Succeeding as a Woman in a Male-Dominated Industry

Stop Asking Everyone Else. The Answer Is Already Inside You.

In this episode of Bold Steps with Sarah, holistic business coach and mentor Sarah Martinez gets into one of the most quietly exhausting things so many of us carry around without even naming it. Self-doubt. Not the loud, dramatic kind. The slow, creeping kind that builds up over years of being told to be smaller, quieter, more agreeable. The kind that makes you redesign your offer three times in one year and still feel like something is off. This episode is about what actually happens when you stop trusting yourself, why it is not your fault that you did, and the very practical, very unsexy work of building that trust back. One small promise at a time. Sarah shares the moment she was sitting at her desk looking at yet another version of her website and felt absolutely nothing. No spark, no excitement. Just a hollow feeling. And how that moment became the turning point that brought her back to her own voice. From there, she goes into the science behind intuition, what Brené Brown's marble jar has to do with your business decisions, and why the certainty you are waiting for is never going to show up before you take action. It only comes because of it. If you have ever over-researched a decision you already knew the answer to, or kept changing your offer because nothing felt quite right, or said yes to a client that felt wrong because you were scared nothing better was coming, this one is for you. IN THIS EPISODE 00:00 — Why losing self-trust is not a personal failure and how it happens to everyone 03:00 — Sarah's story: redesigning her whole business three times and what it cost her 08:00 — What self-doubt actually does to your brain, your decisions, and your business 14:00 — Why it is not your fault: the conditioning that taught you to look outward for approval 20:00 — The 3 Bold Steps to rebuild self-trust starting today 28:00 — How lost self-trust shows up in business, parenting, and relationships 32:00 — The Einstein quote that says everything about how we were taught to ignore our intuition Follow Sarah:→ Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boldstepswithsarah/ [https://www.instagram.com/boldstepswithsarah/]→ Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.holistic.business.coach/ [https://www.instagram.com/the.holistic.business.coach/]→ Website: https://www.sarahmartinezcoaching.com [https://www.sarahmartinezcoaching.com] 🎧 Follow @boldstepswithsarah for more conversations on growth, business, and becoming the version of you you are meant to be. Learn more about your host: Sarah Martinez at www.sarahmartinezcoaching.com [http://www.sarahmartinezcoaching.com] Apply to be a guest on Bold Steps with Sarah: https://forms.gle/ntVn6jjmepjUGAga8 [https://forms.gle/ntVn6jjmepjUGAga8] Song by: St. Finnikin

What happens when you stop filtering yourself

In this episode of the Bold Steps with Sarah podcast, holistic business coach and mentor Sarah Martinez explores how we live in a world that's getting more curated by the day. Everything looks polished. Everyone seems fine. And yet so many of us are walking around saying things we don't mean, holding back things we do, and wondering why we feel so disconnected — from other people and from ourselves. This episode is about that. About what it actually costs you to stay quiet — in your personal life, in your business, at work, and in a culture that's quietly making it easier than ever to perform instead of just be real. Sarah shares a moment that stopped her in a Paris restaurant with her six-year-old daughter — and why it said everything about how early we learn to hide ourselves. From there, the conversation goes into the specific ways women silence themselves in business, what's really behind the quiet quitting trend at work, and why this isn't just a women's issue. Men are doing this too — just with a different set of rules and a different set of things they're not allowed to show. This one will probably make you think of a conversation you've been avoiding. IN THIS EPISODE 00:00 — What authenticity actually means and why Sarah chose it as her word for 2026 00:30 — The chocolate mousse story: how people-pleasing starts before we even notice it 07:00 — The real cost of not speaking your truth 15:00 — Where women lie in business every day: pricing, content, positioning 23:00 — The workplace: why 7 in 10 people stay quiet and what it's doing to them 30:00 — It's not just a women's problem: how men suppress differently 38:00 — What actually shifts when you start showing up for real Follow Sarah: → Podcast Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/boldstepswithsarah/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/boldstepswithsarah/] → Personal Instagram:⁠https://www.instagram.com/the.holistic.business.coach/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/the.holistic.business.coach/] →Website: ⁠https://www.sarahmartinezcoaching.com⁠ [https://www.sarahmartinezcoaching.com] 🎧 Follow @⁠⁠boldstepswithsarah⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/boldstepswithsarah/] for more conversations on growth, business, and becoming the version of you you’re meant to be. Learn more about your host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Martinez⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [www.sarahmartinezcoaching.com] Apply to be a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠guest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://forms.gle/ntVn6jjmepjUGAga8] on Bold Steps with Sarah Song by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠St. Finnikin [https://open.spotify.com/intl-fr/artist/28Tu7osKoWo0ZVKO1eTPF5]

Turning Grief into Purpose

In this episode of Bold Steps with Sarah, Sarah Martinez sits down with Jennifer Newberg, founder of It’s Lifey, speaker, and national community builder, for a powerful conversation about grief, identity, and rebuilding a life after loss. After losing her husband suddenly while traveling abroad, Jen found herself navigating unimaginable decisions while raising children, managing logistics, and confronting a completely new reality. What followed was not just personal healing, but the creation of a national movement that now supports thousands of widows across North America. Together, Sarah and Jen explore what it means to rebuild your life when everything you knew collapses. They talk about grief in the modern world, leadership during personal crisis, reinvention after 40, and how purpose can emerge even when you’re still in the middle of heartbreak. If you’re navigating divorce, burnout, loss, or a season of unexpected transition, this conversation offers honesty, perspective, and grounded hope. Show Notes: * What it actually feels like when life changes overnight * The invisible emotional and logistical weight widows carry * Identity shifts after losing a partner * The pressure to “move on” versus the reality of grief * How Jen turned personal tragedy into a national support movement * Leadership during a deeply personal crisis * Reinventing your life and purpose after 40 * The power of community in the healing process * What modern grief looks like and why we need new conversations around it This episode is a reminder that rebuilding is rarely linear. Sometimes the most meaningful work emerges from the most painful chapters. Where to find Jennifer: → Website: https://www.itslifey.com→ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itslifey/ Follow Sarah: → Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boldstepswithsarah/ [https://www.instagram.com/boldstepswithsarah/]→ Personal Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.holistic.business.coach/ [https://www.instagram.com/the.holistic.business.coach/]→ Website: https://www.sarahmartinezcoaching.com [https://www.sarahmartinezcoaching.com] 🎧 Follow @⁠⁠boldstepswithsarah⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/boldstepswithsarah/] for more conversations on growth, business, and becoming the version of you you’re meant to be. Learn more about your host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Martinez⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [www.sarahmartinezcoaching.com] Apply to be a ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠guest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://forms.gle/ntVn6jjmepjUGAga8] on Bold Steps with Sarah Song by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠St. Finnikin [https://open.spotify.com/intl-fr/artist/28Tu7osKoWo0ZVKO1eTPF5]

Is Your Nervous System Running The Show?

In this episode of the Bold Steps with Sarah podcast, holistic business coach and mentor Sarah Martinez explores how your nervous system quietly runs more of your life than you think. Drawing from neuroscience research, Polyvagal Theory, and practical somatic tools, Sarah breaks down why stress responses shape your reactions, your habits, and even your growth. As a certified coach and yoga teacher who blends strategy with nervous system awareness, Sarah explains how chronic stress affects decision-making, why burnout isn’t a personality flaw, and how learning to regulate builds real resilience. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, reactive, or stuck, this episode will help you understand what’s happening in your body and how to work with it instead of against it. In this episode, Sarah covers: Show Notes: - How your nervous system constantly scans for safety and threat - Why reactions to criticism, visibility, and uncertainty are biological responses - The difference between fight or flight, shutdown, and true regulation - How chronic stress impacts the brain and emotional control - Why shame increases activation instead of calming itThe role of flexibility and recovery in resilience - Breathwork practices like cyclic sighing and slow-paced breathing - How humming and sound can support nervous system settling - Simple somatic tools including orientation, grounding, and gentle movement - How regulation builds long-term capacity, including in business If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, reactive, stuck, or burned out and blamed yourself for it, this episode will change how you see your patterns. Regulation isn’t about being calm all the time. It’s about building the ability to return to steady. Follow Sarah: → Podcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boldstepswithsarah/ [https://www.instagram.com/boldstepswithsarah/] → Personal Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/the.holistic.business.coach/ [https://www.instagram.com/the.holistic.business.coach/] →Website: https://www.sarahmartinezcoaching.com [https://www.sarahmartinezcoaching.com] 🎧 Follow @⁠boldstepswithsarah⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/boldstepswithsarah/] for more conversations on growth, business, and becoming the version of you you’re meant to be. Learn more about your host: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sarah Martinez⁠⁠⁠⁠ [www.sarahmartinezcoaching.com] Apply to be a ⁠⁠⁠⁠guest⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://forms.gle/ntVn6jjmepjUGAga8] on Bold Steps with Sarah Song by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠St. Finnikin [https://open.spotify.com/intl-fr/artist/28Tu7osKoWo0ZVKO1eTPF5]

Succeeding as a Woman in a Male-Dominated Industry

In this episode, I sit down with Urmi Hossain to talk about identity, leadership, and the courage to own your voice. Urmi shares her journey of navigating male-dominated spaces, embracing who she truly is, and building presence without losing herself. We explore the real challenges women face in corporate environments and what it takes to grow, speak up, and lead authentically. This conversation is about taking bold steps, reclaiming your story, and choosing yourself — even when it feels uncomfortable. If you’ve ever felt like you had to fit in to succeed, this episode is for you. Takeaways * Self-belief and self-trust are the foundation of finding your voice * Presence is built through vulnerability, storytelling, and discomfort * Many women struggle with imposter syndrome and neglecting themselves * You don’t need to have all the answers to grow * Choosing yourself can transform your life — and inspire others Discover Urmi’s work, books, and insights on leadership and identity: * ⁠⁠⁠Book⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.amazon.ca/Discovering-Your-Identity-Interracial-Struggle/dp/B0B6XJ6Y3Q] ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/urmihossain/] 🎧 Follow Bold Steps with Sarah for more conversations on growth, business, and becoming the version of you you’re meant to be. Learn more about your host: ⁠⁠⁠Sarah Martinez⁠⁠⁠ [www.sarahmartinezcoaching.com] Apply to be a ⁠⁠⁠guest⁠⁠⁠ [https://forms.gle/ntVn6jjmepjUGAga8] on Bold Steps with Sarah Song by: ⁠⁠⁠St. Finnikin [https://open.spotify.com/intl-fr/artist/28Tu7osKoWo0ZVKO1eTPF5]