154. It’s never too late to crack the confidence code with Lena Coates

Confidence has no expiry date. What if confidence isn’t something you either have or don’t have… but something you build, one courageous step at a time?In this deeply affirming conversation, I sit down with executive coach and author Lena Coates to explore the kind of confidence that is learned through experience, setbacks, self-belief, and bold new beginnings.From walking away from a 28-year career and navigating what Lena describes as falling off a “cliff,” to starting her own business in her 60s, publishing her first book at 69, and even contemplating studying law in her seventies, this conversation is a powerful reminder that growth doesn’t have an age limit.We unpack how confidence is formed through the very moments that shake us: The career stumbles that become turning points. The identities we outgrow. The unhelpful “good girl” conditioning many women carry without realising. And the courage it takes to back yourself when there’s no clear map.This isn’t just a conversation about confidence. It’s about reinvention, self-trust, speaking up, beginning again, and what is possible when you stop letting age, fear, or old stories define what comes next.If you’ve ever questioned whether it’s too late, you’ve missed your window, or if there’s still another chapter in you waiting to be written, this beautiful conversation may be your answer. Key takeaways:o   Why some of the biggest confidence breakthroughs can come after you’ve fallen off a metaphorical “cliff.”o   How one person saying “I need you” can redirect the course of your life.o   The hidden and unhelpful conditioning many women carry from being the “good girl”.o   How reinvention challenges your past beliefs about timing and aging.o   How the obstacles and mistakes we’d rather forget build our self-trust.o   Why confidence is less about certainty… and more about starting before you feel ready. This episode invites you to question what dream you had declared as being ‘too late’, may still be calling you? Get Lena’s book: Cracking the Confidence Code.    COURAGEOUS ME – THE BOOK Grab your copy of Courageous Me – The courage to turn someday into today.  Follow Lena on socials:Website: Lena Coates    LinkedIn: Lena Coates    Instagram: @lenacoates.associates      Facebook: Lena Coates    Connect with me: Website: Kim Payne   LinkedIn: Kim Payne Instagram: @iamkimpayne  Facebook: KimPayneBiz  COURAGEOUS SHIFTWant to make the impact you know is possible without having everything figured out? Get access now to The Courageous Shift – a FREE 90 min audio mini-series to work out your next move.