Barbara Nixon is a success coach, award-winning speaker, author and leadership consultant with over 30 years of experience in people development.

As the founder of Smash Your Own Ceiling, she works with ambitious business owners to help them remove the internal blocks holding them back - self-doubt, fear of failure, imposter syndrome and the habit of saying yes when every instinct is telling them to say no.

In this episode, we explore Barbara's own journey from employee to entrepreneur, the unlearning that came with it and the powerful practice of pausing and playing your way through uncertainty. It is a conversation about intuition, self-leadership and what it truly means to create space for yourself as a leader, a mother and a woman in business.

In this conversation, we explore:

✨ Barbara's journey into entrepreneurship and the pivotal moments that shaped her understanding of what it means to lead with authenticity and purpose

✨ The transition from employee to business owner and the professional norms she had to unlearn before she could truly find her way

✨ How she navigated the tension between building a business and being present as a parent and what she discovered along the way

✨ Why pausing is not a sign of weakness but one of the most powerful and strategic things a business owner can do

✨ The year of yes - how saying yes to joy, exploration and curiosity became the unexpected path back to clarity and direction

✨ How trusting your intuition and following what lights you up can quietly realign you with your purpose when logic alone cannot

✨ The concept of creating a pocket of air and why carving out genuine space for yourself is not a luxury but a leadership essential

✨ Why putting yourself at the top of the list as a leader is not selfish but sensible, strategic and deeply necessary

✨ How play and experimentation can dissolve the paralysis of not knowing what comes next and open unexpected doors

✨ What redefining leadership looks like for women and why the most powerful version of it is rooted in compassion, presence and self-knowledge

About the Guest:

Barbara Nixon is a success coach, award-winning speaker, author and leadership consultant with over 30 years of experience in people development.

She works with ambitious business owners to help them remove the internal blocks holding them back and step into the leaders they are meant to be. She is also host of the 'Smash Your Own Ceiling' podcast, co-owner of a Yorkshire coffee roastery, a wife, a mum and stepmum to four grown up children and proud owner of a dog called Nellie.

You can connect with Barbara via her website, LinkedIn or Instagram.

About The Host:

I’m Victoria Phipps – a Mum of two, analogue family photographer, personal brand photographer, educator, charity co-founder, marketer and now podcaster! 🎙️

I was raised by a nurturing Mother and an entrepreneurial Father and have inherited traits from both, so the tension between ambition and motherhood is one I grapple with on a daily basis!

I’m fascinated to hear the stories of other women on a similar path, who are striving to build thriving businesses whilst being present for their children. It's a tough juggle, but I hope the conversations shared on this podcast help Mums in business feel less alone and inspired to keep going in pursuit of their dreams.

Head to the Mum Means Business Podcast website for full show notes.

I would love to hear your thoughts on the topics discussed in this conversation, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @victoriaphippsmbe or @mummeansbusinesspodcast.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a 5* rating and review!