I need your help. In 2008, I was a sole parent with a mortgage, a small daughter, and a folder of rejection emails I’d stopped counting at around forty. Forty times somebody read what I could do and decided it wasn’t what they needed. I remember the particular quiet of the afternoons — Abby asleep, laptop open, refreshing an inbox that wasn’t going to help me. So I stopped waiting for permission and started LeadershipHQ. Eighteen years later, I’ve coached leaders across construction sites, hospitals, government departments and boardrooms. I’ve written three books. I’ve stood on stages in front of thousands of people and talked about courage. And in all that time, one thing has bothered me more than anything else.