“Just be yourself at work” sounds like progress until you notice who gets punished for it.
We sit down with journalist and voice & visibility consultant, Sophie Jane Lee, to talk about the uncomfortable reality behind workplace authenticity, especially for women navigating tech, leadership, and corporate culture. If you’ve ever softened your words, stayed quiet in a meeting, or second-guessed a boundary because you didn’t want to be seen as “difficult,” this conversation puts language to that experience.
We dig into the double bind that keeps women trapped between being acceptable and being exceptional, and why that line between “confident” and “difficult” still shows up in feedback, promotion decisions, and pay. We also challenge the idea that psychological safety can be created with surface-level fixes, and talk about how systems, norms, and even other women can reinforce silencing. Along the way, we highlight what real allyship looks like when someone with more privilege uses their voice to change the room.
Sophie brings a somatic lens to people pleasing, reframing it as a nervous system fawn response rather than a personal flaw. We explore how to build self-trust and visibility through small actions, grounding tools, and safer reps, plus why “girl boss” culture and “be unlikable” narratives can both miss the point. You’ll leave with practical ways to speak up without spiralling, and clearer signals for when a workplace simply isn’t built for you to thrive.
Beyond Palatable: A Manifesto for Unapologetic Women by Sophie Jane Lee is out now, published by Luath Press, priced £14.99
