The Sheila Botelho Show

The Competitive Advantage You Can’t Outsource | EP 521

• Sheila Botelho

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🔗 Mentioned on this Episode: Show Notes 👈

We’re living in an era of rapid disruption—AI, collapsing systems, rising voices, and shifting wealth patterns. For many high-achieving founders, this moment feels louder and faster than anything we’ve navigated before. And while we’ve built businesses through uncertainty before, this season is asking something different of us.

In this minisode, I unpack what’s really stealing your clarity (hint: it’s not lack of strategy), and why self-trust is the most overlooked growth strategy in today’s entrepreneurial space. I also introduce you to The Aligned Pause, a 3-step embodiment practice you can start today to reclaim your clarity, power, and pace—without burning out or outsourcing your voice.

This is your reminder that staying true to your rhythm isn’t a weakness—it’s your edge. If you’ve been second-guessing your timing, your offers, or your energy… this conversation will anchor you in what’s still true. The Expansion Season is here—and it starts with you.

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Sheila:

I've coached and collaborated with people at the highest levels of business and the ones who stay calm, clear and confident. Right now, they've learned how to tune out the noise and trust their own voice. In this episode, I'm giving you one strategy to rise above the pressure of change and stay in your power while doing less with more impact. If you're feeling pulled in too many directions, this will land. Let's get into it. Hi, I'm Sheila Botelho. Welcome back to the podcast.

Sheila:

We are living in a time of unprecedented innovation. You're hearing about it everywhere Disruption, ai, wealth shifts, collapsing systems and rising new ones. It's a lot, and for many founders and creators, especially those of us who have been building for four, five or even 10 plus years, it can feel incredibly disorienting. We're no longer strangers to change. We've navigated business pivots, personal growth, maternity leaves, recessions, global events and internal revolutions, but something about this moment is different it's fast, it's noisy and if we're not careful, it can fracture our self-trust without us even realizing it. So today's conversation is about something simple but powerful Trusting yourself in a time of change. Because self-trust is not fluffy. It's not just about believing in yourself. It's strategy. And in a time where everyone is trying to go faster, shout louder or become more AI compatible than human. It's the leaders who stay anchored in their knowing that will actually rise, so let's talk about it.

Sheila:

Everywhere I turn right now, I hear how do I make sure I'm not left behind? Should I be doing more with AI? I'm seeing people in my space explode. What am I missing? I feel like I should already have all of this figured out and listen. I felt it too. That's why I'm having this conversation.

Sheila:

Even with years of experience, solid revenue and a clear body of work, I still have moments where I look around and think am I evolving fast enough? This is what I call the invisible pressure of proximity. When you are surrounded by other high-level people doing big things, it is really easy to start questioning the very things that got you there, even your own rhythm. And when the internet is screaming about urgency, relevance, speed, you start outsourcing your power without even knowing it. This is where self-trust gets eroded Not from failure, not from being wrong, but from micro moments of comparison that chip away at your certainty. You feel me? I want to reframe something for you.

Sheila:

Self-trust isn't something soft, it's solid. It's actually the infrastructure that lets you make quick decisions, pivot with grace and not jump ship every time someone else looks shinier. It's also the thing that most of the people I coach even the ones making multi, six or seven plus figures struggle to name as a skill, but it is Self-trust. When I think about self-trust, it's something that allows you to say no to the offer that looks good on paper but really feels off Self-trust. It also helps you walk away from self-trust helps you walk away from the client who pays really well but drains your soul. It keeps you launching the thing that feels true, even when it's not trendy.

Sheila:

Rest when your body says pause, not when the algorithm says post. See, this is how we stay well. This is how we stay visible. This is how we grow sustainably, because I have found trusting yourself is actually your competitive advantage, because most people right now are outsourcing their voice to the loudest room. You, you're building your empire with your feet on the ground. Let's name this.

Sheila:

Staying tuned into everything from every platform, every expert, every trend report is exhausting. We weren't built for this level of input, and here's what I see happen over and over again with founders in my programs and people that I see in my midst. They feel tired, unmotivated or suddenly unsure of what they're offering. They think someone's done something to really shift everything in their world and maybe something's wrong with them, but often it's really just overexposure. Something happens when you step away from it all. So what if your clarity isn't gone? What if it's just buried under someone else's volume? I've found the cure to be white space, not just as a luxury, but really as a leadership move, because when you give yourself even 10 minutes a day away from input, you can actually hear what you want, what you already know. This is where decisions get made. This is where your next bold move lands. This is where you remember how wise you are. So here's what I want to offer you this week A simple but potent embodiment practice that I call the aligned pause.

Sheila:

It is a three-step micro ritual that you can use every day to bring your power back into your own hands. Step one step away from input, every kind. Carve out 10 minutes. Phone in the other room, no podcast, no Slack, just you. Step two ask one powerful question what have I been avoiding? What have I been avoiding? Deciding that I already know the answer. To Let it come up. It might be uncomfortable. Actually, it will be uncomfortable. The silence can be uncomfortable when you are busy all the time, and that's okay. Step three make one aligned move. That could be like sending out the email, canceling the meeting, saying no. Imagine opening the offer, taking the nap yes, taking the nap. Let your knowing move you. You don't need to make 20 decisions right now, you just need to make one from a place of integrity. That is how momentum is built in a time of change One embodied move at a time.

Sheila:

This isn't just about your business.

Sheila:

It's about your legacy, because what I have found to be true in my experience you are not just building funnels and teams and programs.

Sheila:

You're building culture. You're showing your clients, your community and the people that you love what it looks like to lead with alignment and when you trust yourself enough to say no, this isn't my season to hustle. Yes, I'm raising my rates. No, I don't need to be everywhere at once. Yes, I'm building a different kind of success. You just don't win. Your model was the thing that wins, because it helps you lead from wholeness, and that is what expansion season is about. It's not about more, not about faster, it's about truer. And if today's conversation stirred something in you, don't keep it to yourself. Share this episode with a fellow founder, a conscious person in your world or someone that you admire who's navigating their next chapter with depth, and head over to the show notes for a preview of what's coming next this season of expansion, including ways we can walk this path together more closely. I'll meet you in the next episode, where we keep building our legacy with more clarity, more trust and more freedom than ever before. Thanks for listening you.