The Subtle Language Shifts That Change How You’re Seen in Business

The Subtle Language Shifts That Change How You’re Seen in Business

From Seed to Success by Adrienne Donnelly

May 21, 2026 · 17 min

About this episode

Adrienne Donnelly discusses how language from traditional employment can affect business owners and offers strategies for effective communication.

If you've ever caught yourself asking a client for a day off, chances are you already know something feels a little off about that. You're not an employee anymore, but sometimes the language hasn't quite caught up. Most of us come into business after years in traditional employment, and we bring that language with us without even realising it. It's not a problem. It's just part of the transition. And once you start to notice it, that's when things start to shift. In this episode, Adrienne Donnelly explores why the language we carry from employment can quietly undermine how we show up as business owners, and walks through some of the most common shifts worth making, from how we handle inquiries to how we talk about our time, our scope, and ourselves. You'll hear about 🌱 Why employee language follows us into business and why that's completely normal 🌱 The difference between asking permission and communicating your availability 🌱 How to handle out-of-scope requests without underselling your time 🌱 Removing the word "just" from how you talk about yourself 🌱 Small language tweaks that shift how clients perceive your value Language is one of those things that changes quietly over…

People in this episode

Host: Adrienne Donnelly

Topics covered

  • language shifts
  • business communication
  • entrepreneurship
  • client interactions
  • self-perception

Keywords

  • business language
  • client perception
  • communication skills
  • entrepreneur mindset
  • language tweaks

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