Why is it when I look around I see so many female entrepreneurs holding back and not embracing WHO they are and doing what they KNOW they can do?
I think it's fear.
Fear of being judged. Fear of being found unworthy, not-ready, "getting above your station".
But the thing is? FEAR IS A LOUSY ADVISER.
Fear holds you back and stops you stepping in to who you REALLY are - without distractions, with limitations and without allowing yourself the joy (and ergo peace!) to be who you are and deliver what you NEED to deliver to live a truly contented life and successful business.
And the truth is... nobody's really paying attention anyway.
I held back for years - nay, decades! - because I was worried about what others would think or say about me being me and doing what I had to do.
But... and here's the kicker - nobody was really fucking watching anyway - and what is it they say?
Those that matter don't mind and those that mind don't matter!
But really and truly, most people are just trying to get on with their own lives and winging it the best they can and most are far too busy navel-gazing to be worrying about what you're doing!
Back when I had my first baby I didn't know what the fuck I was doing. I mean seriously, who does?
You're discharged from hospital and you walk out the doors thinking "seriously? You're letting ME (!) leave with a baby? Are you sure? You really think I'm ready? Do I LOOK like a person who knows what they're doing here?". 
And you haven't got a clue.
But you go home and some form of instinct kicks in. Before you know it - you've managed to keep the baby alive for a day, 2 days - a week, a month - woohoo!
Yet my peers kept asking which parenting books I was reading, who I was turning to for advice and who I was looking at to provide the answers.
Strangely (for me at that time!), I was relying on instinct. I didn't have any books - I figured I'd figure it out and ran with two programs: ALL FED, NOBODY DEAD and PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE! 
We're all too quick to turn our back on our instincts - but I guarantee you, they're kicking in for a reason - deep down you know what you HAVE to do - and fuck yeh, it can be scary.
Because when your instincts are telling you something which makes you SCARED it means that you need to CHANGE - or SOMETHING needs to change. You're stuck and the only way forward is to upset that applecart. Things might get harder before they get easier again... and easier to just stay with what you know - even if it's no longer serving you.
It takes COURAGE to walk your own path and grind down fear.
But you absolutely CANNOT let fear rule your life unless you want to be looking back at missed opportunities because you didn't feel brave.
What happened to that young woman who flew away to a new city/country for the weekend and didn't have her accommodation booked?
She trusted in herself that she'd "figure it out" and that when she arrived, she'd find somewhere.
What happened to the woman who booked one-way flights?
What happened to the woman who danced ON the bar... yep, not IN the bar - ON the bar!
Where did she go?
When you did you stop trusting her to make decisions for you?
FUCK THE FEAR and DO IT ANYWAY.
Staying scared is going to ensure you continue to play small, never quite achieving what you COULD achieve if you just decided to get the fuck on with it and do it anyway.
Being scared to try something new doesn't serve you and will always leave you wanting - is that how you want to live?
