by Tabby Biddle
When I prepared my TEDx talk a decade ago, I wasn’t simply sharing an idea that mattered to me. I was sharing an idea I believed the world needed to hear: that we need more women’s voices in leadership.
It felt brave to stand on that stage and speak openly about feminine spirituality and how I saw it as deeply connected to women knowing they deserve leadership and are already worthy of being leaders.
I told the story of how I grew up feeling “second best” to boys by nature, and how the turning point for me was learning to listen to my inner voice… the feminine voice within me. I also discovered a hidden history: women as goddesses — figures of dignity, wisdom, and power. That knowledge helped me reclaim my worth, and it’s why I believe so deeply that when women step into their voices, they step into their leadership.
What I didn’t realize at the time was how that one talk shared on one stage would open a whole corridor of doors.
After delivering my TEDx talk, invitations began to arrive for podcast interviews, article features, and paid speaking engagements. Each new opportunity connected me with women who resonated with my message. Some of them became clients. Others became collaborators and partners.
Delivering my TEDx talk didn’t just raise my visibility. It changed the course of my career.
It also taught me that when women founders tell their stories, they expand what’s possible for themselves, their companies, and the culture at large.
And yet, too many women founders hesitate to tell their story.
Maybe you’ve felt this: The pressure to appear “professional,” so you strip away the personal parts of your journey; the worry that your story is “too much” or “not enough”; and the belief that the numbers and the product should speak for themselves.
I’ve been there. Early in my career as a journalist, an editor once told me, “Put more of yourself into the story,” and I froze. I had been working so hard to be seen as “professional” that I was scared to reveal my personal perspective and voice. Like so many women, I had been taught to keep my head down, be agreeable, and not take up too much space, so I actually wasn’t even sure what my true voice sounded like.
But here’s the truth: silence costs us. When we don’t share our founder stories, we reinforce the old narrative that leadership belongs to men. We miss out on opportunities for visibility, credibility, and connection. And we deprive the next generation of women leaders from seeing themselves reflected in us.
Here’s what I’ve learned and what I now teach the women leaders and founders I coach:
The Power of Your Story
Credibility & Trust: Your story humanizes your company. Investors, partners, and clients aren’t just buying into your product; they’re buying into you.
Visibility & Opportunity: Every time you share your journey, you invite new opportunities. Speaking invitations, media features, partnerships, even funding pathways often come because someone heard your story and connected with it.
Representation: Your voice matters not just for you, but for the woman founder who’s five years behind you. When you share your story, you make space for her to see what’s possible.
Strategic Advantage: Your story is more than inspiration. It’s a positioning tool. It differentiates you in a crowded market and allows people to remember why you, not just what you offer.
***
As a female founder, when you share your story, you don’t just expand the potential to grow your company, your grow what’s possible for all women.
So, whether you’re on a stage, in a pitch meeting, or writing your next blog post: tell your story. The real one. The one that reveals who you are, what you’ve overcome, and why you care so deeply about the work you’re doing.
What’s one part of your founder journey you’ve never shared publicly, but that people would connect with instantly if they heard it?
Your answer to this likely holds the key to your next level of opportunity and impact.
I’ll be speaking on October 6th at Stanford University on the Listen to Her: Founders Who Speak panel during San Francisco Tech Week. More details & RSVP here.