Learning to be full of yourself (in a good way) with Sophie Lee
** A few swears in this one ** Get ready to clutch your pearls! : 0 )
New author of the powerful Beyond Unpalatable and Voice & Visibility Consultant, Sophie Lee, joins me on this episode of The Show (off).
We talk about her journey from undiagnosed neurodivergence and feeling like she didn’t fit in as a child, through addiction in adulthood to learning to become ‘full of herself’ in the best way possible.
Connect with Sophie on LinkedIn here.
Pre-order Beyond Palatable here.
We very briefly mention Higher Voltage at the end, an excellent event we both spoke at in January 2025.
More info about Higher Voltage here.
Connect with me, Janine Coombes, on LinkedIn here.
Or go here to see what I do with coaches: www.janinecoombes.co.uk
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Show Notes
Host Janine Coombes interviews Sophie Lee, a voice and visibility consultant for female founders, award-winning journalist, mental health advocate, and author of Beyond Palatable: A Manifesto for Unapologetic Women.
Sophie explains how people are conditioned from birth to be ‘acceptable’, leading to self-abandonment, nervous system dysregulation, people pleasing, anger and control issues, chronic illness, and strained relationships.
She describes the book as an exploration of why women silence themselves, the historical and political roots of feeling unsafe to be seen, and how to reclaim truth, voice, and expression in a nurturing way that also supports connection.
They discuss identity policing, othering, and how judgement and bullying often reflect insecurity, plus the need to get comfortable with discomfort as self-expression grows.
Sophie shares personal experiences of undiagnosed neurodivergence, childhood trauma, addiction beginning in adolescence, and the role of sobriety, somatic and trauma-informed work, movement, nature, and other practices in rebuilding self-compassion.
Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome to The Show (Off) and meet Sophie Lee
01:42 What ‘Beyond Palatable’ Means: Unlearning the Need to Be Acceptable
03:14 Nervous System Dysregulation, People-Pleasing & the Cost to Women’s Health
05:24 Safety, Oppression & Identity Policing: Why Voice Still Feels Dangerous
07:05 Devil’s Advocate: What’s wrong with being ‘palatable’ anyway?
08:32 Judgement, Bullying & Projection: When Othering Shows Up at the School Gates
14:08 Childhood Energy, Undiagnosed Neurodivergence & Early Coping Strategies
17:20 Trauma, Belonging & the Addiction Spiral
20:46 The Way Out: Sobriety, Somatics & Coming Home to Yourself
24:17 Where to Get the Book + Find Sophie (and a soft revolution)
26:57 Final Takeaway: ‘Full of Yourself’ as the New Goal + Outro