101: Nicole Stephenson — The Voice They Told You Was Too Loud

Written By Jacqueline Fisch

There's a particular kind of exhaustion that comes from being good at fitting in. Nicole Stephenson knows this feeling well. She spent years being told she was “too loud,” “too much,” “too honest.” Then she wrote a book about what happens when you finally stop apologizing for being yourself.

Nicole is the founder of Narrativa Consulting, a part-time lecturer at The Wharton School, and the author of Unapologetic: Boldly Lead the Life and Career You Deserve. In this conversation, we talk about the ten years she spent running a private women's mentorship program and what she noticed about what actually made those women succeed (spoiler: it wasn't the sales scripts).

We get into her three-year book-writing process, why she hired a book coach, and the financial gut-check that almost stopped her from publishing at all. She also shares how the book found its way to a complete stranger in New York — and what that phone call taught her about why she does this work.

If you've ever been told you were too loud or too much, this one's for you.

In this episode:

  • The moment Nicole realized the things people told her to keep quiet were the things closing her sales

  • What ten years of mentoring women taught her about what actually builds confidence

  • How a 40-day writing challenge (over Lent), left the book sitting in a draft folder

  • Why she turned down ghostwriting and insisted the book be in her own voice

  • The real cost of writing a book — money, momentum, and nearly walking away before publishing

  • Why she launched the book on her 40th birthday (and how she celebrated both)

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Timestamps:

00:00 Why Fitting In Exhausts Us

01:13 Nicole’s Career Wake Up

01:57 Owning Bold Authenticity

05:21 The Promotion Lunch Pivot

07:16 Spark Behind Unapologetic

09:22 Community And Accountability

12:31 How She Actually Wrote It

14:36 Book Coach And New Outline

19:25 Staying True To Your Voice

21:43 Writer’s Block And Life Shifts

22:40 Burnout And Doubt

23:28 Publisher Sticker Shock

24:04 Committing To Finish

24:23 Finding The Right Publisher

25:02 Momentum Lost And Lessons

26:02 Launching On 40th Birthday

28:05 Starting Narrativa LLC

30:39 Book Launching And A Basic Website

32:56 Strangers Respond To The Book

36:46 Reach Out To Creators

38:27 Advice For Aspiring Authors

40:02 Coffee Vs Tea Rituals

41:43 Closing Thanks

Related Episodes:

Jacqueline Fisch

Jacqueline Fisch is an intuitive writing coach and the founder of The Intuitive Writing School. She helps creative business owners create their authentic voice so they can make an impact on the world through their books and businesses.

Before launching her writing and coaching business, Jacq spent 13 years working in corporate communications and management-consulting for clients including Fortune 500 companies and the US government. As a ghostwriter and coach, she’s helped thousands of clients — tech startups, life and business coaches, creatives, and more — learn how to communicate more authentically and stand out in a busy online world.

After moving 14 times in 20 years, she’s decided that home is where the people are. She finds home with her husband, two kids, a dog, a cat, and a few houseplants hanging on by a thread.

https://theintuitivewritingschool.com/
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