Yesterday, I found myself nodding along—actually shouting “Amen!” at times—while listening to an interview with Elaine Welteroth on the No Limits podcast. For context, Elaine is not only a bestselling author and award-winning journalist, but also a judge on Project Runway and, at just 29 years old, the youngest person ever appointed by Condé Nast as editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue. Her story is one of grit, self-discovery, and daring to embrace her full identity in spaces where she didn’t always feel like she belonged.
Her words hit home for me. Not long ago, my mom finished Elaine’s book, More Than Enough, and immediately offered to send it my way. I brushed her off—I was too busy, I said. But she gently replied, “Steph, she reminds me of you.” I didn’t take the book, but I did take the podcast. Funny how mothers always seem to know what we need to hear before we do.
The Power of Podcasts
Podcasts have been my constant companions for years now. At this point, I joke that I’ve earned an unofficial MBA purely from the hours I’ve logged listening to interviews with entrepreneurs, creatives, and visionaries in all sorts of industries. But my love for them didn’t start out that way.
Five years ago, when I was barely staying afloat as a freelancer and my blog was still in its shaky early days, I stumbled into podcasting through a friend who loved to challenge me. “Why do you always feel like you have to fit in and do what everyone else does?” she would ask. That question pushed me toward stories of risk-takers, creators, and dreamers. Listening became an escape and, in many ways, a lifeline. Podcasts helped me shut off the noise of my own doubts and focus on possibility. They reminded me that struggle wasn’t unique to me—that others had built something meaningful out of nothing too.
Shedding Layers
That theme—of stepping into yourself even when it feels uncomfortable—has been resurfacing for me a lot lately. What began earlier this year as a simple rebranding exercise has deepened into something more: a process of shedding the “shoulds” I’ve carried for too long. Who I’m supposed to be as an influencer. Who I’m supposed to be as a woman. Who I’m supposed to be in order to fit in.
I started whispering reminders to myself: Take more risks. Embrace your heritage. Be intentional. Dance again. Build something greater. With time, those whispers grew louder, and so did my longing to bring more meaning into my work. I found myself asking tougher questions: What’s holding me back? What unique value can I bring? What’s still missing?
Lessons From Ballet
These aren’t new questions for me. In fact, they’ve been woven into my life since my late teens when I pursued ballet. Unlike most dancers who start training at age 10—or even younger—I didn’t begin until I was 16. And from the start, I wrestled with feeling like an imposter. My body didn’t look like the stereotypical ballerina’s. My training didn’t follow the “right” timeline. Fear whispered that I wasn’t enough, and unfortunately, I listened too often.
I still remember standing in front of studio mirrors, silently echoing that destructive narrative: You don’t belong here. That fear seeped into my performances, making me forget choreography or hesitate mid-movement. I held myself back, afraid my teachers would confirm what I dreaded: that I didn’t have what it took.
My fiancé, who once played baseball, and I laugh now at how similar our experiences were. Sports and art both demand a mix of skill and mindset. And for me, the turning point wasn’t about perfecting technique—it was about rewriting my inner dialogue.
Reframing the Narrative
Over time, I began practicing a different kind of visualization—not just seeing the steps or the stage, but seeing myself as enough. That small shift changed everything. Today, I walk into a dance studio without apology. I don’t care if my technique isn’t perfect. I don’t care what others might think. What I crave is the movement, the joy of inhabiting my body, the freedom to let go.
Do I sometimes wonder what might have happened if I’d had this mindset at 16? Of course. Maybe I would have pursued ballet professionally. But I also believe every detour, every pivot, teaches us what we need for the path ahead. And I wouldn’t trade the lessons for anything.
The Wisdom of “More Than Enough”
One passage from Elaine’s More Than Enough—the very one my mom sent me months ago—still echoes in my mind:
That’s it, isn’t it? Life isn’t about checking off titles or fitting into narrow molds—it’s about becoming, over and over again. The trick is to release what no longer serves us, even when it feels safer to cling to it. To take that next step even when we feel unready.
So maybe the point isn’t whether ballet worked out for me or whether blogging fits neatly into a career box. Maybe the point is that I’m still moving, still expanding, still choosing to believe I am enough. And that, more than any title, is what keeps me becoming.
