#LifeLessons - The Biggest Life Learnings Of Katherine Iscoe

NAME: Katherine Iscoe

AGE:  47

INSTAGRAM HANDLE: @drkatherineiscoe

JOB TITLE: Motivational Speaker, Author & Shoe Lover

Dr Katherine Iscoe is a female motivational speaker who challenges leaders to take bigger risks by letting go of imaginary judgment and criticism. A board member, former tech CEO of a dually listed public company, and summa cum laude graduate, she pairs academic expertise with lived experience of overcoming self-hate, an eating disorder, depression, and suicidal thoughts. Today, her work focuses on the missing ingredient in leadership, self-respect, sharing achievable daily practices that help people drop the act, back themselves, and make a bigger impact.

Her next book, The Self-Respect Playbook for Overthinkers, Overdoers and Overgivers launches November 2025,  and these life lessons are just a sneak peek of what’s inside.

#LIFELESSON – 1 - You can’t live for validation and still feel whole

When I started my speaking career, it was built on science-backed mindset tools: stress hacks, brain chemistry, resilience methods. The ‘clean’ topics that would get the tick from HR departments and conferences. Sure I found these topics interesting, heck I spent over a decade in school learning about them. But there’s a big difference between being interested in something and pretending you’re passionate about it just to get paid.

Eventually I couldn’t do it any longer. I went to a therapist who told me I was burnt out. “You need to take at least a month off”. Words that no high-achiever will take easily.

But time off didn’t fix it. What I eventually realised was I wasn’t tired. I was angry. Angry at myself for playing a role I didn’t believe in, for chasing external praise instead of inner pride. I kept twisting myself to fit other people’s boxes: “Talk like a PhD.” “Stick to science.” “Be what corporations want.” And I did. Because applause feels good, until it doesn’t.

What I took from this experience is that burnout is easy to blame. It lets you blame your ‘busy’ calendar instead of your choices. It doesn’t ask you to change. It just asks you to rest. And it definitely doesn’t ask the real question:

What do I actually want out of life?

The lesson? You can’t live for validation and still feel whole. External praise is temporary. Self-respect is permanent. What you think of yourself will always matter more than what you think others think of you.

#LIFELESSON – 2 - Asking for help isn’t weakness

I decided to walk to my very first academic conference in Washington, D.C., as it only looked around 20 minutes on the map. Easy! But after half an hour of walking, I found myself in an area where the houses were rougher, including bars on the windows (the scary kind). I had a bad feeling.

Now this was 2006, no Google Maps, no working phone. My ego told me to keep going, even though deep down I knew I was lost. Then I spotted two police cars, or should I say, they spotted me. Fast forward and I found myself being driven to the conference in a cop car. I was mortified.

The officer who drove me there said something I’ll never forget:

“We all get lost sometimes. You can either keep trying to figure it out on your own, or admit you need help and get there a whole lot faster.”

It’s a message that tells you a lot about life. How much time do we waste wandering, afraid to admit we don’t have it all figured out, too proud to admit we’re lost, hoping it’ll magically realign instead of asking for the help we actually need?

Stubbornness is a funny thing, because it feels like grit. But stubbornness tells you to keep going in the wrong direction just to prove you don’t need anyone. Grit pushes you to keep going, even when things are hard.

What I learned from this is that it’s important to push through challenges so you can learn from the journey, but don’t let stubbornness block support when you lose your way.

Because asking for help is not weakness. It’s often the smartest, fastest, and healthiest path forward.

#LIFELESSON – 3 - Take the risk rather than live with regret

At a business conference in Fiji, I found myself sitting across from “The Silver Fox”, a man who just happened to be Chris Hemsworth’s agent. But beyond Chris being my Hollywood Hall pass crush, this was a great opportunity. I’d just produced a pilot for a series and here was someone who could actually give me insider advice.

One problem? The voices in my head.

 “He won’t take you seriously.” “Don’t bother him, he’s important, you’re a nobody.” “Your idea isn’t good enough.”

Voices that sound rational, but really, they’re fear in disguise. I thought, screw it. I walked up to him, pitched my idea, and to my shock, he said, “Send it through.” He watched it, and the next day he gave me feedback, even encouraged me to keep going and stay in touch. And we did! Emails bouncing back and forth, I was getting somewhere!

And then… nothing.

He ghosted me.

Was I disappointed? Of course! But what didn’t happen is me spending months on end waking up at 2am thinking ‘coulda shoulda woulda’.

The point? Disappointment fades, regret stays.

By speaking up, I collected proof that I can do scary things, and proof that risk creates momentum, even without the “perfect” result. So something to consider: The win isn’t in the outcome. The win is in taking the risk.