In this episode of The GRLPWRDEN Podcast, I'm joined by Michelle Delahoussaye, a couture custom designer and stylist, to talk about what it means to know your worth, use your voice, and build a life and career on your own terms.

Michelle shares her definition of power: knowing your worth and having the courage to write your own story, using your voice when others cannot, inspiring the people around you, and fearlessly following the dreams that call you forward. Throughout our conversation, one thing became clear — Michelle refuses to be boxed in. She doesn't want to be told how capable she is, and she doesn't want her vision reduced to a label or a category. That refusal is where her groundedness comes from — she knows who she is and what she's capable of without needing it named for her. Underneath it all is self-trust: the thing that lets her hold onto her own vision even before anyone else can see it.

We talk about the moment she felt most in her power, what she believes the world consistently misunderstands about female power, and the real work of empowering other women — not as a performance, but as a practice. Michelle opens up about the challenges she's faced as a woman in her industry and what it actually took to move through them, plus the advice she'd give her younger self about owning her power without waiting for permission.

– Key Takeaways:

✨ Power starts with knowing your worth — everything else builds from there.

✨ Being boxed in — even with praise — is still being boxed in.

✨ Groundedness comes from defining yourself, not from being defined.

✨ Self-trust is what lets you hold your vision even when no one else can see it yet.

✨ Vision doesn't need validation to be real.

✨ Owning your power doesn't require waiting until you feel ready.

Michelle's story is a reminder that power isn't something you're granted — it's something you claim, build, and keep choosing, one decision at a time. Whether it's in a fitting room, a client negotiation, or a quiet moment of self-doubt, the same principle holds: know what you're worth, and design your life like you mean it.

Reminder: The guests on GRLPWRDEN speak from personal experience. Their views might not reflect your own — or even mine — and that's exactly the point. This space is about exploration, not echo chambers. We don't always find the perfect words or explanations, but we are here trying — because growth happens when we lean into the messiness and keep showing up.

Connect with Michelle:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michelle_delahoussaye/ 

Website: https://www.michelledelahoussaye.com/