Business Woman of the Year Andrea Marsh Says Women Must Stop Waiting for Permission to Lead

This exclusive interview with Andrea Marsh was conducted by Tabish Ali of the Motivational Speakers Agency.

Andrea Marsh is a mental resilience expert, 9x award-winning speaker and Founder of Deeper Connections UK. She is known for her work across resilience, mindset, emotional wellbeing and high-performance coaching.

Her authority comes from more than 30 years in the hair and beauty industry, where she built her career around listening, communication and human connection. She later trained as a professional coach, qualifying with distinction, and has supported more than 500 entrepreneurs and business owners.

Named Business Woman of the Year 2025, Mental Health Coach of the Year 2025 and Female Diamond Entrepreneur 2026, Andrea brings lived experience and professional coaching into her speaking.

In this exclusive interview with the London Keynote Speakers Agency, she discusses resilience, high performance, women in leadership and the tools audiences can use beyond the room.

Question 1. How do you define real resilience, and where does it differ from the common idea of simply “staying strong”?

Andrea Marsh: “I used to think staying strong was about being a rock: unchangeable, unmovable. Whatever happens, everyone says, “You’ve got to stay strong. You’re a really strong woman.”

“But there is a massive difference between staying strong and being resilient. I do a lot of teaching on resilience, and I believe resilience is the ability to bounce back in the face of struggles, challenges and adversity, while having the flexibility to pivot when you need to.

“That applies in your personal life and in business. Resilience is a bit like water. It is about being fluid enough to find a way around obstacles and whatever life throws at you, so you can face it and deal with it without crumbling.

“It is also about how you weave yourself back together afterwards, because we all go through struggles and challenges. It is important to take those struggles, learn from them and move forward in a positive way.”

Question 2. What patterns do you see in high performers that stop them from plateauing?

Andrea Marsh: “High performers have a different outlook and mindset.

“The people I see plateauing are usually terrified of losing their expert status. They work so hard to get to the top of one hill that they will not look at the mountain next to it. They feel that if they do, they have to start at the bottom again.

“High performers have a different relationship with failure. They embrace it and seek it out as a challenge rather than seeing it as a weakness.

“From my mindset point of view, I like to think I am a high performer. I would rather be the dumbest person in a room of millionaires and giants than the smartest person in a room of peers, because that is how we learn and grow.

“Prioritising growth over your ego is the crucial piece every single time.”

Question 3. What do you think most often prevents women from stepping fully into leadership?

Andrea Marsh: “There are quite a few things that hold women back from stepping into leadership. The first one is that we are often carrying this invisible backpack of “I should have done this,” “I should have done that,” “I should have another certification,” “I should wait until the kids are older,” or “I should be more like them.”

“Sometimes women wait for a formal tap on the shoulder before they go out and lead. The truth is that leadership is claimed, not given.

“What holds us back is the myth that we need to be polished. We do not. We need to be powerful. That is the difference.

“It is about being present and willing to take up the space we have already earned. There are a lot of powerful women out there who are frightened of taking that step outside their comfort zone and into their limelight.

“There are a lot of shining women out there who are perfect examples of that. I like to think the only thing that holds women back, really, is their own self-doubt.”

Question 4. When you speak to an audience, what do you want them to leave the room with?

Andrea Marsh: “I want people to walk out of the room and remember me, but not as the person on stage where they say, “She is a really good speaker.” I do not want people to say that.

“I want people to walk out of that room and go, “Oh my god, what she said will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

“I want people to give themselves permission to take those next brave small steps when they feel vulnerable, and to inspire themselves rather than only looking for inspiration externally.

“I want them to feel they have inner strength and resilience. I want them to be able to look at themselves in the mirror and say, “Do you know what? It does not matter that I am not perfect. I still rock, I am still good enough, I am still worthy, and I can still go out there and make a difference.”

“I want them to go away with tools, not just walk away on a high. I want them to feel they have taken something valuable from what I have said, and that it is not just a lasting memory, but something they can use in their own practical world.

“I want to make a difference.”