Lately, I’ve been thinking about self-doubt—how it sneaks in, slows us down, and convinces us to sit on the sidelines.

And while I won’t say it’s only women who wrestle with it, let’s be honest—most of us do. But that doubt didn’t just appear out of nowhere. It was planted. We were encouraged to second-guess, to soften our confidence, to wait until we were sure—as if certainty is a prerequisite for taking up space. And who does that hesitation serve? Certainly not us.

Uncertainty. A lack of self-trust. It’s the first thing—and usually the second and third thing—I hear from almost every woman in this Design Insider community when they talk about why they just can’t seem to get started.

They love design. They obsess over it. They dream about it. But when it comes to actually putting their work into the world in a way that lights them up, something stops them cold.

What if I don’t have enough experience?
What if people don’t take me seriously?
What if I make the wrong choice?
What if I’m not actually good at this?

Sound familiar?

It’s not lack of talent holding them back. It’s not a missing degree or the wrong connections or even a shortage of time. It’s hesitation—this deep-rooted belief that they need someone else to grant them permission. 

And the worst part about all of this self-doubt? It’s working. It’s keeping too many brilliant, creative, capable women sitting on the sidelines, waiting for some invisible green light that’s never going to come. It’s convincing you that you need more credentials, more validation, more proof before you take up space in this industry.

But let me ask you something—who benefits from that?

Not you. Not the clients whose homes are missing the warmth, the artistry, the you-ness that only you could bring. Not the industry that could use more fresh perspectives, more voices that haven’t been filtered through the same old gatekeepers.

And definitely not the world, which could always use more beauty, more soul, more spaces that make people feel something.

So if you’re waiting for a sign, here it is: trust yourself.

Not because you have it all figured out. Not because you’ll never make a mistake. But because no one else can do exactly what you do, in exactly the way you do it. And that? That’s worth putting out into the world.

Over the next few weeks, we’re going to dig into self-doubt—where it comes from, why it’s so damn persistent, and, most importantly, how to stop letting it run the show. Because if it’s standing between you and the work you want to be doing, then it’s time to call it out, break it down, and move right past it. Stay tuned—this conversation is just getting started.