These phrases show that tall poppy syndrome is in action. And honestly? I’m over it.
As someone who’s spent the last few years building a community of women in business, I’ve seen how deeply this mindset runs and how damaging it can be.
It’s the silent pressure that keeps us playing small, watering ourselves down, or brushing off our wins.
Let’s be real: celebrating your own success can feel uncomfortable. We’re generally taught to downplay, deflect, or hide the things we’re proud of so we don’t make anyone else feel uncomfortable. Because the worst thing we could be accused of is bragging.
Over the years, I have worked with women who have started successful businesses from their kitchen tables while raising kids, navigating grief, battling self-doubt and juggling all the things.
And when I say, “That’s incredible!” They tend to respond with a shrug and say, “Oh, it’s nothing. Just a little side hustle.”
But it’s not nothing. It’s everything. It’s courage, hard work and growth in motion. And it deserves to be seen.
When we cut down women who rise or when we cut ourselves down out of fear, we don’t just hurt individuals. We send a message to every woman watching: Don’t try too hard. Don’t shine too bright. Stay in your lane.
It creates a culture where success becomes isolating instead of inspiring. And I don’t know about you, but I’d rather walk into a room where women are cheering each other on, not awkwardly side-eyeing each other’s wins.
So, what does real celebration look like?
It isn’t about filters or perfectly curated Instagram wins. It’s about looking another woman in the eye and saying, “I see you. And I’m proud of you.”
It’s commenting on someone’s post, not just liking it. It’s sharing her new offer or nominating her for an award.
It’s texting her after she does something brave and saying, “Great work, you did amazing!”
It’s also about letting yourself be celebrated.
It’s replying with a genuine “Thank you!” when someone compliments your work, instead of listing all the things that went wrong behind the scenes.
The truth is that the tall poppy culture won’t change overnight. But we can start small.
We can tell our stories with pride. We can celebrate each other loudly and unapologetically.
We can stop waiting for someone else to validate our wins and start owning them ourselves.
So next time you achieve something, no matter if its big or small - don’t brush it off. Share it. Let us celebrate you. And when another woman shines? Cheer so loudly that she doesn’t mistake it for judgment.
Because when one of us rises, we all rise.
Kylie King is a hypnotherapist, business and mindset mentor, and the founder of the ALIBI Awards, a national business awards program that celebrates women doing business their way. She believes every chapter of your journey deserves to be honoured. especially the ones that required the most courage. Visit: www.alibiawards.com.au
