Choose Empowering Language Over Apologies: What Meeting Jess Ekstrom Taught Me About Taking Up Space

I drove to San Antonio for the NAWBO conference specifically to hear Jess Ekstrom speak.As someone navigating entrepreneurship, visibility, podcasting, and leadership after corporate life, I deeply wanted to learn from women who are already standing confidently in rooms I’m still growing into.But despite intentionally putting myself in that room, despite years of leadership experience, I still caught myself saying something so many women say automatically when I asked for a photo:“Can I bug you…”The moment itself was harmless. But the language behind it revealed something bigger.Why do so many women instinctively apologize before taking up space? Why do we minimize ourselves before making even the smallest request? Why do capable, accomplished women still feel like they’re inconveniencing people simply by existing in the conversation?In this episode of RTDB, we unpack the subtle language patterns that expose deeper conditioning around people-pleasing, self-worth, visibility, and confidence.We talk about:How phrases like “sorry to bother you” quietly diminish our presenceThe hidden ways people-pleasing shows up in professional settingsWhy women often place others on pedestals instead of seeing themselves as equalsThe connection between language, nervous system safety, and confidenceHow to replace minimizing language with grounded, empowering communicationWhy visibility starts long before the stage, microphone, or business launchRemembering that every successful person is still just another human beingThis conversation is about more than wording. It’s about identity. Confidence isn’t always built through giant leaps.Sometimes it’s built by simply removing unnecessary apologies from our everyday language.If you’ve ever overexplained yourself, softened your needs, apologized for asking questions, or felt intimidated in rooms you worked hard to enter — this episode will resonate deeply.Follow Jess at jessekstrom.comJoin The THRIVE Collective at thrivewithchristy.com