In today’s episode, I’m sitting down with Mary Marantz, a true inspiration, author of Underestimated, and someone who has spent years helping women entrepreneurs face their fears and grow their businesses with intention. This conversation was packed with powerful insights, and I can't wait to share it with you!

The Importance of Embracing Your Journey

Mary and I first connected over a decade ago at one of her workshops, where I was just starting my business. Since then, we’ve both grown, evolved, and learned a lot about what it really means to succeed in business. In this episode, Mary shares how her journey from growing up in a trailer to attending Yale Law School shaped her mindset and her path in life. She talks about the constant pressure to prove herself and how overcoming those fears was a pivotal moment for her. It’s a journey of self-discovery that led to the creation of her books and the incredible work she does now.

Perfectionism: A Boring Liar

One of the most powerful concepts Mary shares from her book Underestimated is the idea that fear is a boring liar. Fear shows up in many different forms—perfectionism, procrastination, imposter syndrome, and more—but at the heart of it, fear tries to keep us from living our true potential. Mary teaches us that the key to breaking free from fear is recognizing it for what it is: a force that thrives on keeping us stuck. When we can name our fears and take control, we start to see real transformation.

The Power of Slow Growth

In this episode, we also discuss why slow growth is the best path to long-lasting success. As entrepreneurs, we often compare ourselves to others who seem to have “made it” overnight. Mary talks about how she’s experienced this too and emphasizes that the real work happens over time. Slow growth doesn’t just build your business—it builds your character and resilience. It’s about the long-term journey, not the quick wins.

Mary’s New Book: Underestimated

Mary’s latest book, Underestimated, is a game-changer. It’s all about identifying the fear that’s holding you back and learning how to push past it. From perfectionism to procrastination, this book provides actionable steps to help you overcome the fear and move forward. We talk about how important it is to take those first steps, even if the conditions aren’t perfect, and why embracing your growth—no matter how slow—is the key to true success.

Key Takeaways from Our Conversation

• Fear is a liar: Recognize it for what it is and learn how to combat it with real strategies.
• Slow growth is powerful: Building a business takes time, and that time allows you to strengthen your roots for lasting success.
• Embrace your achiever type: Understand your unique way of achieving success to break free from limiting beliefs and fears.
• The importance of transformation: Real growth comes when we step into who we are meant to be, not who we think we should be.

If today’s conversation resonated with you, I highly recommend checking out Mary’s book Underestimated—and don’t forget to take her Achiever Types Quiz to learn more about yourself and how you can move past the fears holding you back.

Listen to this episode of the Bloom & Grow Show: