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385

 - 4 Ways You’re Giving Your Power Away as a Woman Business Owner

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Hosted by HerBusiness

On air:

29 October 2026

There are hidden was you, as a woman business owner, might be giving your power away without even noticing.

Think about hte last time someone asked you for something — a client, someone on your team, a friend. Did you even pause before you said yes?

Most of us don’t. It’s always an automatic yes. Of course we can accommodate. We can make it happen. We can move things around to make that person’s life easier.

A yes here. A “no worries!” there. A price you meant to raise but didn’t. A decision you checked with three people first. None of these instances is a big deal on their own… but add them up over 10 years?

That’s giving your power away.

This week, Suzi walks through the four ways she most often sees women business owners giving their power away, and how to identify which of the four you’re guilty of most often.

What You’ll Discover in Episode 385: 4 Ways You’re Giving Your Power Away as a Woman Business Owner

  • The difference between burnout and a “power drain”… and why so many people get the two confused
  • The four ways you might be giving your power away as a successful woman, and the hidden habits that cause them
  • Why over-responsibility can eventually turn you into a bottleneck (and why it prevents your business from growing)
  • The business-owner version of people-pleasing, and why we never recognise it as what it actually is
  • How to identify whose rules you’re really running your business by… and whether you’d still choose them today
  • The two power drains Suzi deals with the most, and how she handles moving past them
  • One small but uncomfortable action you can take this week to get some power back

The 4 Ways You’re Giving Your Power Away (Without Noticing)

  1. Over-responsibility. Carrying what isn’t yours to carry — your team’s moods, every client result, the problem someone could solve themselves but feels quicker if you just do it. This one can disguise itself as leadership and care… but is actually holding you and your business back.
  2. People-pleasing. But not in the way most people think of it… there is a “business owners” version. The price you should have raised three years ago, the client you wish you’d let go, softening what you really want to say, saying “no worries!” to something that does in fact deserve worry. You might get liked for it… but respected?
  3. Old expectations. Running your business by a set of rules you never actually chose. From your industry, from your family, or even from the earlier version of you who needed to prove herself. Whose rules are you following… and would you still choose them today?
  4. Waiting. For permission. For the right time. For someone to tell you “go for it”. The women who wait are rarely the beginners — they’re actually the most experienced business owners who have somehow lost trust in themselves.

The ONE Shift You Can Practice to Take a Piece of Your Power Back This Week

Choose the power drain you resonated with the most during the episode, then take the matching action this week:

  • If it was over-responsibility: Hand one problem back. Next time someone brings you something they can solve, ask “what do YOU think we should do?”… and then actually let them do it.
  • If it was people-pleasing: Say one clean no. No long explanation, no apology after.
  • If it was old expectations: Write down one rule you run your business by, and ask “would I still choose this today?”. If the answer is no, break it just once this week.
  • If it was waiting: make one decision you’ve been sitting on WITHOUT telling a single other person. Don’t run it by anyone. Don’t ask for a second opinion. Just make it.

Join Suzi Live at the Rule Your Business Masterclass

This episode is the starting point to a much larger conversation. On Wednesday, 11 November at 10am Sydney time (That’s Tuesday 10 November, 6pm ET / 3pm PT if you’re in North America) join us for a free live masterclass, Rule Your Business: How to Lead Confidently, Trust Yourself, and Love What You’ve Built.

In 60 minutes, you’ll look at who you’re being in your business (not just WHAT you’re doing) and see where you’re giving your power away and which inherited rules no longer fit you. You’ll get a simple way to make decisions from self-trust instead of waiting for certainty or approval. You’ll leave with one specific change you can make straight away. It’s live, with no replay.

Register now at ruleyourbusiness.herbusiness.com

Mentioned in This Episode:

  • The Growth Network — the HerBusiness community for women business owners ready to do business by their own rules
  • Full episode summary and resources – Episode 385 Show Notes
  • @herbusiness on Instagram and Facebook
  • Register now for Rule Your Business: How to Lead Confidently, Trust Yourself, and Love What You’ve Built — LIVE masterclass on Wednesday, 11 November at 10am AEDT.

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About the host

Suzi Dafnis

Hi there. I’m Suzi Dafnis, CEO at HerBusiness. My BIG passion is helping women business owners to grow and scale their business, so that they can create their ideal lifestyle and make a difference in the world. Every day I am inspired by the more than 30,000 amazing women (and men!) in our community and I love finding the best education, mentors, and resources from around the globe, to help them get the skills, knowledge, and support they need to succeed. It’s been my privilege to lead HerBusiness (formerly The Australian Businesswomen’s Network) for the past 23 years (two+ decades – WOW!) because, whilst I’ve enjoyed success in business, I’ve also experienced the highs and the lows – sometimes you can feel on top of the world and in control and other times you can feel isolated, exhausted and stuck. What has made the biggest difference for me has always been having great people around me and having a lifelong commitment to learning. That’s why I am so passionate about the work we do here at HerBusiness – providing a Connection Network for women in business to get the mentors, contacts, referrals, knowledge, and skills they need to grow their confidence, make more money, build their businesses, expand their network and create the lives they love. My entrepreneurial journey started in the spare room of my Sydney apartment in 1994 when my business partner and I started a boutique events company that represented speakers and authors from the USA, here in Australia. Over the years I’ve grown multiple multi-million dollar businesses in the events, publishing and education niches – with teams in Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. Not everything has worked and there has been a degree of trial and error, and a lot of bumps in the road. But I have always had a strong commitment to always surrounding myself with great mentors and like-minded peers – a Connection Network that I can depend on and who can depend on me to be there for them too. I truly do what I love, every day.  

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