The Confidence Code: Unlocking Your True Potential with Allison Walsh
What if the only thing standing between you and success is your own self-doubt? In this episode, Courtney sits down with powerhouse Allison Walsh to dive deep into the mindset shifts that lead to bold moves and confident choices.
From battling imposter syndrome to building an unstoppable personal brand, Allison shares her journey of transformation and resilience. She and Courtney break down the key habits that drive success, the power of self-belief, and why waiting for the “perfect moment” is a losing game.
Get ready for an episode packed with motivation, strategies, and the push you need to step into your power. It’s time to bet on yourself—because no one else will do it for you.
Must-Hear Insights and Key Moments
The real key to sales success (it's not just about selling!)
How small daily habits build unstoppable momentum
The importance of authenticity in building connections
Why confidence is the game-changer in sales and life
The biggest mistakes people make in networking
Bold moves that lead to massive breakthroughs
Practical strategies to elevate your business game
Words of Wisdom: Standout Quotes from This Episode
“The version of you that gets to the next level won’t play small.” – Courtney Turich
“Confidence isn’t something you wait for—it’s something you create.” – Allison Walsh
“Fear and doubt are just speed bumps, not roadblocks.” – Courtney Turich
“You don’t need permission to chase your dreams. Go after them like they already belong to you.” – Allison Walsh
“Your success is built on the bold choices you make every single day.” – Courtney Turich
About Allison Walsh
Allison Walsh is a seasoned coach, consultant, and entrepreneur with over 15 years of experience helping high-achieving women step into their full potential. Passionate about personal growth and success, she has dedicated her career to empowering others to chase big dreams, build confidence, and unlock new opportunities. From the start of her coaching journey in 2007, Allison discovered the deep fulfillment that comes from guiding clients to exceed their own expectations. She specializes in working with ambitious women who are ready to stop playing small, elevate their visibility, and take bold action toward their goals—whether in business, leadership, or passion projects. Through her expertise and unwavering support, she helps her clients create the success they truly deserve.
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BLOG TRANSCRIPT
Note: We use AI transcription so there may be some inaccuracies
Courtney Turich: Hi friends. In today's episode, we're chatting with Allison Walsh. She's made bold moves and confident choices to build something incredible. We'll dive into her journey, the key lessons learned, and some surprising insights along the way. A little about our very inspiring and accomplished guests from Miss Florida to powerhouse executive Allison Walsh is a force of nature.
She's a sought after international speaker, business consultant and certified positive psychology coach dedicated to helping women step into their confidence and success. By age 30, she was VP of a company on track for unicorn status, and today she's shaping the future of mental health with Charlie Health.
As the host of She Believed She Could, Allison shares game changing strategies on mindset, branding and leadership, all while empowering the next generation of go getters. So let's dive into Allison Walsh and Allison, thank you for being on Bold Moves Confident Choices. Oh, thank you so much for having me today.
Hey, we are excited to jump in and Allison, you have a big background. So let's start off with just hearing a little bit more about you.
From Struggle to Purpose: How Allison Found Her Path
Allison Walsh: Well, thank you for the beautiful introduction. So, um, youI feel sometimes I'm like, man, I should be like 80 years old. No, but I, you know, I think about just my career, my history, everything started from me being willing to share my story.
And that was really what led me into all of the beautiful adventures that I've had throughout the course of not only my career in behavioral healthcare, but also in helping other people build their businesses and brands. So. Started early for me when I was 18 years old. had a passion and a fire for helping other people.
I had gone through a really significant struggle when I was a teenager wanted to help other people, and so I started a foundation when I was 18. That grew substantially over many, many years, but that was like my foray into behavioral health. which was just such rewarding and fulfilling, opportunity for me to really give back and to make a difference.
I knew I didn't want to be a clinician, but I was obsessed with helping businesses grow and expand their impact. And so I had the opportunity to do that in a couple of different, Companies and absolutely loved that. But simultaneously, I had built my brand in the behavioral health space and being a young advocate.
there were a lot of people that then came to me and said, Hey, I'd love to do this for myself too. And with the things that I care about and the organizations that I'm passionate about, can you help me build my brand so I can also expand my impact? And that's what I really started leaning into helping other women do it too.
And so have been able to, in parallel to my, career in mental health also been able to do that, in my business as well.
Courtney Turich: Wow. That is fantastic. So, so much in there, Allison. So how are you helping individuals and especially women on that side of their life from a psychology standpoint and really diving deep into mental health and elevating themselves at the same time?
Empowering Women to Shine and Lead
Allison Walsh: So I am obsessed with helping women shine brighter. and I don't I know every single person has the ability to make a massive difference in this world. And when they believe in themselves and they give themselves quote unquote permission to go for it, it's also showing other women what's possible.
And so I love helping women get out of their own way and shine brightly in their own respective industries and ways. And we all have our own stories. And I think when people realize that number one, every person has their own brand and number two, that brand is intended to make a difference. It becomes less about them and more about who they can serve.
And that's really the breakthrough that I love to help women have when it's not about ego or them. It's about the difference that they can make by sharing their expertise, by sharing their lived experience. And of course their knowledge, education, wisdom, all of those things too. But it has been so fun to be able to really help women unlock their potential, chase after unbelievable opportunities and honestly prove to themselves what they're capable of.
Courtney Turich: Oh, you are speaking my language, Allison. I am so in parallel with you on this because we all have something unique to offer in this world. And the fact that you're helping women figure out what that is for themselves makes them. Unstoppable. It does.
Allison Walsh: It's so fun too. And it's like, there's this very distinct moment with women that I work with where it's almost like the light switch goes on.
Right. And they recognize that this brand that now we're curating and pulling all of these things together. Is that right? And it's just like this confidence that comes through in those moments. And I mean, every single one of my clients, like I can pinpoint when it happened. And to me, that is one of the most incredible and fulfilling.
Parts of doing this work because I recognize that now they are able to look in the mirror and see the version of themselves that so many other people have been able to see, but now it's packaged in a way where they feel like they can shout it from the rooftops. And that is everything. And I've loved it.
I love doing the work. I love helping women become the thought leaders that they deserve to be and, do the things that they've always wanted to do. Write the book, start the podcast, start the speaking. career that they've wanted to have, or simply just take up more space in the places and spaces that they are, that maybe in past times they've been inclined to shrink rather than to shine.
Courtney Turich: So when you think about helping women shine, right, what are three things you can give everyone today to just walk away, to start reflecting on and to start bringing themselves forward and to start to let them shine.
The Confidence Formula: Steps to Unlock Your Potential
Allison Walsh: Yeah, absolutely. So when I think about really doing the work first and foremost, understanding what it is that you want to be able to do,
is there that next level that if it's unlocked, there is greater potential that exists. So getting clear on the why behind doing the work. Number two, spending the time on yourself, writing out all of the things that you have done and reflecting back. So because I work with high achieving women, They are already, even if they haven't crossed the finish line of the goal, they're already looking at the next goal and they're not celebrating all the things that they've accomplished.
And so step one is like write your win list and understand all of the things that you have done because there is so much substance there and there's so much to build on, but you got to give yourself credit for the things that you've already been able to do. So, first is identify the. why behind it number two is identify all of the great things that you bring to the table.
And number three, carve out the time for you to actually work on yourself. As women, we naturally are the first ones to cancel the time on our calendar that's dedicated to our own personal growth and development. And that needs to be the big rock that doesn't move. Right. So put that time in first and it doesn't have to be a lot.
I think the other thing Courtney that I've realized over time is that women think they have to spend an extraordinary amount of time and clear their schedule. And it has to be a huge focus. It's like, no, if you know what the goal is and you know, the steps that you need to take to get there and you do a little bit every single day, that's helping to build your brand or, accomplish the goal or whatever it is.
You're going to wake up 90 days from now. And if you've done that 90 days of commitment to yourself and you've made those small steps. You are going to be unrecognizable. And that is the best is when you can make it just those tangible bite size commitments, and you're going to be super confident because you have honored the commitment that you made to yourself.
Courtney Turich: Hearing you say this just makes me so excited, Allison, because we all again, have it within us. We've got to do the work and it's not always going to be easy. But even small steps can help us get there.
Allison Walsh: Oh, my gosh. Oh, absolutely. And I think about just the stories. A lot of my clients, they'll come to me for a specific project or an initiative, or maybe they just want that rebrand, that refresh, that launch.
And they stay with me for years. So I've had the chance to see the evolution of my clients over many, many years. They, come for the rebrand, then we'd level up, we go for the podcast. Then it's about getting the book deal. Then it's about speaking on stages and getting five figures every time their feet hit the stage.
You know, it's those types of things where I'm like. Wow. The trajectory that has happened and taken place as a result of saying yes to yourself and doing the work. And that to me is just unbelievable. and I've got hundreds of these stories, which is just like the best.
Courtney Turich: everyone, I am smiling from ear to ear because Allison is just speaking to my heart right now.
And so Allison, I'm really excited to hear. What was the bold move, confident choice that took your professional life to the next level?
The Bold Bet on Herself: A Pandemic Pivot
Allison Walsh: I've had a lot of them, Courtney, but I will try to pick just one for right now. So I had to do a couple of different things where I was faced with the decision of like, do I bet on myself fully or do I continue to kind of co sign on what I feel comfortable doing?
So I did mention. For, earlier on that in parallel to building, my career in behavioral health, I was also an entrepreneur, but in 2020, I really had one of those moments, right? Well, we were all living through the pandemic. We were, Trying to figure out what was going on and how we were going to make it through.
And one of, I wouldn't say it was the boldest move I made, but it was a bold move because it required me to put myself out in a position that I hadn't necessarily been as visible as I had been before. That is when I started getting visible on social. That is when I said, I'm going to figure out how to do this podcast thing.
I'm going to get really serious about building my brand because I want to write and I want a book deal and I want to impact more people and I want to be able to take all of these. things that I've kind of done behind the scenes and make them super visible for other people to be able to access. So I want to create courses and I want to do all those things.
And so I said yes to myself and I started doing the thing and I started getting some traction. And of course I made a lot of mistakes along the way, but I said, if I can build this and make it something great for me, I can also take all of these things that I'm going to learn along the process and help other people do it too.
And so I was like, this is not going to be a lesson lost on me at all. And those conscious decisions within two years, I was able to launch and scale my personal brand. I was able to get a substantial book deal. I was able to monetize my podcast. It was able to do all of the things that I had no idea how to do when the pandemic hit.
And so it was just proof of concept that if you make those daily commitments to yourself, that you will get the results that you want. and because I was able to do that, eventually I was out earning my corporate salary. I had opportunities that I could say, you know, the financial freedom is, is there if I want it, or I can continue to do other things that I care about, but I had choices.
And I think that's the thing that I want everybody to take away from this is you have an asset in yourself, right? And no matter what happens, and I think the pandemic woke me up because in that moment, the role I was in, the entire executive team took a Cut to our corporate salaries in order to be able to retain as many staff members as possible.
And in that moment, it was one of those times when I just recognized, like, if I'm not building something for myself that I can depend on a hundred percent of the time, then I'm always going to be at the mercy of somebody else or something else, or pandemic for goodness sakes. Right. So it was in those moments when I recognized that this is one of the greatest investments I can make.
It's one of the greatest investments everybody can make. And I was able to do it successfully and help a lot of other people do it too.
Courtney Turich: Wow. Okay. So Allison, a few thoughts here. How did it feel, or what went through your mind as you took the leap in 2020 for
Overcoming Fear and Imposter Syndrome
Allison Walsh: your ? So for you? Like 200 followers on Instagram at that time, like nothing. Right. So for me, it was like, listen, if I don't try, I'll never know. And what's the worst that could happen. Right. Like a post doesn't get a lot of likes or this flops, but what's the best that could happen. I can create another revenue stream for my family.
I can make sure our mortgage is paid. I can have other opportunities. I can do the things that I've always wanted to do. So I always try to look at every. fear or mindset block. I tried to counteract it, and just have a counter to it because I knew if I could talk myself out of the fear or the imposter syndrome or the perfectionism or just like not knowing what the heck I was doing, I was going to be able to. Do amazing things, but I had to get past all of those things. And so celebrated the wins I would have early on. I would take note of all of the things that I was learning. Like, those were the things that I was like, okay, I'm getting better and stronger and better and stronger and better and stronger, every time.
And, my episodes were getting more traction and downloads. My, writing was being accepted into different publications. Like there were a lot of wins that were happening. And as long as I took stock of the wins, it would help me go after the next one. versus picking myself apart because I am a recovering perfectionist.
I have to be real careful cause that's like my default, right? if it's not perfect, I'm not publishing. No, I had to let that go. but that made a huge difference and I just unlocked so many opportunities for me and I'm so grateful and what a journey and one that I just,look back on with so much gratitude.
Courtney Turich: So Allison, as you continued, it took you two years, To really build yourself up to be able to walk away from corporate. Who did you lean on yourself to keep you going? And did you ever have moments of, I can't do this any longer.
Allison Walsh: Yeah. So, during this process, I got the book deal and I'll just share a little bit around this because I feel like this really was a pivotal point. first of all, I have amazing friends. I have somebody, well, I've got a great husband, but one of my best friends, I call him my chief unicorn. He was like, basically my chief of staff, essentially like an operations director at the place that we were both working. And he was kind of my lifeline.
Like I would pulse check everything with him. And he's always going to be like, Allison, bet on yourself, Allison, bet on yourself, Allison, he's that person, like my hype man. So he was always in my ear saying like, if you don't try, you're never going to know. And what's. the worst, you're going to get better and stronger in the process.
Like who cares? Youso that was really helpful, but the pivotal moment for me really happened when I got the book deal, I had essentially three months to write the book, which, you 60, 000 words in a three month period of time is a lot, but I'm disciplined and I got it done during that process.
when you are forced to look in the mirror. and put all of your thoughts on paper and all of the lessons learned the hard way and all of the advice and the words of wisdom and everything you have to really be able to stand in your truth. And I was getting closer and closer to chapter 10. I had worked with some great coaches throughout the process, and I'm writing each chapter.
And every time I looked at chapter 10, which is the last chapter in the book, I was like, I don't feel good about this chapter. And I had to really recognize. Was during that process, the reality of the fact that I had outgrown where I was, I had been brought into that company. I started, as part of the founding team, essentially I was the second person brought in.
We had scaled to a thousand employees. We were in, multi-site, multi-state. We had. Exponential growth. We had done the things I had led the teams. I had figured it all out the hard way. I had no playbook, no manual, no nothing right when I got there and I had been there for nine and a half years at that point.
And I looked in the mirror and I said, I am not supposed to write this chapter this way. And it was one of those moments. So in the process of writing the book, I am also doing this whole like self exploration of like, do I leave? This industry completely. Do I go someplace else and go to hyper growth so I can see if I could do this all over again?
Like, what do I do? And so I honestly thought I was going to completely bet on myself at that point, but the opportunity with Charlie health presented itself to come in at a very, um, hyper growth stage of the company. And I was like, you know what I can do this and I can prove to myself that I can do this all over again.
then went through a hyper growth expansion period of time with them. And it was those moments where I'm like, I had to also be really honest with myself, right? And it was hard because I loved what I was leaving behind. I loved the people. I loved the program. I was so proud of what we had built and I was a part of every stage and phase of growth, but I had reached my peak there.
And it was time to go. And so again, leap of faith doing it. And then again, like even with Charlie health, stepping out of the role that I was in for a period of time and moving into a consultant role so I can bet fully on myself and my business, right? Like those are those moments where you just have to say.
I trust myself, and it's okay if it doesn't work out, but I will always regret if I didn't try. And that's the difference. Um, and so I believe in my ability to get things done. I'm a hard worker. I'm driven and I love the work that I do, so I'm never a afraid of that part of it. And the rest of it is just trusting the timing and the people and the rooms I'm getting into and the opportunities are in front of me and going for it.
So, Huge decisions, all of them that I just shared, but it all came from that look in the mirror moment of saying, I am no longer living my truth and everything that I am saying to these people that I'm writing this book would be disingenuous if I don't also bet on myself.
Courtney Turich: Wow. Another big, bold move and moment for you.
Yeah. Lots of big, bold moves. Lots of, you know, interesting to hear about how you help women and how you talk about reflect on all the accomplishments and things you've done in your life. Essentially, that's what we're reflecting on here today. are those big moments that you've had in your life? how did you know to trust yourself, Allison?
The Power of a Well-Planned Leap
Allison Walsh: Well, I have to do my homework. So I have to put pen to paper and prove to myself that I've got it figured out. So, for example, The first one in 2022 I'm writing the book, I'm doing the things and I decided to leave the company. I had to map that out. I had to be really clear that I knew what I was getting myself involved in.
I had to be really clear that it was upward mobility and growth potential on, so many different fronts. I had to have a plan in place too of okay, I'm going to do this for X amount of time. Right. And I'm going to run fast at it. I had to have the support around me. so that was that situation when I, Transitioned out of my, youleadership role and into a consulting role.
So I could also just fully jump into my business. It was time for me to really be honest around the financial piece and say, okay, how much runway do I have? How much runway do I need? And for us, you know, coupled with that decision to transition out of that position, we had a child that went through a lot this past year.
She had been bullied, body shamed, had a horrible year, had a ton of support that was needed to wrap around her and I needed to be able to be more present and not living on airplanes. And so I had to look at my family's situation at this stage and phase of our lives and say, the most important place that I can be is here.
And I need to build a life and a career that can support that. And because I had been betting on myself and building consulting and coaching companies for years on the side, I had proof of concept, right? I knew how many clients I would need to be able to cover my corporate salary. I knew. The hours that I was going to be able to work.
And that to me has been the greatest gift to be able to say, I can out earn my corporate salary, working less hours and being able to be present. And once those, all that math made sense. And once I knew that that pipeline was there of opportunity, I was ready to go. So, we made a plan. I transitioned out of that seat.
We made sure everybody was taken care of. It's fun to still be involved and be consulting and, still helping,in a certain capacity, but it's also really fun to have so much more time to work with amazing clients and just to continue to leverage all of the experiences and the knowledge, and the exposure that I've had to so many incredible people.
Places, spaces, and opportunities like that's to me is the best because I love doing the things I'm glad I bet on myself and I build my own brand, but I am obsessed with optimizing people's potential. And so the fact that I get to do that every single day and work with amazing clients just makes me so happy.
Courtney Turich: So, Allison, it's really great you bring to the surface. A lot of people talk about trusting your intuition. While that is important, I'm really glad you brought up that you still have to be logical and practical about the process.
Allison Walsh: Absolutely. Got bills to pay. Yeah.
Courtney Turich: Putting pen to paper. because we do talk a lot about intuition and just general, Oh my gut says this.
So I'm just going to go for it. And I have to admit, if I feel something, I'm going for it and I need to put pen to paper a little bit more, Allison. So I'm calling myself out on this, but, just really resonated with me when you said, you've got to put the pen to paper. And that's what you did to get where you are today.
Allison Walsh: Yeah. And it makes a difference, right? Like it gives you peace of mind. It helps you sleep at night. Like the goal is not to jump and then regret the jump. The goal is to jump and know that there is a safe landing, that is, the goal. and I think anytime you make a big financial decision, you have to look at every way it could go.
You can't be, an ostrich and just put your head in the sand and pretend like the other doesn't exist. Like you have to do that work too and have a backup plan. I gave myself six months. I said, if this is not going the way I think it should go, could go. And I have proof of concept that it should go.
I'm going to look for other roles that I can take on that would provide what I want it and need to provide for my family. But also knew that if I, said, I spent the time, the energy, and I stayed super focused that I could create the life and the business that I wanted.
Courtney Turich: It's powerful because I know as an executive at a healthcare company, you were making really good money.
Yeah, I
Allison Walsh: was. Yeah. So
Courtney Turich: you really heavily bet on yourself. I did. And that's inspiring, Allison. Thank you. And scary at the same time.
Allison Walsh: scary is an understatement.
Courtney Turich: I'm sweating a little thinking about it for you, But I am inspired all at the same time, so my chicken wings are coming out.
Wow. Okay, Allison, so you shared several bold moves, which is great. And I think we could talk all day about your bold moves based on what I'm hearing. When you look back at your 18 year old self What would you tell Allison today?
Shine Even Brighter: A Message to Her Younger Self
Allison Walsh: Shine even brighter. I think as I shared in the beginning, right, I did start sharing my story early on.
Like you figure when I was 18 years old, I was newly in recovery. I decided that I wanted to create change in this world and I did it for no other reason other than I never wanted anybody to feel alone. And I'm really grateful that I did. And so even though I didn't realize back then that I was building my brand, right, I was doing it for all of the right reasons.
and I was extremely passionate about the work I. I oftentimes gave myself this excuse that I was so young, I was so young, who am I? I'm so young.because I was a young advocate and I did have opportunities like being Miss Florida and I did get to travel and speak, I did 250 speaking engagements when I was 23 years old.
Like that was my gosh. Yeah. I mean, it was unbelievable. Traveled 80, 000 miles. I had. Yeah. Yeah. Unbelievable experiences. I still gave myself that excuse of like, you're so young, you're so young, you're so young. Right. And instead of it being like, this is unbelievable, like this is your springboard. And so for several years in my early twenties, I just kept second guessing myself feeling like I had to prove something versus like just jumping from where I was.
And I wish I could just rewind the tape and say, Sweet girl, you are going to have unbelievable opportunities. Do not dim your light, shine, even brighter, take advantage of everything that comes your way and never shrink because you're uncomfortable with taking up space. I wish I could tell her that because I'm very proud of where I've gotten to, like I've worked really hard and I deserved the success that I've earned over the years.
But man, if I would have believed it more when I was 18 to 24, like, I wonder where I would be now.
Courtney Turich: Yeah. When you said what you would tell your 18 year old self to shine brighter, I had chills from head to toe, Allison. I personally can so relate to that. And you've said this a few times, even at the beginning, you mentioned, you know, we're always looking for that next.
Yeah. Thing or next best thing. We never take a moment to embrace where we are, the here and now the winds we have. And I believe that can be a hindrance to many of us and really being present in the moment and just letting ourselves shine.
Allison Walsh: Yeah, well, it steals the joy, you know, and I think we don't need to steal our own joy.
The world does enough of that for us. So true. and I think one of the things everybody that's listening right now, like literally put a calendar hold, whether it's once a month or once a quarter. Where you have time, even if it's 30 minutes to just take a second and reflect and look back and say, here's what I learned in this last month or these last 90 days, here are the wins that I experienced.
Here's the progress that I've made, because if you don't look in the mirror and honor the journey, you're not going to be fulfilled with whatever is in front of you. And, I do a lot of work in the positive psychology world, you with the strengths finder and, CliftonStrengths and. All of those wonderful tools.
And because so many of my clients and myself have Achiever in our top five, it is so easy for us to reach for the lemon before we've finished squeezing the orange, because we think that's the next best thing. And we're sitting on so much. And I remember, different milestones in our life, like my personal life, like when we bought our house and it was like, this was something I dreamed of.
This is something so much bigger than I had growing up. Like these are these. Things in these milestones that are very real. And like, why do I feel hollow or empty inside? Right? Because I'm not embracing it or celebrating the fact that we were able to do this and build this and like all of it.
And those are the moments where I'm like, uh, you got to pause for the cause. You got to reflect, you got to just really proud of what it is. And then use that again to build your confidence, to go after what's next, rather than feeling like you're not enough.
Courtney Turich: I love it. Pause for the cause. Oh, my gosh.
Did you trademark
Allison Walsh: that, Allison? There's all kinds of nuggets that are throughout that book. Like, pause for the causes and she believes she could. Check it from the neck up. I've got a whole slew of them. So
Courtney Turich: Okay. So, Allison, as we walk away from here today, What would you like to leave us with?
Allison Walsh: Oh my goodness. Well, first of all, you already have what it takes. It's about carving out the time and giving yourself the energy and the space, just like you would give to your best friend. You need to give it to yourself and you deserve it. And there are so many opportunities that exist beyond your wildest dreams. When you make the investment in yourself.
Courtney Turich: So Allison, if people want to reach out to you, where can
Allison Walsh: they find you? Thank you for that, Courtney. So the, she believes she could podcast is where I spend a lot of time. we have the, she believes she could book as well. She's can't believe, that's been such a beautiful journey.
She's over almost two years old, which is just incredible. and then Allison Walsh consulting. com and I'm super active on Instagram at Allison Walsh.
Courtney Turich: Awesome. Well, Allison, thank you so much for being here today. I'm walking away from our episode, reflecting on, we all have the power within us.
We have to understand our why also remember our wins and take the time to reflect on ourself. And everyone go shine as bright as you can. You have the capability. So Allison, again, thank you so much to all my listeners who are here. Please leave your comments. Let us know what you think, but go be bold, be confident and be you. Thanks.
