In this powerful episode of Women in the Penthouse, I sit down with Petra Gatto — a personal brand strategist, founder, and breast cancer survivor — whose story of courage and reinvention reminds us that being visible isn’t about performance. It’s about presence.
With over 25 years of experience in marketing and branding, Petra has helped hundreds of women stand out with authenticity, clarity, and confidence. But behind her professional success is a deeply personal journey — one that taught her that true visibility begins from within.
After overcoming breast cancer, she turned her experience into purpose — empowering women to build brands that reflect who they truly are, not just what they do.
🔥 In this episode, we dive into:
→ Petra’s courageous journey through breast cancer and how it reshaped her definition of purpose.
→ What personal branding really means — and why it’s not just for influencers.
→ Why so many women feel unsafe or hesitant to be fully seen.
→ How to build a fearless personal brand rooted in authenticity.
→ The mindset blocks that keep female founders and professionals playing small — and how to overcome them.
→ Why it’s never too late to reinvent your story and step into your influence.
→ Practical steps to start showing up with confidence, clarity, and impact.
00:00 Intro
04:02 Petra’s Journey: Fearless Moves Across Continents
09:50 Freedom Founding a Successful Agency Around
13:10 Redefining Fearless: Not Overcome, But Accept
15:12 Facing the Fear of Visibility: Me & Fear Together on Stage
17:53 Name All the Fears and Trace Its Roots
20:25 When Life Stops You: The Breast Cancer Diagnosis
24:44 Identity, Healing & The Silver Lining
26:47 Learning to Live Differently
28:40 Biggest Learning from Cancer Battling
30:20 Finding the ‘Why’: Helping Women Be Seen
33:20 What Personal Branding Really Means
35:40 Authentic vs. Performative Personal Brand
38:40 Why Women Fear Visibility
41:50 Beautiful Case: Finding Your Voice at the Table
44:45 Benefit of Having Good Personal Branding in Corporate
46:50 Visibility vs. Vanity: It’s Not About “Me”
49:50 Doing the Inner Work Before You’re Seen
51:54 Three Steps to Be Seen Authentically
53:16 Limitless: Breaking the Ceiling You Created
56:34 The Art of Unlearning Limited Beliefs
59:30 Follow Inspired Actions to Be Limitless
01:01:08 Progress Over Perfection
01:02:58 The Beauty of Agelessness
01:07:24 It’s Never Too Late to Reinvent
01:09:02 Breaking the Age Box
01:11:35 Three Advice to 20-Year-Old Self
01:16:40 The Penthouse Rule
Connect with Petra
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/petra_gatto/
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/petra-gatto
Website: https://petragatto.com/
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