What happens when a slightly unhinged idea scribbled in a notebook turns into an actual business event for 80 women?

In this behind-the-scenes episode, I take you inside the very early days of The Rebellion, my new in-person event for women in business who are done being told what success should look like. No parade of 100K-month speakers. Conversations, panels where people disagree, breathwork, laughter and women leaving clear about what they actually want.

In this episode:

1. How my book launch led to the idea
2. The notebook page where I wrote "The Rebellion" and then "80"
3. Why around 40 people joined the waitlist before there was a date or venue
4. What I've booked so far and what I'm still figuring out
5. The imposter syndrome that turned up when I decided on 80 women
6. Why giving yourself space to think is where big ideas come from

The question to sit with: how much of your ambition is actually yours?

Join The Rebellion waitlist for first access at https://millsgray.kartra.com/page/TherebellionWL and tell me your audacious goal on Instagram @mills_gray. More at www.millsgray.com.

Have you ever received an email, a piece of client feedback or even a simple “I can’t afford it” and felt your whole body react before your brain has had a chance to catch up?

Your chest goes prickly. Your stomach drops. You replay the conversation. You start questioning your pricing, your offer, your decisions, maybe your entire bloody business.

But does the size of your reaction actually tell you the size of the problem?

In this episode of The Rebellious Leader, I’m exploring what happens when someone else’s reaction becomes evidence about us, and what happens when our emotional response starts making business decisions.

I share a personal story about receiving a refund request from a former client 18 months after we'd finished working together, despite having ended on good terms and achieved strong results together.

My immediate response wasn't calm, strategic consideration.

It was:

“Oh my God. What have I done wrong?”

And that distinction matters.

Because there was a business situation to deal with.

And there was my emotional reaction to it.

They weren't the same problem.

We’ll look at why a client saying “I can't afford it” can lead us to add more to an already good offer, why one no can suddenly have us questioning our entire business, and how our attempts to avoid rejection, criticism or disappointment can quietly start shaping our strategy.

I also share a recent client example where being challenged created a huge physical and emotional response, even though once we'd examined what had happened, she still stood by the decision she'd made.

The goal wasn't to make her stop caring.

It was to help her find a more neutral place where she could check the feedback, take responsibility for anything that genuinely belonged to her, and leave the rest.

Because taking someone seriously doesn't require you to agree with them.

1. Why someone else’s reaction is information, not proof that you’ve done something wrong
2. How criticism, rejection and client feedback can trigger disproportionate emotional reactions
3. Why “I can’t afford it” doesn’t automatically mean your pricing is wrong
4. How feelings can quietly start shaping your offers, messaging and strategy
5. Taking feedback without automatically adopting someone else’s version of events
6. A five-question Rebellious Leader Audit to help you decide from evidence rather than reaction

Come say hi on Instagram: @mills_gray

Website: https://www.millsgray.com

The Rebellious Leader Book: https://www.millsgray.com/book/

Lucy Legal: Contract templates for business owners

What if you've correctly identified the problem in your business… but you're trying to solve it in completely the wrong place?

You know sales are inconsistent, content isn't happening, your team relies on you too much or your boundaries aren't working. So you try another strategy, a better system or stronger boundaries.

And yet somehow, the problem is still bloody there.

In this episode of The Rebellious Leader, I'm exploring a different question: Where does this problem actually live?

Using the NLP model of Neurological Levels, I look at six places a business problem can exist: environment, behaviour, capability, beliefs and values, identity, and purpose.

Being inconsistent with content could mean you don't have time, you don't know how to create it, or you believe talking about your success makes you look boastful. Same problem on the surface. Very different problem underneath.

We'll explore why another content strategy won't fix a visibility belief, how a boundary problem can actually be structural, and why deeper mindset work isn't automatically better.

You can't choose the right intervention until you've diagnosed the problem.

Come say hi on Instagram: @mills_gray

Website: https://www.millsgray.com

The Rebellious Leader Book: https://www.millsgray.com/book/