Gary Parsons
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15/05/2026
For years, winning a new client at work was followed by someone telling me I could "at least smile" and "look happy about it".
They weren't being cruel. They just had no idea that not smiling was the one thing keeping me together. I have Bell's Palsy - one side of my face doesn't work the way it should, and smiling makes that visible, so I stopped. For nearly 20 years, not smiling was my armour.
The word smile in any context was the one thing that could unravel me completely.
This week, I was part of this shoot with Changing Faces UK. And I smiled.... Genuinely! Because of the people in this room and what they represent 💛
Comments have impact, and this , alongside , I'm asking you to Think Before You Speak. 💛
In a recent Changing Faces survey, 94% of respondents living with a visible difference said they lack confidence and self-esteem. No one should feel worried about stepping outside of their home, because of the comments they might receive as they go about their daily lives.
Being part of this shoot felt like something shifted. Standing in a room with people who understood what it costs to be seen, and who chose to show up anyway, took me straight back to why I started talking about this in the first place.
The pressure to perform normally is exhausting. Whether it's hiding a visible difference or hiding the fact that you're struggling, the cost is the same. You lose yourself. 💛
If you or a loved one is struggling with the emotional impact of having a visible difference, join the Changing Faces community. More info through the link in their bio.
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21/04/2026
Most leaders find boundaries easy to talk about. Actually saying the words out loud is where it gets hard.
Here are six phrases that make it easier - starting today.
None of them are rude. None of them are weak. They’re just honest.
Selfish Leadership isn’t about putting yourself first at everyone else’s expense. It’s about showing up as your best self - and that starts with knowing what to say when you need to protect your time, your energy, and your focus.
Save this post. You’ll need it.
Leadership
This year marks 25 years since I was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy.
For 20 of those years, I barely spoke about it.Not because I didn’t have anything to say…but because I didn’t feel like I could.
5 years ago, that started to change.
And this weekend felt like another big moment in that journey.
I took part in my first ever photoshoot, filming and photographing a campaign with for Face Equality Week this May.
If you’d told the younger me, the one who avoided mirrors, avoided photos, avoided eye contact… that I’d one day be stepping in front of a camera like that, I wouldn’t have believed you.
But here we are.
It was fun.
It was empowering.
And honestly, it meant more than I probably expected.
Because this isn’t just about me.
It’s about representation.
It’s about visibility.
It’s about people with visible differences being seen, not hidden.
I’m really proud to be part of something that’s helping shift that.
I can’t wait to share more when it goes live.
AuthenticLeadership
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