About Me
Hi, I'm Samantha Nolan-Smith, founder of The School of Visibility®
Hello, I’m a non-indigenous Australian woman who has proudly supported women and their right to be seen and heard in the world, since childhood where I regularly lectured my parents about the fact that ‘girls were just as good as boys’.
Fortunately, they encouraged me to not just talk about the inherent value of females, but to go out and prove it to the world.
So, I focused on my education and as a university student, I co-founded a women in law group to try and increase female representation in the highest echelons of the legal profession.
Upon graduation, I embarked on a career in corporate law only to quickly discover that it was not my cup of tea. Searching for an alternate career path, I happily ensconced myself in the world of social justice, working to support Aboriginal people in Australia, refugees in Britain, and people with disabilities in Canada.
Four years of suffering from chronic fatigue saw me learning how to truly rest, to stop doing all the time, to break down my old ideas about achievement and success, to listen to my body, to accept its limitations, and to open to a new way of engaging with other people.
As part of that experience I eventually stepped away from more traditional work environments in favour of something I could do on a laptop between naps. Hello online entrepreneurship! I started my own online business in 2008 and within 6 months, I said goodbye to chronic fatigue for good. Yay!
I went on to build a strong and loyal online following. Business was good, but each time my community would grow quickly, or I’d start getting more promotional opportunities, or I’d welcome in a whole lot of new clients or students, I would internally shut down.
Fears of being judged, being wrong, or being exposed in some way, were overwhelming. I was happy to be seen by a small group of ‘safe’ people but not by the world at large. I was happy sharing my opinions in intimate circles but not with a wider audience.
Eventually I decided to do something about all those fears, and to support other women to do the same. I developed techniques and repeatable processes for overcoming visibility fears. And that brings us right up to the present day and to all the visibility resources you'll find right here on the website!
Your decision to speak up matters
THE TIME IS NOW
It’s very easy to tell yourself you’ll do it later, you’re not ready to be visible, or you don’t have the time. But if you want to create positive change – in your business, life, or in the world – eventually you'll find yourself wrestling with the topic of speaking up and being seen and heard.
Here at the School of Visibility, we don't force you into influencer culture (blurgh), or into speaking up before you're ready or in a way that feels inauthentic.
Instead, you'll learn about the silencing influences that are stopping you from using your voice and claiming space. Even better, you'll learn how to free yourself from their smothering grasp so you can gently find your way to expressing exactly what it is you're here to share with the world.
