Estelle Bailly – Womenize! – Inspiring Stories
Womenize! – Inspiring Stories is our weekly series featuring inspirational individuals from games and tech. For this edition, we talked to Estelle Bailly, Localization & Globalization Expert and Life & Career Confidence Coach. She speaks about her 25+ years in gaming localization, sharing how pivotal experiences with leadership, burnout, mentoring, and imposter syndrome shaped her people-centered approach and inspired her transition into coaching to help others grow with confidence. Read more about Estelle:
Hi Estelle! Looking back on your 25+ years in gaming localization, from your first freelance projects to leading global teams, what pivotal moments shaped not only your career path but also the leader you became?
25+ years?? OMG! I’m that old and experienced? Well… looking back, a few pivotal moments really stand out.
Localisation isn’t just about words; it’s about people. I started out on the vendor side at a Localisation Service Provider. Early in my career, I experienced the lack of respect from certain clients (you know, those Friday evening emails with attachments and just two words: “for yesterday”… no thank you, no sorry, nothing). It really highlighted the importance of motivation for myself and later for my teams, both internal and external. I realised that as a leader, my job isn’t just managing processes or workflows; it’s inspiring people, recognising their efforts, and creating a safe environment where they can share challenges and wins, take initiatives, and feel valued, respected and heard. My motto is “Motivation makes diamonds” for a reason!
“Put on your oxygen mask first before helping others.” I learnt that the hard way when I went through burnout early in my career. Recovering taught me a lesson I still carry today: “It’s only work.” Missing an email or a deadline isn’t the end of the world (your manager might still be very unhappy, so brace yourself!). One thing I know for sure: your (mental) health is priceless. I made it a point to share this with my teams. Sending emails at 11pm or 3am doesn’t show dedication; it rather signals a lack of organisation or resources. Preventing burnout is about prioritising people (including yourself!). And no, a weekend off won’t magically fix burnout. The long-term disruption for you, your team, and the company just isn’t worth it. So, as flight attendants wisely say: “Put on your oxygen mask first before helping others.”
Leading a team is more than a fancy title or a pay rise. “With great power comes great responsibility,” right? In my career, I’ve seen far too many people promoted to manager without proper training. When you lead a team, you take on many not-always-fun responsibilities, such as giving regular constructive feedback (and receiving feedback too!), completing performance reviews, having difficult conversations, resolving conflicts, hiring the “right person on the bus,” and also, sometimes, having to let people go. Going through layoffs in France, the UK, and the US was incredibly tough. Three countries, three different processes, but the same awful feeling as a manager: you basically feel like you’ve failed your team. And I fight for my team, so that really hit hard. The loneliness and guilt are real, and you also have to consider the morale of the remaining team. Rebuilding motivation, addressing survivor’s guilt, and helping the team “rebirth” after such events taught me the importance of being deeply human-centred as a leader.
No one’s perfect so… do your best. Lead by example. Be the leader you would want to have. Use all the support you can get from peers, mentors, coaches (no self-promotion here, but it really helps!) and don’t hesitate to share your learnings along the way. You won’t always make the right decision, and sometimes you fail… but who doesn’t? The great thing is, you can always learn and become a better person, a better leader. Caring for others is always the first step.
You’ve made the shift from directing localization at an international level to empowering others as a coach. What personal experiences inspired that transition, and what do you hope others learn from your journey?
I didn’t really plan the shift, it came naturally. After many years in localisation, leading global teams and projects, I realised the moments that mattered most to me weren’t just about shipping content, but about helping people grow. Supporting freelancers, mentoring and coaching my teams, motivating the people who worked with me, and building trust across cultures, that’s where I felt my work had the most meaning.
One personal moment that has always stayed with me: a few years ago, I had a goodbye lunch with one of my team members who was leaving after five years to take her next career step. She offered me a little plant along with a thank you card. On it, she’d written: “Thanks for helping me grow.” Reading those few words first made me cry (a bit, yes, I’m emotional!) but also made me realise that I had truly had an impact on someone’s journey. It was a lightbulb moment. This is exactly why I wanted to move into coaching.
I then completed proper coaching training. I wanted (and needed!) to feel legit, not just use my leadership skills, but also have the foundations of what coaching is about, so I could coach ethically and effectively. My first thought was to develop my coaching business as a side hustle and see where it would take me.
When I was made redundant last December, I had the space to reflect. It was hard, but it made me ask: what do I really want to do more of? The answer was clear: supporting people. Coaching gave me the tools to do what had always been at the heart of my work.
Like localisation, I want coaching to be inclusive and accessible. That’s why I keep my offer simple and flexible, so people can try it without pressure (and definitely without selling a kidney 🙂 Sorry… French humour…). Many of my clients come from the gaming industry, and I’ve been asked several times to do a mix of coaching and mentoring. I call it “mentoaching”: I can use my experience as a leader in games to guide them (=mentoring), while still giving them the space to progress towards their own goals (=coaching).
What I hope people take from my journey is that change doesn’t mean starting from zero. You bring your experience with you. For me, localisation taught me to adapt quickly, to respect different perspectives, and to make sure everyone feels heard. That’s exactly what I want my coaching clients to experience too.
That said, what I miss the most today is being part of a team: the group dynamic, the brainstorming sessions, the energy. That’s why I keep applying to roles where I can use my leadership and coaching skills (and yes, if possible, my localisation skills too!). So far, the right opportunity hasn’t arisen… yet! (Oh, is this not the most empowering three-letter word in the English language?)
Many women in gaming struggle with self-doubt or imposter syndrome; what lessons from your own career would you share to help them embrace confidence and step boldly into leadership roles?
As a human being, imposter syndrome has accompanied me for many many years. And as a coach, I’ve decided to “tame” this fiend, and it has now become my signature topic.
Having spent all my career in the very male-dominated gaming industry didn’t help, but after several trainings on imposter syndrome, including one co-led by Dr Valerie Young, who has dedicated her entire career to this topic, I can confidently tell you that there are ways to overcome your imposter feelings.
First, because I have a localisation background, terminology matters. The correct term is more “imposter phenomenon” or “imposter feelings,” as it’s a state rather than a medical diagnosis or condition. (Mini-masterclass moment, right there!)
That being said, let me share a few tips, especially the ones that worked their magic on me and my own imposter feelings:
- You are a WIP person, and it’s actually quite cool! This tip was an absolute game-changer for me. I am a work-in-progress person. I am a constant learner. Once you’ve accepted that, you are no longer afraid to ask that question, even in a C-Suite meeting where you’re the only woman, with your thick French accent. You’re not stupid for asking, it’s an opportunity to learn and grow. So, come on, do it. Ask that bloody question.
- Focus on the facts. The rest is BS. Ever heard that little voice in your head saying: “You’re not good enough, they’re all better than you, they’ll realise you’re a fraud”? That negative self-criticism? It’s your mind creating a false narrative when imposter feelings are triggered. It’s not reality. So, whenever the imposter voice shows up, stop and ask yourself: “What are the facts?” List them out. That inner critic loses its power when you shine a light on the evidence: your proven competence, your achievements, and the people who trust you.
- Believe in yourself (and others!). If you’ve been given this promotion, role, or level of responsibility, it’s simply because you’ve earned it. You’re not a fraud. It’s 2025 (job markets are brutal, trust me!) and your manager or HR aren’t handing out promotions just because you’re nice. Nope. So, if you’re struggling to believe in yourself, at least believe in them and respect the trust they’ve put in your ability to nail it.
- “What’s the worst that can happen?” Remember, action grows confidence, not the other way around. So, next time you hesitate about a new opportunity, challenge, project, promotion, or leadership role, etc. ask yourself: “what’s the worst that can happen?” It’s very unlikely that someone will die, right? So, let’s build this confidence, one action at a time!
I hope these tips help some of your readers. As I always tell myself before a speaking event: if I help just one person by sharing my knowledge and past challenges, that’s already a win. It’s worth it.