Taking Courageous Action to Grow Your Business and Impact
Courage is often presented as something bold and decisive.
Big moves. Confident choices. A visible moment where you finally step forward.
But in business, courage rarely looks like that.
More often, it shows up quietly. In the decision to speak when it would be easier to stay silent. To take a small step before you feel ready. To act without certainty, but with intention.
That quieter version of courage is what this conversation explores.
Today, guest host Helen von Dadelszen is back and we are diving into her book, “Courageous Action” to explore what it really means to act bravely in business when confidence hasn’t arrived yet.
If you had asked Helen ten years ago whether she would one day run her own business or write a book, the answer would have been no.
Not because she lacked ability.
But because it simply wasn’t part of the plan.
That’s where this conversation really begins. Not with confidence, or bold decisions, but with something more recognisable: the slow realisation that you’re capable of more than you originally imagined.
Join me in this episode as Helen and I explore how courageous action is built quietly, through small steps taken before confidence arrives.
Prefer to WATCH?
“Confidence isn’t something you wait for. It’s built through action, competence, and practice over time.” — Helen von Dadelszen
When nerves aren’t the enemy
One of the most grounding moments in our conversation was Helen saying, quite plainly, that she is still nervous. Always.
Not in a dramatic way, not as something to fix.
Just as a fact of being human.
For her, nerves are not a signal to stop. They’re a sign that something matters. Over time, she’s learned that nervous energy doesn’t need to disappear for her to act. It needs to be managed, regulated, and understood, so it doesn’t hijack her thinking or her voice.
This matters, because so many capable business owners treat nerves as evidence that they’re not ready yet. When in reality, nerves are often just telling you that you care.
Why confidence rarely comes first
We tend to talk about confidence as if it’s a requirement.
Once I feel confident, then I’ll speak up.
Once I feel confident, then I’ll put myself forward.
Once I feel confident, then I’ll start.
Helen challenges that idea gently but firmly.
Confidence doesn’t come before action. It comes from it.
As she explains, confidence is built through action, competence, and practice over time. You take a step. You learn from it. Your skill grows. And only then does confidence begin to follow. Waiting for confidence to appear first simply keeps the loop from ever starting.
This reframes courage as something practical, not performative. Less about big leaps, more about steady movement.
“Nerves don’t mean you should stop. They usually mean what you’re about to do matters.” — Helen von Dadelszen
The trap of perfection
At one point, we talk about a fear many people don’t say out loud: the fear of practising in public.
Once you know what good looks like, it can feel irresponsible to show up before you’re “there”. Nobody wants to waste an audience’s time or feel like they’re trying things out in front of others.
Helen’s response cuts through this cleanly.
Preparation matters.
Practice matters.
Perfection does not.
In fact, being overly polished can work against connection. People don’t engage with flawless delivery. They engage with presence. With someone who is prepared, human, and paying attention.
We don’t connect with robots. We connect with people who are present enough to stay with the moment, even when it doesn’t go exactly as planned.
Small steps, clearly defined
One of the strengths of Courageous Action is that it doesn’t leave people wondering where to start.
Instead of vague encouragement to “be braver”, Helen has broken action down into levels. Especially in areas like networking, speaking, and visibility.
If you’re at the beginning, your next step might be preparing a short introduction.
If you’re further along, it might be starting a conversation, or sharing an aspiration out loud.
The point isn’t to stretch as far as possible.
It’s to choose a step that’s just outside your current comfort zone, and take that one.
Confidence grows not because the step was impressive, but because it was taken.
The stories running in the background
Much of what holds people back has very little to do with skill.
It’s the internal commentary we don’t always realise we’re listening to.
I’m not good enough.
My language isn’t strong enough.
I’m only here because they needed a woman.
Helen shares the example of a highly capable client who was undermining herself through these quiet, unchallenged stories. The work wasn’t about teaching her to communicate better. It was about noticing what she was telling herself, and questioning whether it was actually true.
Sometimes the shift is as small as adding one word.
Yet.
I’m not confident yet.
I’m not a strong speaker yet.
That single word turns a judgement into a process, and gives you permission to keep going.
Intention changes how you show up
Toward the end of our conversation, we touched on something that often gets skipped.
Before a conversation, a presentation, or a meeting, we think about what we’re going to say and how we’ll manage our nerves. But we rarely pause to set an intention.
Not about content.
About presence.
How do you want to be experienced? Calm. Clear. Thoughtful. Engaged.
That intention quietly shapes your energy, your pace, and how you respond when nerves appear. It gives you something steady to return to, instead of trying to control every variable.
A quieter definition of courage
Courageous action, as Helen describes it, isn’t loud or forceful.
It’s deliberate.
Incremental.
And deeply practical.
It’s choosing to move even when certainty isn’t available. Not because fear has disappeared, but because you’ve learned how to walk alongside it.
And that, in practice, is often what creates real confidence.
A Final Thought to Reflect On
Where might hesitation be pointing to expansion rather than risk in your business right now?
Growth does not always arrive feeling confident or clear. Sometimes it shows up as uncertainty, nerves, or a quiet edge of discomfort, asking to be met with curiosity rather than resistance.
About Helen
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.
💡 Ready to take action?
Purchase Helen's book : Courageous Action: Your playbook for communicating confidently, one small step at a time
Purchase my brand new book: Value Whispering: The Smarter Way to Market Your Small Business here >
About Your Host, 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
Website Facebook Linkedin Twitter YouTube
You May Also Enjoy...
Building Confidence is All About Having Trust and Faith
Growing Your Business with Powerful Content
Becoming Camera Confident and Visible
100+ Ways to Market your Small Business
Get your "100+ Ways to Market your Small Business" eBook TODAY to Save Time and Money, and start making your Marketing Work
Send my '100 Ways to Market my Business' guide100+ Ways to Market your Small Business
Get your "100+ Ways to Market your Small Business" eBook TODAY to Save Time and Money, and start making your Marketing Work
Send my '100 Ways to Market my Business' guide