SURREY, UK. February 19th, 2026 – Confidence coach Nancy Haines has launched a campaign to find women who are willing to share their stories of struggles and success for her new podcast.
Nancy’s podcast, The Diary of an Independent Woman, has just launched and now she is appealing for potential participants to get in touch.
Nancy said: “It always came up in conversation I was having with groups of women, about Independence, how it impacted them and how it served them, how it was hindering them, and I thought ‘There are all these women from different backgrounds that are carrying that same badge – why are we not talking about this?
“So, I decided this is going to be a podcast as a witness, taking people into these stories. We get so much thrown at us that sometimes we just want to have a conversation with somebody.”
Originally from Los Angeles in California, Nancy has been in the UK for four years, after following husband Matthew firstly to Dubai and now his native homeland.
“I met my husband in Los Angeles – a month later he said: “I am moving to Dubai; I got my dream job’. A year into the relationship I left my HR consultancy business behind, sold everything and took a leap of faith,” she said.
“After five years there, I moved to the UK.”
So, can someone who has sacrificed so much for love proudly self-identify as An Independent Woman? Nancy is in no doubt.
“Absolutely,” she said. “It is misinformation that now you are married, you lose your independence. Absolutely not – when you are with the right person, each identity gets to grow, and you nurture each other.
“But it is that independence that you get to define. What does that look like for you?”
There are more important ways to judge one’s self-worth than a pay cheque, a lesson that Nancy learned for herself when she moved to Dubai: “I was earning way more than my husband when I first met him – I had never relied on a man.
“I found myself having to rely on him in a country I did not know and where he was already established. I have worked since I was 12, that’s how independent I am, that I started working at 12 so my parents didn’t have to worry about me,” she said.
“And that, for the ego, was the biggest blocker. It knocked my confidence because in that moment I realised my value is tied to how much I earn – but it shouldn’t be.”
The experience led her to examine her own identity and confidence, and now she seeks to share the lessons she has learned with others, both through her work as a confidence coach, helping people to reconnect with their true self in a world of social media and societal pressure, and now through the podcast.
Nancy’s podcast is available from Apple Podcasts, Player FM and PodBean.
To take part, email nancy@nancyhaines.com
ENDS