Hi {{first_name}} ,
Welcome to The Iconic Edge. As always, my goal is to help you find, elevate, and monetise YOUR iconic edge—so you can build ‘walk-away’ power and thrive in the AI age.
This week, I want to tell you a story about elephants…
A woman visiting a circus noticed something strange: massive elephants, each capable of tremendous strength, were standing quietly—held in place by nothing more than a small rope tied to one leg.
Why didn't they break free?
She asked the trainer, who explained: "When they're young, we use the same size rope. At that age, it's strong enough to hold them. They try to escape and can't.
As they grow, they stop trying. They believe the rope can still hold them—so they never test it again."
The elephants weren't physically trapped. They were mentally trapped by an outdated belief formed when they were small and weak.
Sound familiar?
Your Invisible Rope
How many of us are being held back by beliefs that are no longer true?
"I'm not the kind of person who gets to the top."
"I can't monetise my knowledge, I don't have an MBA."
"People like me don't speak on stages."
"I tried that once and it didn't work, so it's not possible."
These beliefs aren't facts. They're ropes.
Some were tied when you were young—formed by what you heard, saw, or experienced growing up. Others were tied later—when you failed at something once and decided it was impossible forever.
And here's what makes it worse: Sometimes the rope isn't even yours.
Someone else (a boss, a parent, a peer) convinced you that you couldn't do something because they couldn't see how. You accepted their belief as truth and stopped trying.
But here's what successful people understand: The rope is an illusion.
Why This Matters To You
Building walk-away power requires self-belief.
Not blind optimism. Not pretending obstacles don't exist. But belief that what you want is possible—even if you don't know exactly how yet.
Walk-away power means options. Freedom. The ability to stay in your role or leave it—on your terms. But you'll never build it if you're tied to old beliefs
Self -belief isn't optional. It's essential.
No matter how thick your rope feels, you have to believe cutting it is possible.
That belief drives the action.
The action builds the evidence.
The evidence strengthens the belief.
And one day, you look down and realise: the rope was never as strong as you thought.
How to Cut Your Invisible Rope
Belief alone won't change your life. But the actions you take are shaped by what you believe is possible. If you don't believe you can build walk-away power, you won't even try.
Here's how to identify and cut the rope holding you back:
Step 1: Identify Your Rope
Ask yourself: What belief is keeping me where I am?
Some ropes are thick chains that require sustained effort to break. Others are thin threads that should have snapped long ago.
Common invisible ropes:
"It’s too late to start something new"
"I don't have the right experience / background"
"No one in my industry does it this way"
"I tried once and failed, so it won't work"
"People like me don't get those opportunities"
Write down the belief. Look at it. Ask yourself:
Is this actually true, or is this a rope from when I was younger / less experienced?
Step 2: Watch Your Language
Words have power. What you tell yourself becomes what you believe.
Rope-strengthening language:
"I could never do that"
"That's too complicated"
"People like me don't get to be that"
"No one I know has ever achieved that"
Every time you say these things, you give the rope strength.
Rope-cutting language:
"I will"
"I can"
"There's no reason why not"
"There's a challenge ahead, but I'm ready for it"
"If they did it, I can figure out how"
Start using confident language—not just with others, but in your inner voice. It bolsters belief in yourself and convinces others you can deliver.
Step 3: Find Proof It's Possible
Very few things in life are being done for the first time.
If you want to build walk-away power, find women who've done it. If you want to speak on stages, find speakers who started where you are. If you want to have a portfolio career, reach out to women who have one. If you want to partner with AI and be part of the new era, find women already doing it.
Role models prove the rope can be broken.
They advise, inspire, and show you the path. When you see someone else do what you thought was impossible, your brain recalibrates. The belief shifts from "maybe" to "definitely possible."
Your Action Step This Week
Identify one invisible rope.
What's one belief holding you back from building walk-away power? Write it down.
Then ask yourself:
Is this belief actually true, or did I accept it without testing it?
What evidence do I have that contradicts this belief?
Who has broken free from this same rope?
You don't have to cut the rope entirely this week. Just test it. Give it a tug.
You might be surprised how weak it actually is.
The Bottom Line is…
The elephants stay tied because they believe they can't break free, even though they absolutely can.
Don't be the elephant. Be an icon.
An icon is brave enough to put a spotlight on what makes them unique and valuable.
Believing you can build walk-away power by elevating your iconic edge is the first step to actually building it.
That belief drives you to cut the invisible rope tying you to your old limitations.
AI is rewriting the rules of work. The old ropes—credentials, pedigree, playing it safe—are weaker than they've ever been.
But if you're still operating under outdated beliefs about what's possible for you, you'll miss the opportunity entirely.
Test the rope. You might be ready to break free.
All my best,
Nichola
P.S. If you know someone who's holding themselves back because they believe they "can't," forward this to them. Let's help them see the rope for what it is—an illusion.