Becoming Unstoppable - Rise, Thrive and Lead with Impact
Becoming Unstoppable is the go-to podcast for fierce female entrepreneurs ready to expand their empires with unapologetic growth, energy mastery, and bold, soul-aligned strategy. Hosted by mindset coach and manifesting queen Rachel Jackson, each episode delivers big energy, real talk, and magnetic tools to help you scale with purpose and become truly unstoppable.
Becoming Unstoppable - Rise, Thrive and Lead with Impact
Your Biography Is Not Your Destiny
Why You’re Still Playing Small (And How to Stop Settling for Less)
What truly sets apart those who create extraordinary lives from those who settle? Here’s a clue: it’s not talent or luck.
In this unapologetically honest episode, I dive into a pattern I see all too often—brilliant women holding themselves back because of past failures. I share a powerful moment from my leadership coaching, where a high-performing team kept tripping themselves up with the belief that “it’s never been done before.” Sound familiar?
Here’s the truth: settling doesn’t actually feel safe or comfortable when your soul is craving more. That ache inside? That’s not ease—it’s quiet suffering. We explore why we tolerate that discomfort instead of choosing the temporary stretch of growth and transformation.
I also share stories of unstoppable persistence that will shift how you view failure—like Roger Bannister smashing the ‘impossible’ four-minute mile, Walt Disney being rejected 302 times before securing funding, and Colonel Sanders being told “no” over a thousand times before someone said “yes” to his chicken recipe.
These weren’t people with superhuman gifts—they simply refused to let the past dictate their future.
The mental cages we build are far more confining than any external circumstance. Your story so far doesn’t define what’s next. Your family history, old mistakes, or so-called limitations are not the full picture of who you are or what you’re here to do.
If you're ready to stop playing small and truly become unstoppable, this episode will help you recognise when you’re holding yourself back, trust your inner knowing, and lean into the kind of discomfort that leads to breakthroughs—not burnout.
Come join the conversation in our Facebook group or inside the Becoming Unstoppable Membership—where your limitless potential gets activated, not analysed.
Thank you for listening.
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For more from me go to https://www.racheljackson.uk/
Also if you want to learn more about manifestation listen to my other podcast Soulful Badass on all listening platforms or click below.
Remember, it is your time to become unstoppable 💫
Rachel xxx
Hi everyone, welcome to this week's podcast, and this week I want to talk to you about why are some people so successful and pushed through no matter what, and then other people are so willing to hold on to the past and settle for something less than they deserve, just to make themselves feel comfortable. Now I'll give you a bit of background of where this story's come from. So in my leadership coaching that I do I'm involved in a project, and it's a really exciting project, and it's about changing the mentality and changing the culture of a leadership role within the company. Now it is a really exciting chance to do something completely different to what they've ever done before, and they've started the momentum of doing this and making huge grounds. But when I was talking to them, they keep coming back to the same old. This has never been done before. People have tried this and it has always failed. So we've got to understand that we're going to get to a point and then we're probably going to get stopped. And my mind and my insides was going no, why are you talking yourself out of something that you're making so much progress in so much momentum and yet you're clinging on to this fact that it has never worked before and as well they've had proof.
Speaker 1:The talk in this leadership program about it takes one person to make that change. It takes one leader to step out and really make a change to a whole team or a whole company, whatever it is. They talk about this and yet they keep coming back to no one has ever done this. So why is it going to work now? We're always going to get stuck at that point and I just think to myself where is this mentality come from, that you have all of these people that are so inspired and so wanting to make a change, but they're still clinging on to that fact that things have never been done in the past and that's just the norm, and that is what we're going to accept and that's ultimately what we're going to settle for.
Speaker 1:Now I want you to think about your own lives. What are you currently settling for? That is, you know, deep down, your gut is telling you you deserve more, and yet you're settling for the same old thing, because you think if you push forward, you've never done it before, it's something you've never tried. The past tells you this shouldn't work, you shouldn't be going for it. So you stay safe and you're settling and I know we've all got things like that and I spent my whole life doing that. I would push forward a little bit, but then I'd feel uncomfortable and be like I've never done this before, I've never been to this place, so I need to stop.
Speaker 1:But I got to that point where I was like I can do something different with my life. I don't have to follow the same path that I've always followed, because do you know what? Keep doing the same thing. You got to get the same results. So I thought, right, something needs to change. And it's my attitude. And it was that pushing through and not willing to settle.
Speaker 1:But often it takes a lot to push us to that place. It takes a lot of heartache, it takes a lot of feeling down, feeling crap, until you just go enough's enough. I don't deserve this, and what I hope to get out of this podcast episode is for you to not have to get to that point where you think enough's enough. You could get to that point and think I can make a change. Anyway, I want you to walk out of this listening to this wherever you are and feel inspired to go. I have that ability. I am just as special as all them successful people, and I can push through this.
Speaker 1:So what does that take? Because, believe me. So what does that take? Because, believe me, settling and thinking the past defines you is so easy to do. Most of us do it in this culture. It is just the norm. That is what the masses do. They think that everything that's happened before defines them and that makes them who they are. So, yeah, they might get slightly better, but the chances are because you've never done it before and you want to do something crazy big.
Speaker 1:Why would that work? And you look at the people around you. You look at the people closest to you. It's never happened for them. So then you think, well, why would it happen for me? What makes me special? Why should I stand out? Because if I stand out, I'm probably going to feel very uncomfortable around all these people that aren't trying to push themselves as well.
Speaker 1:So that can be a big thing, the fact that you might have to stand out to make this change. And, oh my God, would that be the worst thing if you actually followed your own heart and stood out and was a little bit different To a lot of people? Yes, that probably is the worst thing, because we want comfort, we want love and we want love from those around us that we think are the best fit for us. And often if you have bigger dreams than those people around you, they're not often the best fit for you. So you've got to weigh up that factor. Where are your dreams and are you dimming everything down and settling just because you want to fit in, just because you want things to still be comfortable? But we say that we want things to be comfortable, but when you've got that burn inside of you and you're dying to do something different, you actually comfortable or are you suffering? Are you feeling like you're dying inside? I know I was, so I'm sure a lot of you are as well. So really think about that way up. What is comfortable when you're in your little comfort zone? That feels absolutely crap? Does that really feel comfortable? Or do you want to feel amazing every day, because there is ways to do that.
Speaker 1:Now this started a whole trail of thinking and I wanted to get to know what makes these people step outside that comfort zone. I know for me I got to the point I was pushed. Enough was enough, but it lit a fire inside of me and now I have big visions and I am certain, 100% certain those big visions are coming off. And that's the big thing. Everything that was created was created because someone believed it was possible. Now I believe my big visions are possible and I am going for it, and I have that certainty in my mind.
Speaker 1:But often we have this big dream but we want instant results. We want it to happen now. So we start off and we're certain we want this to happen. Then we set the wheels in motion and suddenly the next day, the next two days, it hasn't happened. I've obviously failed. It isn't working and your doubt's kicking. How many of us have had that? And we just go back to what we've always had, whereas we've got to let these visions, these creations grow. We've got to protect our ideas so that we can really incubate them and let them grow.
Speaker 1:Now, last week I talked about are you stopping the baby walking? And this is the same thing. You know, when you have these big ideas, you have to let it grow, you have to let it expand. And let me give you some examples of this. There is so many examples from successful people who would not give up, because that's the thing We've got to get comfortable with that feeling of no, feeling of being rejected, feeling of failure. We're gonna have that if we choose to grow. You know what? That's okay, because every time that happens we learn from it, we change something, we adapt, we grow even more.
Speaker 1:But we need to let go and let that process happen. We need to understand that we're following our intuition, we're following our heart, we're following that gut inside of us that's saying I am here for something more. And this vision I have is not crazy, it is real and it can happen. And whatever I visualize in my mind can happen in the external world. We've got to believe that and make sure that we let go to all the other stuff that's surrounding it. So let go of all them judgments of other people, let go of all the things that you're trying to cling on to from the past to give you that proof that it's not going to happen. Because let go of all of that and you've got a clean slate. You can do anything, because we are not defined by our past, we're not defined by our biography. It doesn't matter where you've come from, who you were born to. All of that stuff, none of that matters If you have a vision and a dream and you have that oomph to go for it, then believe me, you can make it happen.
Speaker 1:Let's have a look at some really famous examples. Now I was Googling Roger Bannister, because this is one that I've learned on a course that's come up a few times. And I don't know whether you've heard about Roger Bannister, because this is one that I've learned on a course that's come up a few times. And I don't know whether you've heard about Roger Bannister, but he was the guy who cracked the four minute mile.
Speaker 1:Now we were told by scientists all sorts of people come up with this theory that the human body could not physically do this. So for years no one bothered trying, because why would you try and do something that's supposedly impossible? Well, roger Bannister did not think that. He thought I am going to try and smash that four minute mile, and he was the first person at the age of 25 to do that. And then what happened? Weeks later, someone else did it too, because they'd seen it was possible. And now there's over a thousand people I think it's 1400 people who have done this, and someone has even took 13 seconds off it. So someone has run a mile in 3.43 seconds. So you are not telling me that this is impossible.
Speaker 1:He just believed he could. He believed he could and he went for it, regardless of everything that was being said outside, regardless of all the scientists that were coming up with the theory and telling him he was crazy. All of them people were saying you cannot do this and he had to shut that off. He had to quieten that down so that he could focus and do what he needed to do, and he did it and he changed the parameters for everyone else running now for people who else want to smash that. He changed that just by believing he could and by seeing that he could in his mind and by doing it without listening to all the other stuff that's gone before. He was willing to take that risk and take that risk publicly. He put that out there. He recorded this four minute mile. So that's one account.
Speaker 1:Then you've got Walt Disney. Now Walt Disney how amazing and famous and incredible is all the stuff Walt Disney's done, both in his lifetime and all the stuff, the legacy that is left afterwards. But what it took him to get to where he was was 302 no's. Every time he went to the bank, he got a no 302 times. Now you're telling me that your past defines you. I don't think so. There was not one point. He went into the next bank and thought I'm not going to get this loan because the last one stopped me. If he did that he would never have got past two. But instead he got to 302 banks before he got the yes. Now you imagine your life, my life. If Walt Disney had not pushed through and got that yes, we would not have had all that incredible animation that's probably set off a trail of animation for the future. We wouldn't have had any of that if he hadn't have understood the fact that one no does not dictate you getting a yes. One no does not mean that that yes is never going to happen. So whatever's happened in your past, it does not dictate you succeeding in the future. So please get that in your mind.
Speaker 1:And when I was Googling this about Walt Disney, I also come across KFC founder Colonel Sanders was rejected a thousand and nine times before he found a taker for his chicken recipe. Now I love my KFC. So imagine if that hadn't happened A thousand and nine times times. People who is willing to put themselves out there and believe in what they want to do that much. Well, he was and that's what got him that success. That's what got his name out there and all these KFC branded restaurants.
Speaker 1:1,009 rejections, and do you know what? He never once must have thought I'm going to stop, I'm going to give up. Because why should I do this? My past defines me. We wouldn't have that if he hadn't have pushed through 1,009 times like that is incredible. But even JK Rowling she the first Harry Potter manuscript was rejected by 12 publishing houses. 12 publishing houses that are going to be kicking themselves now, but 12 publishing houses that said no.
Speaker 1:It cosmetics jamie kerr, I think her name is it cosmetics got no after no. After no, she got a no from sephora, a really big no, a no from qvc. And then the guy who rejected her from QVC ended up working for her and her company and actually mentored her as well. Like why? What part of her was it saying I can't do this? And when you listen to her speak or you read her book which is amazing she talks about, she had this knowing. She had this intuition. She had experts telling her what to do.
Speaker 1:On her first qvc trial that she had, she had a 10 minute slot and she hired all these experts and she wanted to sell her beauty cosmetics. And what the word there were. There were cosmetics for real women. Now she's got rosacea, so she has really bad skin underneath and she wanted cosmetics that were going to cover her skin. So she had this 10-minute slot.
Speaker 1:After no, after no, after no, this was her big chance and she hired experts to help her, experts who had done it before, and they all said to her you need models with flawless skin, you need good-looking young people. And she had a gut feeling that that was not what her customers needed to see. That was not what was integrity with her and her values. And she went with her gut, even though she had this 10 minute window and it could have made or broke her. She thought I am trusting my gut, I am ignoring these experts, I am not looking at all the rejections in the past and I am going to trust that my products and my theory behind them is right and I am going for it. And she went for it and totally turned around her company.
Speaker 1:So how much are you trusting your gut or are you settling just because you've never done it before? So all these people they're no different to anyone else. They just believe in this inner knowing and this real gut feeling of this is what I'm meant to be doing. There is not another way. There is not a plan B, there is this. There is not a plan B, there is this. And I know there is this and someone needs to see it and believe it. And that is just the difference. It just takes that difference of knowing that someone needs what you are offering or what you want to change in your life, or the fact that you can do something different, regardless of what you've ever done.
Speaker 1:So that Chinese proverb or Japanese proverb, I don't know which one it is, but you fall down seven times, you get up eight. Are we getting up eight times or are we falling down once and thinking we are done? It's like I said last week. Are you falling down once and going? I am not a walker. This is not happening, because you shouldn't be doing that. You need to be pushing through, you need to be picking yourself back up, you need to be dusting yourself off a thousand and nine times. If that's what it takes, because you've got to think of what is settling worth, settling will take your inner peace. It will take your happiness and it will steal your joy and, believe me, that compound effect of that will build up, and build up, and build up.
Speaker 1:And how many people are in that place?
Speaker 1:I was in that place for years. I'd never seen any other way. I just thought this was the normal. This is what people do. People settle. That's okay. That's what we're meant to do. We're not meant to be successful. No one in my family's been that successful. Why should I be like that? This is what I used to say. This is what my inner chatter was. And how wrong was I?
Speaker 1:Believe me, I am certain of where I'm going. I don't have my plan B. I have my plan A and I am going there, and I know that it's going to be uncomfortable. I know I'm going to get rejected. I know there's going to be people who don't like what I'm doing, and some of them are the closest to me. Believe me, I have had them rise up and I have had them be, you know, either non-respondent or they're very respondent and they're a bit like what are you doing? But I know that I am not willing to settle. I've got this life and I am going for it. I am going for it, like Roger Bannister did, like Walt Disney did, like Colonel Sanders did. I can't believe I'm quoting Colonel Sanders in a podcast, but that is amazing. You know, jk Rowling, where would we be without Harry Potter? Harry Potter was one of them things that completely sparked my imagination. I was looking for magic all my life. Then Harry Potter come into my life and, oh my God, it was amazing. I love it.
Speaker 1:So think about you. Why are you settling? Are you settling because no one's done it before in your family? Are you settling because you're scared of the uncomfortable feeling of stretching yourself and you haven't really weighed up the uncomfortable feeling that you have from settling? So I hope this one makes sense to you and I just wanted to get out that we really are not defined by our past, by our biography or by other people's opinions. They do not define you and your potential. You are completely limitless. We were born limitless. The limits we put on ourselves, the cages we put on ourselves, are invisible. They're mental. We have to push past them. We have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable because, believe me, you already are. If you're settling, you are uncomfortable with being very, very uncomfortable. So you've just got to change it to a different type of comfort.
Speaker 1:And I don't want anybody saying I can't do this because it's not been done before, or I can't do this because I've not done it before, can't do this because it's not been done before, or I can't do this because I have not done it before, can't do this because I'm not one of them special people. We are all them special people. We are all equal, we are all limitless and we all have amazing potential. So what is your gut telling you to do? The Oracle cards this week were saying yes, yes, yes, take action. So what is your gut telling you to do? And now's your time to weigh up. Do you want to be uncomfortable, stretching yourself and going for your goals and making yourself happy, or do you want to be uncomfortable, settling for less than you deserve? That's the option that we all have. The problem is, most of us choose the uncomfortableness from settling. Don't make that you. I definitely am not.
Speaker 1:And if you want any support with this, come and join the Facebook group. Come and join the membership, because this is what I do I get you to tap into your intuition and also see this unlimited potential. So if you want to be part of that. Come and join me Honestly. We can push past these barriers and I can teach you how I've been doing it, and also how my clients have been doing it too. Do not hold yourself back and settle anymore. There's so much to be done in this world and you need to be a big part of it. Catch you next week. Bye.
