EP #222: Capacity Before Confidence

In this episode, Shelby and Laura take listeners behind the scenes of what it actually means to become a professional nurse coach. This is not a conversation about hype or shortcuts. It is a real, nuanced discussion about capacity, confidence, identity shifts, and why being new can feel so disorienting in leadership and entrepreneurship. They unpack why nurse coaching is inherently pioneering work, why confidence can never come before action, and how repetition, community, and regulation are what allow nurse coaches to stay in the game long enough to succeed. This episode normalizes the discomfort of growth and reframes it as a necessary, meaningful part of building a sustainable practice and a new professional identity.

Highlights in the discussion:

• Confidence is built through repetition, not readiness.
  
  
• Discomfort is part of becoming a professional, not a sign to quit.
  
  
• Capacity means staying present with uncertainty without collapsing or overcorrecting.
  
  
• Community matters because it prevents isolation and early burnout.
  
  
• Residency acts as failure insurance, giving nurse coaches support, feedback, and structure while they build real-world experience.
  
  
• Sustainable success comes from staying in the process long enough for competence and self-trust to form.

Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/7ncLBZ36bW4