Some people look confident on the outside—capable, composed, successful—yet inside, they feel unheard, uncertain, or disconnected from who they truly are. My guest to the podcast, knows that feeling intimately. And she also knows what it takes to move through it.
For this episode of Conversations with Agents of Change, I enjoyed talking to Margaret Kelly, who is a Confidence & Mindset Coach and author.
When Margaret speaks about finding your voice, she isn’t talking in theory. Her work as a confidence and mindset coach is rooted in lived experience—years of learning to speak, to trust herself, and to step into a life that goes far beyond survival.
Margaret grew up as the youngest in a family of eight. In her world, children—especially girls—were expected to be quiet. Opinions were seen as disrespect. Challenging ideas was labelled as being “bad”. Over time, she learned to shrink, to stay silent, to agree just to keep the peace.
Like so many people, she internalised the message that her voice didn’t matter.
That silence didn’t disappear quietly. It settled into her body, showing up as resentment, emotional heaviness, and eventually illness. Margaret describes it as living with a dam inside her—everything held back, contained, unexpressed. It was only later, when she discovered the connection between suppressed emotions and physical health, that something clicked.
The turning point wasn’t confrontation. It was forgiveness.
Forgiving her past didn’t mean excusing it. It meant loosening the grip it had on her body and her sense of self. As she let go, her health improved. Her mind cleared. And perhaps most importantly, she made a decision: from that moment on, she would be true to herself.
That choice changed everything.
As Margaret began working on her mindset, she started to see the world differently. What once looked like closed doors now appeared as possibilities. She realised that many of the beliefs she had lived under were never truths at all—they were projections, expectations, and stories handed down by others.
For the first time, she stopped questioning her own sanity and worth. She started to recognise that having a voice did not make her rude or difficult—it made her human.
Then her world expanded in a very real way.
After moving to Northern Ireland, Margaret experienced what she describes as “seeing two different worlds.” Distance from everything familiar gave her space to pause, reflect, and ask fundamental questions she had never allowed herself to consider before: Who am I? What do I love? What do I want to offer the world?
There was a year when she did very little outwardly—but inwardly, everything was shifting.
She stopped living according to social expectations. She stopped following rules that never felt right. And she made one of the bravest decisions many of us resist: she chose to build a life aligned with her own values, not anyone else’s.
At the heart of Margaret’s philosophy is a simple but powerful truth: mindset matters. A positive mental attitude, she explains, doesn’t mean denying hardship. It means understanding that within every challenge lies the seed of something meaningful—if you choose to look for it.
That belief became the foundation of her coaching work.
Margaret realised that her personal healing was never just for her. She began to recognise the same patterns she once lived in—self-doubt, people-pleasing, fear of saying no—in the people around her, especially women who had spent years putting themselves last.
Confidence, she says, isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about remembering who you are.
Rebuilding confidence and boundaries allows people to trust their own perceptions again. To stop second-guessing. To protect their time, energy, and emotional wellbeing. Boundaries aren’t walls—they’re filters. They let in what serves you and keep out what doesn’t.
Learning to say no was transformative for Margaret. Each clear choice strengthened her sense of self. Relationships became more balanced. The need for external validation slowly faded. Self-worth no longer depended on approval.
Finding herself again also meant rediscovering creativity.
Margaret gave herself permission to explore—singing, acting, sewing, designing—without needing to be perfect. She taught herself new skills from scratch, not to impress anyone, but to express herself fully. Each act of courage reinforced a quiet truth: nothing is impossible when you’re willing to start.
That same courage led her to say yes to becoming an author.
Despite imposter syndrome whispering “who do you think you are?”, Margaret joined a collaborative book project, Empower Her, alongside twenty-one other women from around the world. The book not only shares stories of resilience and leadership, but also supports education projects for children in Uganda—a cause deeply personal to her, given her East African roots.
Her story in the book is about learning to say no. About reclaiming her voice. About honouring her journey, even as it’s still unfolding.
To Margaret, being an agent of change isn’t about grand gestures. It’s about acting despite discomfort. Breaking habits that no longer serve you. Speaking up when it would be easier to stay silent. Choosing faith over fear. And believing—again and again—that growth is possible.
Most of all, it’s about beginning.
Because sometimes the bravest thing you can do is trust yourself just ten percent more—and take that first step.
And as Margaret’s journey shows, one voice really can spark a movement. Check out her website
Listen to the full episode on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcast.
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