What does it mean to be truly free? Not just independent, but free in a way that shakes you
to your core—where every decision, every moment, feels undeniably yours? It means
becoming untamed. It means rejecting the pressure to conform and choosing instead to
carve out your own path—to live, work, and be your way.
Maya Angelou said, “If you don't know where you've come from, you don't know where
you're going.” And so, before we go forward, let’s first look back…
The Journey to Becoming Untamed
I wasn’t always this confident. I wasn’t always untamed. I had to unlearn, strip back, and
rediscover who I really was. And so, I want to share four defining moments in my
life—moments that shaped me, moments that taught me what it really means to be untamed.
The Bronx: Strength in Adversity
Once upon a time, in a land not so far away (Central England, to be exact), I was a little girl
growing up in a council estate, affectionately known as The Bronx because of the crime and
chaos that surrounded us. Knife crime wasn’t a statistic—it was our neighbour’s last
argument. A trip to the shops wasn’t just for groceries; it was a lesson in survival.
We were poor—so poor that I remember my mum crying because she couldn’t afford to feed
my sister and me. And yet, she always found a way. Our little cul-de-sac was filled with
single mothers, all supporting each other, proving that women are stronger together.
We never let our circumstances define us. Instead, they fueled us. My disadvantages gave
me backbone. They gave me grit. They gave me fire.
And that fire? That’s what I want for you too.
The Girl with No Voice: Overcoming Fear
For all my confidence, I was once painfully shy—a secret I hid well. Sometimes, when
people spoke to me, my throat would close up. No voice would come out. I would go red, my
eyes would well up, and I’d stand there—a quivering wreck.
One of the last times this happened, age 11, I was standing in front of a boy I had a crush
on. I physically couldn’t speak. His look of horror as I stood there, frozen, was the moment I
decided: never again. I never want to feel like that again.
I created my own affirmation: “I don’t get embarrassed. It’s impossible.” And so, in time, I
didn’t.
That’s when I learned the power of mindset, of self-belief, of choosing your own narrative.
The Power of Radical Simplification
In The 5AM Club, Robin Sharma talks about early rising as a way to create space for self-
mastery. The message is clear: mastering yourself leads to freedom. But becoming untamed
isn’t about adding more to your life—it’s about stripping back what no longer serves you.
You don’t need to do it all—you need to do what matters.
When I was nine years old, I was given a bag of sample-sized foundations—the kind you get
for free. I decided to sell them door-to-door for 10p each. A woman challenged me: “Why
should I pay for a free sample?”
I looked her in the eye and said, “I’ll give you the free one, but you’ll be so impressed, you’ll
wish you had bought more at this bargain price. And if you don’t buy now, you’ll have
nothing. This is a one-time opportunity.”
She bought 20.
That’s when I knew—I had something. And that something wasn’t about following the rules.
It was about creating my own.
A Life on Your Terms
Being untamed means taking control. This is your life. Your terms. Your time. It means:
● Saying no without guilt.
● Prioritising yourself without apology.
● Trusting your instincts without hesitation.
● Walking away from anything that doesn’t align with your values.
● Committing to a few high-value projects at a time—not too many.
At 23, I started my own PR company. I ran it from my back bedroom before moving into
offices in Covent Garden. I left a stable job to do it. People asked, “Are you sure? Are you
ready? Can you do this? What if you fail?”
I didn’t have all the answers, but I gave it my best shot. And I made it work.
So roll the dice and see what happens.
The Confidence to Own Who You Are
Too often, women are taught to dim their light, to shrink themselves into smaller versions of
who they truly are. But here’s the truth:
● You are not too much.
● You are not too emotional.
● You are not too ambitious.
You are exactly who you are meant to be.
For years, I tried to be everything for everyone, but it was draining, exhausting, and
ultimately destructive. Only when I stopped people-pleasing did I realise how much of myself
I had been sacrificing.
Then, well into my forties, I was diagnosed with ADHD, and that knowledge changed
everything. Suddenly, my entire life made sense—the times I felt like a misfit, the moments I
struggled to be understood, the exhaustion from masking who I really was. ADHD had
shaped my experiences in ways I never realised. Looking back, I rewrote my own story, not
because I wanted to, but because I had to.
Understanding my ADHD has given me power—because knowledge is power. And the more
I learn about it, the more I understand myself.
That’s what being untamed is about—self-awareness, breaking free from the noise and
expectations that hold you back, and finally living for you.
Welcome to Untamed Academy
This is the philosophy behind Untamed Academy—a space that equips executive women at
the stage in their life where they’re ready to become untamed – equipping you with the clarity
and confidence to take charge of your lives through curated introduction events (move over,
networking!), an online community, training, and mentoring. Here, we don’t just talk about
change. We make it happen.
We strip away the noise. We commit to what matters. We own our voices.
So, what will you start today? What will you strip away? What will you embrace?
Confidence doesn’t come from waiting for permission. It comes from taking it.
Becoming untamed isn’t about becoming more. It’s about becoming fully, radically,
completely yourself.
Let’s do this.
Join the waitlist at thisisuntamed.co.uk
Instagram: @bethanielunn | @_thisisuntamed_
