Have you ever heard the phrase, “If I had a nickel every time someone did (fill in the blank), I’d be rich?” My guest, Andie Kramer, might say, “If I had a nickel for every story of workplace bias against women, I’d be rich.” I feel incredibly fortunate to have Andie join me on Brave Women at Work to tackle such an important and timely topic. Reflecting on my own career, I can clearly see moments where I experienced bias—whether it was someone else taking credit for my ideas in a meeting or...

Well, I’ve just met another sister from another mister in Jenny Mitchell. The other funny thing is that I have another dear friend named Jenny Mitchell, so this is going to get confusing. True story!   Jenny and I chat today about the concept of embracing our ambition and not stepping away or being afraid of it. Jenny and I had such a fun time during this conversation, and I am sure you are going to enjoy it as well.   During my conversation with Jenny, we chatted about: What embracing...

Happy November! It’s starting to get cold outside here in Chicago. And guess what? I love it! Yes, I’m one of those people that loves fall and even cooler temperatures. I feel like I come alive when everything begins to hibernate. Maybe my clocks are off. Or maybe that’s just me.   Well, today, I have found another wonderful guest, Anne Shoemaker, who loves sports metaphors as much as I do. You may or may not know that one of my favorite movies is Rocky. I’m starting to date myself because...

If you have been a longtime Brave Women at Work listener, you know that I have a soft spot for discussing burnout. If you are joining the podcast for the first time or just a few episodes here and there, I personally experienced burnout in 2019 and have faced some health issues as a result.   I’ve said on the show and with my clients, that if I can help one woman prevent or recover from burnout, then I’ve done my job for the day. I don’t want any other women or men for that matter to go...

It’s been a season of transitions, with both endings and new beginnings. I’ve been fortunate to travel all over the world this year, including Greece, Croatia, Portugal, Ireland, and Aruba. After a period of constant movement, it feels good to know that I’ll be home for most of the time moving forward. The crazy travel is coming to an end, at least for now. My birthday just passed, marking my 47th trip around the sun. 47 years old! Another new beginning. Wow! Remember when that used to feel...

“Connection is why we’re here. We are hardwired to connect with others; it’s what gives purpose and meaning to our lives, and without it, there is suffering.” – Brené Brown There have been times in my life when I believed the best way to handle a project or situation was to do it alone, like a lone wolf. Sometimes that approach works, but when it becomes a habit, it doesn’t. As Brené Brown says, we are wired for human connection. According to my guest today, Jennifer K. Hill, if we are not...

Happy 200th Episode of Brave Women at Work! Can you believe it has been 200 episodes? I can’t! What began as part of my burnout healing journey has evolved into something that brings me immense joy. I want to thank you for being here, whether this is your first episode, you’ve listened to a few here and there, or you’ve been a longtime listener—I am so grateful for you. The show has been downloaded over 70,000 times in more than 30 countries. WOW! To celebrate the 200th episode, I’m raffling...

I have a wonderful repeat guest today, Churni Bhattacharya. Churni and I can talk for hours, and every time I speak with her, I feel like I’m talking with an old friend. Churni has so much wisdom to share in today’s show and her prior appearance, episode 141, which launched on August 31st, 2023. You’ll definitely want to grab a notebook and listen to both of these shows twice to catch all of the great advice and information. During our conversation, Churni and I talked about: Her journey to...

Have you ever thought about leadership as a recipe? Imagine adding a dash of this or a pinch of that to create your own unique leadership style. What if you could learn the perfect leadership ingredients from the leaders you encounter throughout your career? I had never considered leadership in this way, but I love this delicious metaphor! My guest today, Mylene Barizo, is a powerful leader, communicator, connector, and now a best-selling author of Brave Women at Work: Lessons in Leadership....

Are you ready for a firecracker of a conversation with my sister from another mister, Diana Patton, my guest today on the podcast? Diana and I met during an online presentation I was giving for another women’s organization, PINKK, led by another Brave Women at Work podcast guest, Athena Golianis. Athena sure knows how to connect people! There was energy immediately between Diana and I, and we knew we needed to be in one another’s orbits. During our conversation, Diana and I talked...

Sorry to start a show so heavy, but this is one of the most real, raw, and brave interviews I have held in almost 200 episodes of Brave Women at Work. As I will explain in today’s show, I met Bryn Freedman, my guest today, in a most interesting way. On an airplane. What would unfold after that has shocked and awed me. I would like to thank Bryn for being on the show today, especially after losing her husband, Steve Freedman, just a few short weeks ago. Bryn has had an amazing career in...

Ok, let’s start with the elephant in the room. Why am I talking about life insurance on this show? You may think – BORING with a capital B or next podcast! I am asking you to open your mind and listen in.   To be a brave woman at work and in your life, I am a firm believer you need to have a solid financial foundation and an understanding of your finances. This includes insurance.   You will also hear in the show that I am passionate about this topic because it hit my family, and my mother,...

Have you ever thought about your purpose and what that means? What about the company you either work for or run? What is its purpose?   According to the Oxford Dictionary, the definition of purpose is “the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists.”   My guest today, Carol Cone, has been called the purpose queen and understands this at a cellular level. As you will hear about in her bio, Carol has worked with companies such as Rockport, Reebok, Dove, Aflac,...

As a Type-A overachiever and recovering perfectionist, I will come clean about something: I often override my body’s signals to get one more thing done.   How does this look in real life?   • It may be squeezing in another hour of work when I am tired and know I should go to bed. • It may be me being consistently late for appointments which causes my heart to race. • It may be me crashing into the couch on Friday evenings because I didn't take enough breaks for rest and play during the...

It's a big day at Brave Women at Work! I am excited because I have my first Scottish guest and Australian resident, Mags Bell, joining me today. Besides having a beautiful accent and being a wonderful conversationalist, Mags brings the goods during our show. She is very knowledgeable on all things related to mindset and confidence, which are foundational for self-aware leadership. Listen in as Mags explains her easy-to-understand models and tools. You’ll want to take notes during this...

To be a strong leader and a brave woman at work, I am confident that we need to know what our strengths are and how to harness them. I don’t know about you, but for the longest time I thought I needed to shore up my weaknesses to be “right” for a particular role. On top of that, I was convinced I had to know everything about the role too, all the ins and outs. Wrong. After over 20 years in corporate, I have learned that we all have a balance sheet of strengths and weaknesses. I need to...

Have you ever wondered if we can get better and more high-performing as leaders and teams with time? Like a fine wine? With the proper ingredients, support from our companies, and the work we do on ourselves, we can reach a new level of emotional maturity. With this emotional maturity, we don’t stand behind our egos as they lead. We stand with humility, grace, self-respect, and self-trust. That’s the kind of leader I want to be, and I’m sure that’s the type of leader you want to be, too. My...

Have you ever been afraid to speak up at work for fear of being labeled bossy, pushy, or aggressive? I have, and for the longest time, I stayed quiet because of it. I was too busy criticizing my own thoughts and worrying about what others thought, rather than sharing my ideas, asking questions, or stating my opinions based on my education and experience. When I have shared my opinions, asked questions, or presented ideas, I've been labeled as "too this or that," but it doesn't stop me...

According to a Harvard Business Review Study, 40% of executives and leaders are introverted. Korn Ferry completed a similar study, and in their study, they found that 40-50% of leaders are introverted.   So, what does this mean? It means that it is important to talk about this because if you are an introverted employee or people leader at work, the chances are that someone you work with is as well.   Just like many of us land in leadership roles without training and fake it until we make it,...

Who knew that I would be so excited to talk about perimenopause and menopause today? The truth is, I have been searching for the right expert to chat with about this important topic. And Georgie Kovacs, my guest today, is exactly the right person to lead us through this. Why? Well, selfishly, I am in perimenopause, and I want to understand how to deal with this. Many of my coaching clients have shared they suffer from brain fog, tiredness, and more, which I learned can be attributed to this...

For my U.S. listeners, Happy 4th of July! As we celebrate the holiday, it has me thinking about personal and professional freedom. And even better yet, it motivated me to do a solo show. It’s been a while! Hopefully, you will hear more solo shows from me going forward.   Today’s show will focus on my top tips for freedom in five areas of your life:   Money FreedomTime FreedomMindset FreedomBody FreedomWork Freedom  Before we get started, if you are enjoying Brave Women at Work, please make...

Since getting back from a season of heavy travel, I have been bombarded with to-dos and meetings. It’s like I’m being penalized for taking a vacation. Have you ever felt this way? I’m in a blizzard of activities this summer at work and with the kids, that I find I’m breathing a bit shallower and not paying attention to what I need to say yes and no to on my calendar.   So, if you follow me on social media, you know I have been thinking about time a lot lately and how I’m allocating it to...

So, I met today’s guest, Dominique Luster, at a Women’s Leadership Retreat in Lake Las Vegas earlier this year. I took Dominique’s workshop, Your Mother’s Mother’s Mother, which I found fascinating. The premise of the workshop was to learn how to start tracing the powerful lineage of the women in our family, so we can better understand our brave roots. Maybe your mother went to college when it wasn’t popular, maybe your grandmother or your great-grandmother was a first-time immigrant to the...

Quick personal update here. This year, I have been telling people that I am living my best life. During COVID and even beyond, I feel like I was holding back just a little bit and not really going for it. By going for it, I mean take the trip, eat the gelato, make the call, take the action. Yes, I was making an effort, but a little bit of my magic was missing, and I felt like I needed to get it back. Well, as we are coming to mid-year in 2024, I’ve got my mojo back, baby! And I’m going for...