Leprechaun Lane

The Business of Being Bold: A Lesson from a Fearless Woman

On International Women’s Day, I want to honor one of the toughest, most brilliant women I’ve ever met—Torrance Watkins. She wasn’t “nice.” In fact, many said she was downright mean. But greatness isn’t built on making people comfortable. It’s built on pushing limits, demanding excellence, and cutting through the noise with truth.

I never technically worked for Torrance, but I did a lot of work for her. She saw my grit, my resilience, and my ability to figure things out—so much so that she once invited me to work for her and tour Europe. A dream opportunity. One of the best female equestrians in the world, and she was offering me a seat at the table.

And I walked away.

Not because of the horror stories of her firing people and leaving them stranded. No, I was afraid of something much worse—not being enough. Not strong enough. Not worthy enough.

Imposter syndrome stole that opportunity from me.

And yet, looking back, I see it so clearly: Torrance knew my worth. She saw my talent, my work ethic, my ability to lead—even when I couldn’t see it myself. She trusted me to handle her students, step in where needed, and bring order to chaos. So why couldn’t I trust myself?

It’s a lesson I now bring into business every day. How often do we let self-doubt hold us back from opportunities we’ve actually earned? How many times do we look at our wins and see only how far we have left to go—never how far we’ve come?

On this International Women’s Day, I challenge you to do what I couldn’t at that moment: Own your value. Step into the space you’ve already proven you belong in. Trust that the people who see something in you aren’t wrong.

Great women—leaders, mentors, trailblazers—aren’t always “nice.” But they are honest. And sometimes, the hardest truth we need to hear is from ourselves: You are ready. You are capable. Take the damn opportunity.

What’s one moment where you let fear hold you back? And how will you choose differently next time? Drop it in the comments—I’d love to hear your story.