Words by Liz Reichard
When was the last time you asked yourself what you truly desire? Not in the bedroom but in life? What would turn you on, light you up and make you feel truly alive?
These are NOT easy questions for women to answer because we have been conditioned since childhood to put everyone else’s needs before our own and so many of us have never stopped to think about it.
I know that was the case for me. I spent years building a successful legal career, mainly working in the areas of family violence and family law. I helped women in some of the very worst times of their lives navigate a system that was not designed for them. Through my work, I held the hands of these women, sometimes literally, while they walked through the hellfire that was their circumstances to get them what they wanted.
But the work took its toll and a devastating burnout-induced mental health crisis forced me to stop and reassess everything. I became a brittle shell and crawled into my bed and didn’t come out for a long time. But from the ashes of my legal career, something far more aligned, far more powerful grew.
Because I took the time to really ask myself what it was that I wanted. What did I want to do with my life?
The answers came slowly as if I was being drip-fed. But each drop was a flashes of lightning, joy and excitement, with a healthy side of “WTF?” because they were so very, very different to what I’d done before.
What emerged was my business Liz the Radiance Coach born from lived experience, fierce honesty and a deep commitment to helping women reclaim their bodies, desires and authentic voice. It shouldn’t be revolutionary for a woman to feel good in her body or to centre her own pleasure but for many of us, it still is.
I’m still helping women to get what it is that they want, just in a very different way. I’m helping them remember their inner power and strength. To realise that their body is the least interesting thing about them, regardless of what society tries to tell them. That they can experience pleasure each and every day, in a whole variety of ways they may never have even thought of. And that pleasure and desire can be in any facet of their lives, not just in the bedroom.
Through dance, embodiment practices, mindset work and radical self-approval, I have helped hundreds of women remember how strong and powerful they truly are. I’ve launched my signature group programs, Outrageous Radical Body Acceptance and The Pussy Revolution, facilitated workshops at Seven Sisters and the Bohemian Summer Festival and built a community of women hungry for a new way of living, one that makes space for pleasure, softness, rage, joy, boundaries and truth.
I am thrilled to be recognised by the AusMumpreneur Awards in the Category of “One to Watch (New Idea)” and am so incredibly proud of what I’ve built from the rubble. I’m not just building a business, I’m leading a revolution. One woman at a time, I’m helping dismantle the stories that have kept us small. You know the stories I’m talking about: that our worth comes from what we look like; that we have to be helpful and nice and quiet; that a woman’s pleasure is an afterthought, if at all; and that women can’t be friends without comparison. I remind women that they get to feel it all, be it all and have it all, in their own unique way, mess and all. This isn’t just what I do, it’s who I am.
Running my own business has shown me that I can do business my way with joy, pleasure and fun instead of buying into hustle culture and bro marketing. Being my own boss means I get to incorporate pleasure into my work as well as choosing when I work (no 9am starts for me!). I truly believe that I am doing my life’s work and it lights me up in a way no other job ever has. And that feeling and freedom is everything.
For others thinking about starting a business, my advice is: You get to make the rules now. You’re the boss, which means you don’t have to work the way you used to. You don’t have to hustle all the time; that’s the patriarchy talking. Yes, you need to work hard, but you also get to rest and enjoy it too. Let go of the idea that there’s a “right” way to do business. Instead, ask yourself what actually works for you. Build something that feels good, that lights you up, that brings you joy and pleasure. That doesn’t mean it’ll always be easy—but when it’s aligned, it’s worth it. Trust yourself. You have more wisdom, strength and creativity than you realise—and the more you follow what feels true for you, the more powerful your business will be.
