Look back at the last few emails you sent. Do you see phrases like “I’m no expert” or “does that make sense?” or words like “actually” or “sorry?” If so you might want to download a new Chrome extension called Just Not Sorry , a free plug-in that taps into Gmail and warns you when you are using words and phrases that undermine your message.

The app was created by Tami Reiss, CEO of Cyrus Innovation, a software development agency. Reiss put a call to arms out on Medium late last month, hoping to get at least 10,000 people (women in particular) to pledge to stop diminishing their voices in the coming year. As of 4:00 p.m. ET on December 31, Just Not Sorry was up to 30,000 downloads, she tells Fast Company.

Part of what prompted this initiative was Reiss’s work as a CEO. Although Cyrus works with companies of all sizes, Reiss’s work with female founders of startups trying to turn a vision into a reality made one thing very clear.

“So many of them have great ideas but don’t communicate the confidence in them that will inspire investors,” she says, “Given that raising money is often that hardest part of building a startup, it’s incredibly important to be an effective communicator.”

Reiss also noticed that even those gathered at brunch for the League of Extraordinary Women confessed they fell prey to using language that softened speech even when it was necessary to assert leadership.

Though Reiss admits the list of words and phrases the Gmail plug-in uses were not derived from a psychologist or organizational behaviorist, she did mine conversations with other women as well as articles from Tara Sophia Mohr, who points out these words are “shrinkers” and contribute to ways that we sabotage ourselves. Sylvia Ann Hewlett, founder of the Manhattan-based think tank Center for Talent Innovation, says using “sorry” makes a woman appear unfit for leadership. Cartoonist Yao Xiao suggests that sorry could be replaced with “thank you.” Reiss even drew inspiration from Fast Company‘s post on useless phrases that should be eliminated from emails.

The word “sorry,” for example, has crept into women’s speech and now makes appearances any time there’s a need to interject or to ask for help. It’s so pervasive–and destructive– that the American Association of University Women (AAUW) even partnered with Pantene to do a video campaign aimed to point out and discourage women from perpetuating the habit of apologizing unnecessarily.