in Seven Steps, was built on a flawed premise — because confidence isn't something you construct. It's something you remember.In this deeply moving conversation, we explore:🔹 The Confidence Myth — why "fake it till you make it" and external validation will always let you down🔹 Performing vs. Pursuing Excellence — how to tell the difference (hint: if rest feels like guilt, you're performing)🔹 The Confidence Code — Elif's framework for decoding the layers of conditioning that have buried your authentic self🔹 Toxic Loneliness — the hidden cost of saying yes to rooms you were never meant for🔹 A love note to her younger self — the words she wished someone had said to the girl on the bike, and the words every woman needs to hear🔹 Her song choice, "Rise Up" by Andra Day, and why it captures everything she believes about beginning exactly where you areWhether you're a high-achiever running on empty, a woman who deflects every compliment, or someone who's forgotten who she is without the doing — this episode is your invitation to stop performing your worth and start remembering who you've always been.

Deb asks Elif what she would say to her younger self - a young woman who had just arrived to the UK from Turkey carrying big dreams and uncertaintly. Elif reads a heartfelt letter reminding her younger self, "Youare not too much, you are not too foreign, too ambitious, too sensitive, or too different. The things that made you feel like you did not belong are the exact things that one day will building something beautiful."

Elif opens up about how burnout didn't arrive like a car crash but as small moments of awareness - realizing she was lonely in a room full of people. She calls this "toxic loneliness" and shares the story about selling an   8,000 pound wedding dress and feeling nothing, despite it being the greatest payday of her career.

Elif challenges the conventional wisdom around building confidence, admitting she was wrong to teach women to "fake it till you become it" and "dress the part." Having published a book called, "How to Build Confidence in Seven Steps," she now reveals that confidence is not something you build - it's something you remember.

Have you ever said yes when every fiber of your being was screaming no — and then wondered why you did it? You're not alone, and this episode is for you.Dr. Zoe Rapoport — clinical psychologist, leadership coach, and women's empowerment expert — joins Birth2Boardroom for a conversation that will change how you think about the word "no." With over a decade of experience helping women break free from the conditioning that keeps them quiet, compliant, and exhausted, Dr. Zoe delivers a masterclass in setting boundaries without guilt — and without apology.From understanding why pushback is guaranteed (and why that's actually a good sign) to learning the power of the pause before you respond, this episode is packed with practical tools you can start using today. Dr. Zoe reframes what it means to be called "difficult" — calling it a badge of honor — and makes the case that assertiveness isn't unkind. It's clarity. It's compassion. And it might just be the kindest thing you can do for yourself and everyone around you.Whether you're navigating corporate meetings where your voice gets dismissed, managing a team that expects you to be available 24/7, or simply tired of being last on your own priority list, Dr. Zoe's insights will meet you exactly where you are. Plus, don't miss her deeply personal "love note to self" — a vulnerable, emotional moment that reminds us all to trust our gut, trust our no, and trust that the right relationships will only grow stronger when we do.Watch it. Then send it to a woman who needs to hear it. Because if every woman helped one other woman? It would be amazing.

Do you believe your worth is tied to what you give, sacrifice, and offer to others? In this eye-opening teaser, Dr. Zoe Rapoport dismantles the belief that saying "no" will damage your relationships. She reveals the deeper truth: a real relationship can't be broken by a "no" -- it can only be strengthened. And the reason saying "no" feels so terrifying is because we've been conditioned to believe our only value is in what we provide. Dr. Zoe's message cuts straight to the heart: your existence alone has value. You do not have to give anything to be worth a relationship, to be worth existing. This is the permission every woman needs to hear.🔗 Watch the full episode airing on Tuesday, September 8th on the Birth2Boardroom channel👥 Follow Birth2Boardroom for more conversations that empower women to lead, thrive, and succeed.

Your body knew your boundaries long before you had the words to express them. In this deeply vulnerable love note to her younger self, Dr. Zoe Rapoport shares a truth every woman needs to hear: you were trained to override your instincts, to be agreeable, to keep the peace at all costs. But every time you ignored that feeling in your gut, it didn't make you more successful -- it made you more disconnected from yourself. Dr. Zoe's message is clear: you can trust the pause. You can trust the no. The relationships that are real won't be damaged by a boundary -- they'll be strengthened. And the only things that fall away are the roles you never asked for in the first place.🔗 Watch the full episode airing on Tuesday, September 8th on the Birth2Boardroom channel👥 Follow Birth2Boardroom for more conversations that empower women to lead, thrive, and succeed.

Has anyone ever called you "difficult" for simply speaking up? In this powerful teaser, Dr. Zoe Rapoport flips the script on the labels women have been handed for generations. She explains how the words "difficult," "rude," and "unkind" have been weaponized to keep women in passive roles -- and why being called difficult is actually a badge of honor. Dr. Zoe challenges you to think about the last time you saw a woman stand up for herself. Did you think she was difficult? Or did you think she was strong and brave? This is a must-listen for any woman who has ever been silenced by a label.🔗 Watch the full episode dropping on Tuesday, September 8th on the Birth2Boardroom channel 👥 Follow Birth2Boardroom for more conversations that empower women to lead, thrive, and succeed.

What would you do if you had no backup plan — just your intuition and a dream?This week on Birth2Boardroom, Kristina Gent shares her incredible journey from the hospitality industry to becoming CEO of SIX Degrees Connections in San Diego — a city where she knew absolutely nobody when she started.In this episode, Kristina opens up about:Going all in without a safety net — and why removing the "quit button" made her a better leaderTrusting her intuition even when fear and logic said otherwiseRedefining success as "Sixcess" — measured by relationships, not statusBuilding community where women thrive through safety, not competitionA love note to her younger self that will leave you speechlessIf you've ever stood at the edge of a big decision and wondered whether to jump — this one's for you. Kristina's story is proof that when we bet on ourselves, we don't just build businesses. We build lives of meaning.Grab a cup of coffee, settle in, and let this conversation remind you: you are already enough. 💜Don't forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell so you never miss an episode!#Birth2Boardroom #WomenInBusiness #Entrepreneurship #Leadership #TrustYourIntuition #RedefiningSuccess #WomenEmpoweringWomen #CommunityBuilding #TakeTheLeap #YouAreEnough

What would you say to the woman you were before you took the leap? In this emotional highlight from the Birth2Boardroom podcast, Kristina Gent shares a powerful love note to her younger self — reminding us to trust the adventure, choose curiosity over judgment, and know that we are already enough. Grab a tissue and press play.