Ask Your Work Wife

Ask Your Work Wife women make sure work takes no more than 25% of their lives — which means that when you’re on PTO, you’re *on PTO* and you’re not worried about getting fired while you’re gone. So if you’re too anxious to vacay, it’s time to give yourself a reality check: what’s the real problem here? Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where Vanessa & Holland answer your real questi...

There are two things you need to know about Corporate America: first, there’s no such thing as a good memory. Second: if it’s not written down, it doesn’t count. So the answer to “Is it me or is my manager forgetful?” is yes.  Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where Vanessa & Holland answer your real questions about real work in corporate America. Covering topics from quitting...

Oh no! You’re trying to leave your company but your non-compete says you can’t even interview without letting them know.  First of all, that’s bullsh*t. Second of all, most non-competes are. And third of all, there are actually things in your contract you need to watch out for. So take the interview and sign the offer letter, but do make sure you know what you’re signing. Welcome to Ask Your...

If you think working for “free” during the interview process is unfair and exploitative, you better hope you have $70-250k coming in from someplace else because you’re never going to get a job — especially an execution-level one — without proving you can actually do it. What’s more, you clearly haven’t done the math on what the 4 or 5 hours it’ll take to finish this assignment are worth to yo...

We all know the anxiety of waiting for a recruiter or hiring manager to reply to your email and tell you if you’re moving forward in the interview process. When is it okay to reach out and check in? The answer depends, and — you’ll love this — sometimes involves queso. Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where Vanessa & Holland answer your real questions about real work in corpor...

How necessary is giving a full two weeks' notice? Not f*cking necessary. But there are reasons to do it (or stay even longer!) and it behooves you to understand the bigger picture around letting your manager know you're out. Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where Vanessa & Holland answer your real questions about real work in corporate America. Covering topics from quitting to inte...

Your manager just left on maternity leave, and now you’re doing her job AND your job for the next six months. Is this an opportunity for you to level up or is it just business as usual? We’ll give you a hint: just because your manager’s pregnant doesn't mean you shouldn't take her job. Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where Vanessa & Holland answer your real questions about real wo...

Ah, the chatty coworker. It’s fun to catch up on the office gossip, but how do you get them to just. shut. up. so you can actually work? It’s a solid Q, and the Work Wives’ answer might surprise you.  Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where Vanessa & Holland answer your real questions about real work in corporate America. Covering topics from quitting to interviewing to negotia...

Repeat after us: unless you work at the fire department, work is *not* an emergency. Granted, that’s easier said than believed, especially when it feels like the building is always on fire… But the minute you realize work is truly NOT an emergency and treat it as such, you’ll engender trust, respect, and a reputation that makes you hella promotable for being the cool-headed one in a crisis. Welcom...

Now’s the time to understand the seasonality of Corporate America — that each quarter in Corporate America has its own vibe, whether it’s a winning locker room with money to burn, a budget wasteland full of layoffs, or something in between. What does this mean to you? To every quarter there is a season… A time to hire, a time to fire. A time to spend, a time to save. A time to take your PTO,...

In Corporate America, it’s tempting to think you’ve gotta keep your a$$ in your seat. But that’s simply not the case. So if you need to make a personal call to the bank, the doctor, or literally anyone else during the work day, just know: you don’t have to do it in the bathroom. In this episode, Vanessa & Holland walk you through how to deal with the team happy hour or the department dinner wh...

Career planning doesn't have to be a dirty word, something you dread, or a stupid 5-year plan you know just isn't going to happen. Instead, Vanessa & Holland have built The Three Moves Framework after years of coaching women to make more money and lead the life they actually want. Repeat after me: podcasting is not a visual medium. Here's The Three Moves Framework in a visual format: https://w...

If it feels like your career is stagnant, your life is happening *to* you, and you’re not sure what to do next, you need to perform a career audit. We know, we know — an audit is the last thing you want to do at the top of the year. But trust us on this one because done well, a Yearly Career Audit addresses stagnation in work, life, and everything in between, so that you can act, not be acted upon...

The number of people in Corporate America who have no sense of calendar etiquette drives Vanessa (and eventually Holland) crazy.  In this episode, the Work Wives get worked up over how NOT to book a meeting, when to include an agenda (ALWAYS), and when lunch should be included (more often than you’d think).  You’re welcome. Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where Vanessa &...

Vanessa & Holland talk a lot about leveling up your career through soft skills, being paid to think, and people management — because growth can happen very quickly (and lucratively) that way. But that does not mean that growing your career through hard skills is out of the question. In this episode, the Work Wives discuss every individual contributor’s dream: achieving career growth witho...

If you’re an Ask Your Work Wife woman, you want to end up in exactly the position this week’s question-asker is: choosing between several job offers and figuring out how to reject the ones you don’t want. But the question is: how do you actually send that no-thank-you email? (Is it an email?) Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where Vanessa & Holland answer your real questions about...

Your sick days are *yours*. You’ve earned them and you do not need to be asking permission to take them, nor defending what you do with them. So learn the phrase, “I’m taking the day,” and do whatever you want with your sick days. Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where Vanessa & Holland answer your real questions about real work in corporate America. Covering topics from quitting t...

If you thought the “Hey, got a minute?” Slack from your manager was bad, wait for the surprise calendar invite from your CEO. The actual f*ck. Get through the panic, get through this episode, and work on your executive communication. It can do great things for your career. Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where Vanessa & Holland answer your real questions about real work in corpora...

It’s your first team happy hour since returning to the office. What do you order?  Answer carefully, because in Corporate America, your interaction with alcohol says something about you. In this episode, Vanessa & Holland walk you through how to deal with the team happy hour or the department dinner whether you’re an alcohol nerd, completely sober, or somewhere in between. Welcome to Ask...

Is it unprofessional to use emojis in the workplace? The answer is: it depends. In this episode, Vanessa & Holland break down how to use emojis to either go with the flow of your company’s emoji culture, or to go against the current and make a splash. :droplets: But either way, just know…the eggplant emoji is never the answer. :woman-gesturing-no: Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast w...

Hear us out: training a new guy in Corporate America is like film director Peter Jackson condensing the epic Lord of the Rings trilogy into digestible movies the world will sit down and watch.  The lesson for you: teach only what’s crucial and cut the rest, because when it comes to training, if you wander, they get lost. Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where Vanessa & Holland...

Vanessa & Holland always say: know your worth and demand it every time. But how do you know what you’re worth? In this episode, the Work Wives break down exactly how to do vertical research (i.e. how to figure out what your skills worth in the market), step-by-step. You’re welcome. Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where Vanessa & Holland answer your real questions about real wo...

When your team is used to doing things last minute, it may feel like nothing can change and you’ll be ordering late-night takeout and pulling all-nighters in corporate conference rooms forever. But if you’re an ops professional, you have a unique opportunity to understand the system from all levels and change it from the inside out. Ops pros Vanessa & Holland show you how to help everyone get...

You’ve signed an offer letter, officially quit your current job, wrapped up your projects, and now have two weeks to kill before your last day. What do you do? If the answer’s not clear, you’re not alone — it’s a strange time. In this episode, Vanessa & Holland break down how to make the most of your last two weeks. Welcome to Ask Your Work Wife, a new podcast where Vanessa & Holland...

Nervous about your first networking event? The Work Wives get it. (Well, at least one of them does.) Networking will move your career further and faster than maybe anything else, so in this episode, Vanessa & Holland tell you everything you need to know about attending your first networking event.  We cover figuring out what to wear, acing your follow-up game, and everything in between, s...