Sara Davies has revealed how her time on Strictly Come Dancing transformed her life, teaching her it is acceptable to show emotions after years of bottling them up in the business world. The entrepreneur, who stepped back from Dragons' Den last year, opened up about suffering from imposter syndrome and learning to love her body.
Speaking to Woman & Home magazine, Davies, 41, admitted leaving the BBC show was devastating. 'Stepping back from Dragons' Den was so sad,' she said. 'After six years, it's part of my identity and who I am.' The decision came after she and her husband Simon bought back her company Crafter's Companion. 'Simon said, "You can't keep adding more things at the top of the funnel and not expect something to drop out the bottom,"' she explained. 'Something had to give and I didn't want my boys to have to pay the price.'
Davies said Strictly in 2021, when partnered with pro dancer Aljaž Škorjanec, proved life-changing. 'Strictly taught me to be vulnerable. I used to believe I had to dress and act a certain way in business, and that showing emotion was a sign of weakness.' She admitted keeping 'that wall up' at the start of the competition before realising she needed to change. 'I started feeling comfortable being vulnerable in front of him [Aljaž], then in front of the camera crew in rehearsals, and then on Saturday night.'
The transformation helped her overcome crippling imposter syndrome. While she 'suffered badly' at first, asking herself 'Why would any entrepreneur choose me over these other four amazing Dragons?', by her final series she felt confident. 'I thought, "I'm a bloody good Dragon. Any entrepreneur would be lucky to pick me."'
However, Davies admitted she still cannot cry in front of Simon, her partner of 27 years. 'Last week, after a stressful day, emotions were running high. In bed, I was reading and I waited for Simon to fall asleep before I let the tears fall,' she said. 'I run at 100 miles an hour and he comes along with a sweeping brush behind. He doesn't need me being emotional on top, so I deal with that on my own.'
The mother-of-two has also made peace with her body following health warnings about pre-diabetes. 'I've learnt to love my body and how to make myself look and feel good,' she said, crediting strength training and running for helping her feel strong.
