Liz Boswell
Liz Boswell is the founder of Bold Moves Coaching. Her passion is helping other business women and leaders to be more confident in who they are so that they have the courage to speak up and show up more authentically for their business and make bold moves towards their ambitious goals. She offers 1 to 1 and group coaching programmes focused on helping women to overcome their fear of public speaking so that they can promote their business at networking events, on social media and webinars. She got married last year after being with her partner for 20 years! I’m a step mother, grandmother and dog mum!
What were your initial years of growing up like? Tell us about your life before the venture/ corporate journey?
I grew up in Yorkshire (North of England) I was a very shy child and always struggled with my confidence at school and in social situations. I have always loved animals and preferred spending time with horses in my early years. I studied A Level languages and found a love for travel in my teens.
Every industry that is now a large-scale, top-notch business once started as a small idea in the minds of entrepreneurs. What was that idea or motivation that made you start your business/initiative? What motivated you within to say “YES, go for it!”
My motivation came from overcoming my own fear of public speaking after failing terribly at the first attempt! I want to help other ‘shy‘ girls like me to find their voice, be brave enough to share their dreams and believe they can achieve their ambitious goals. My mission is to inspire women to see that if I can do it they can too!
Tell us something about your initiative or current role. What is it about, and what impact are you trying to make?
I’m currently working on building a community called Bold Voices which is all about supporting women to find their voice and speak up about their business. The impact is huge because women finding their voice means they can share their stories to inspire and motivate other women to push through their boundaries too.
Your journey and your vision are very inspiring, but are there any achievements or accomplishments you would like to mention?
What makes me most proud is when I see women in our community stand up and share their personal stories with other women. I get emotional when I see women breaking through their fear because I know that their life will never be the same again, it’s a huge achievement and it gets me every time!
Would you like to share with our young budding women entrepreneurs the change you would like to see in the world if given an opportunity?
I’d like to see a world where women feel safe to speak their truth without fear of being judged.
Women are a growing force in the workplaces worldwide, standing shoulder to shoulder with their male counterparts. There are cracks in glass ceilings everywhere, with many women breaking through to carve out a space right at the top of the pyramid. What are your thoughts about women’s leadership today?
I am concerned that the percentage of women leaders has not really improved over the last decade. I feel that as fast as we are making progress, we are losing momentum with high profile women leaders such as Jacinda Ardern and Susan Wojcicki stepping down to focus on family and wellbeing. There needs to be more focus on helping women to thrive at leadership level rather than purely surviving. Other women will make the bold move to step up to leadership when we see more positive role models.
What would you want to say to our young women leaders/audience reading this?
If you’re looking for someone to believe in you, take a look in the mirror. Once you start believing in yourself it’s a game changer because you no longer need to seek the approval of others.