From Pressured to Empowered:
How a Nurse Finally Said No Without Guilt and Stop Putting Herself Last.
Ann Cowper - Nurse In Your Back Pocket
Your go-to nurse coach for expert health guidance that bridges the gap between overwhelming online advice and professional care.
Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA
The Challenge: Running on empty, edging closer to burnout from the constant doing and fear of letting anyone down.
Ann is a driven nursing entrepreneur with a diverse and remarkable career in caring for others. But making decisions with her best interest in mind didn’t come easy. She often didn’t say no when she wanted or needed to.
That’s a lot of pressure when you do something that doesn’t feel right for you.
She jumped into commitments quickly, said yes to avoid disappointing others, and put herself last. Even when her instincts said not to, Ann pushed through things. She continued running a business she didn’t align with because she feared upsetting her business partner.
I was just exhausted and drained. I was jumping into things driven by outside judgment. And I wasn’t doing things I wanted to do. It was causing me to be resentful.
Deep down, Ann knew she was living out of sync with herself and stuck in unhealthy patterns of overcommitting and self-sacrificing. Something needed to change.
The Solution: Mahnaz, a gentle mentor with a tailored framework rooted in self-acceptance and practical action for real change.
Ann met Mahnaz in a business community and was immediately drawn to her warmth, calm, grounded energy. Though she didn’t fully understand what Mahnaz did at first, she felt a sense of trust and safety
I was overwhelmed, but I never felt that with her. There was no pressure or judgement.
As Ann learned more about Human Design Activation and engaged with Mahnaz’s approach, she felt seen in a new way. This gave her a new, more compassionate way to understand herself and start making sense of why things felt out of sync.
The insights I got are true and make things easier to make better decisions from.
Mahnaz’s program went beyond self-awareness and insight; it was about doing things differently and being supported. Ann had practical tools and clear actions to help navigate situations and do what was best for her.
The Results: She stopped giving in to pressure, says ‘no’ without guilt, and built a business that finally felt right.
Ann thought her tendency to slow down was a frustrating flaw that worked against her push-through stamina. Mahnaz helped her see this ebb and flow rhythm as a natural strength. That shift was powerful.
It really made me realise that there was nothing wrong with me. It’s how I work.
And for the first time, Ann understood her pattern of jumping in and pushing through didn’t have to be used for things that weren’t right for her. This helped her make decisions in sync with her needs. Now, even when the people react negatively to her choices, Ann stands by them.
That used to paralyse me. But now I understand what’s mine to carry and what’s not. I stopped fearing judgement. She helped me flip my focus to ‘What do I want and need?’.
For Ann, Human Design Activation was freeing and empowering. She walked away from a draining business with a cherished partner, even though it was hard, and launched a coaching business that finally felt right.
Now Ann:
✔ chooses what’s right for her without caving to pressure
✔ does less, feels calm and practices self-acceptance
✔ says no without guilt and sticks to her boundaries
“I feel so much better thanks to Mahnaz. I’ve learned to trust myself. I no longer feel that I have to do everything. I say no a lot more without explaining. It’s like she helped me take permission to be me.”
~ Ann
Stuck spreading yourself thin, saying yes when you want to say no?
If Ann’s story sounds familiar, watch this short video from Mahnaz. She speaks honestly about the overwhelm women feel juggling everything and how you can start putting yourself first without guilt.
You don’t have to wait to start choosing yourself. Schedule a quick, no obligation chat with Mahnaz just like Ann did. It’s a simple conversation about what you need next.
Helping Ambitious Women Set Boundaries, Protect Their Energy & Thrive
Mahnaz Sharif
