When Your Struggle Becomes Your Value
We often think value comes from clarity, confidence, or having it all figured out. A clean path. A neat story. A sense that we arrived exactly where we intended to.
But in real life and real businesses, value is rarely built that way.
More often, it’s shaped through detours, false starts, mistakes, and moments where nothing seemed to work the way it was supposed to. And yet, those are the very experiences many people dismiss when they talk about what they offer.
That quieter, less polished side of value is what this conversation explores.
In this episode of The Art of Value Whispering Podcast, I’m joined by Helen von Dadelszen, communication coach, speaker, vocal trainer, and author of Courageous Action, and the very first client to ever go through the process that later became the Value Whispering Blueprint.
This time, the tables are turned, and Helen interviews me about the thinking behind the work, the book, and what value really is.
What makes this conversation special is Helen’s perspective. She hasn’t just read the ideas. She’s lived them. And her questions reflect what so many capable business owners are silently wondering as they try to articulate their value.
If you’ve ever thought, “I don’t feel qualified, because it wasn’t easy for me,” you’ll recognise yourself here.
Join us in this episode as Helen and I explore how your value is often hidden in the very parts of your journey you’re most tempted to downplay.
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“Your value isn’t in how quickly you got there. It’s in what you learned along the way.” - Melitta Campbell
When struggle doesn’t disqualify you
One of the core themes in our conversation is this belief that struggle somehow invalidates expertise.
People look back on their path and see effort, mistakes, and uncertainty. They remember how hard it was. And from that perspective, they conclude they’re not the right person to guide others.
But that interpretation misses something important.
From the outside, those same experiences often look like resilience, depth, and earned wisdom. The things that felt like failure to you are often exactly what others are seeking help with.
The problem isn’t a lack of value. It’s proximity.
When you’re too close to your own journey, it’s hard to see what it’s given you.
Why failure is often the value
We talk openly in this episode about failure. Not as something to reframe positively or gloss over, but as one of the richest sources of value most people have.
Your failures taught you what doesn’t work. Your mistakes forced you to adapt. Your setbacks shaped how you support others now.
Yet these are often the first things people exclude when they describe what they do.
One practical way to start seeing this more clearly is through feedback. Testimonials. Conversations. The offhand comments people make about what helped them.
Often, your true value is already visible. You’re just not the one recognising it yet.
“What feels like failure from the inside often looks like hard-earned wisdom from the outside.” - Melitta Campbell
Alignment changes how value is felt
As the conversation deepens, we move beyond words and messaging into something more fundamental: alignment.
When you’re aligned with your value, marketing stops feeling like performance. Sales stop feeling like persuasion. Your work feels steadier, calmer, and more natural.
That doesn’t mean everything becomes easy. It means things become clearer.
Decisions take less energy. Confidence comes from knowing you’re in the right place, doing the right work, for the right people.
Alignment isn’t about becoming someone new.
It’s about allowing who you already are to be visible.
Why feedback is the shortcut most people miss
One of the simplest but most overlooked practices we discuss is paying attention to how others experience you.
Not the polished testimonials you collect intentionally, but the everyday feedback that slips through. The thing people thank you for repeatedly. The moment they say, “You explained that in a way that finally made sense.” The insight they mention weeks later stuck with them.
This feedback provides you with clues and insight as to where your value really lies, as your clients see it. They point directly to the value you’ve internalised so deeply that you no longer notice it.
A quieter understanding of value
Value Whispering isn’t about learning how to promote yourself better.
It’s about understanding what you already bring and learning how to express it in a way that feels natural, grounded, and true.
This conversation is a reminder that value doesn’t come from confidence first. It comes from lived experience, reflection, and the courage to recognise what your journey has shaped.
When you do that, confidence becomes a by-product, not a prerequisite.
A Final Thought to Reflect On
Which parts of your journey are you most likely to dismiss or minimise, and how might those experiences actually be central to the value you offer?
What you struggled to learn may be exactly what someone else needs you to help them understand.
💡 Ready to take action?
Purchase my brand new book: Value Whispering: The Smarter Way to Market Your Small Business on Amazon here:
About Helen, your guest host
Helen von Dadelszen is a communication coach, speaker, vocal trainer, and author of Courageous Action.
She helps thoughtful professionals communicate with clarity and confidence, without shouting, performing, or pretending to be someone they are not.
Originally from New Zealand and now based in Switzerland, Helen works internationally with business owners and leaders who care deeply about their work but struggle to express their value.
Her approach combines voice, body awareness, nervous system regulation, and practical mindset shifts.
She believes confidence is built through small, courageous actions.
Clients describe her as an “energy giver” and a calm, steady guide.
Connect with Helen
About Melitta Campbell
Melitta Campbell is an award-winning business coach, TEDx speaker, author of A Shy Girl’s Guide to Networking and founder of The Value Whispering Circle.
Through her Value WhisperingTM Blueprint, she helps introverted female entrepreneurs build quietly impactful businesses that grow through clarity, trust, and alignment.
Learn more about working with Melitta here
Ready to Grow Your Business?
Learn more about the ways you can work with Melitta Campbell to uncover your Value Sweet Spot to market, sell and grow your business confidently, and always on your terms.
Connect with Melitta
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