Ordinary To Badass

You got good at handling things yourself for a reason. It made you reliable. Capable. The person everyone could count on. ... And it probably helped you get promoted. ... But the same habit that helped you become a leader can quietly become the thing holding you—and the people you supervise—back. ... In this episode, we’re talking about why delegation can feel so uncomfortable, what happens when y...

Being the person that everyone relies on feels like a good thing. ... You know the answers. You solve the problems. You get things done. ... But what if the exact habit that made you valuable is also keeping you stuck? ... In this episode of Ordinary to Badass , Marie breaks down the hidden downside of becoming the go-to person at work—and why constantly solving everyone else’s problems can quietl...

Getting into the room doesn’t mean everyone has the same path forward. And sometimes, working harder isn’t enough to change what happens next. ... In Part 2, Marie explores four more women whose stories offer powerful lessons for navigating your career and leading with intention: Mileva Marić, Taylor Swift, Sheryl Sandberg, and Harriet Tubman. ... From understanding the unwritten rules of opportun...

What can Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Oprah Winfrey, Hedy Lamarr, and Rosalind Franklin teach us about leadership? ... A lot more than “be brave” and “keep going.” ... In Part 1 of this two-part episode, I’m breaking down four leadership lessons from women who changed the room—and the strategy behind how they did it. ... We’re talking about influence, leverage, perception, visibility, and why doing great...

Most people start preparing for a promotion when the position opens. ... That’s already too late. ... In this episode, I’m breaking down how to start preparing before the opportunity shows up—so you’re not scrambling to prove you’re ready at the last minute. ... We’ll talk about: What your job announcement is actually telling you How to identify the skills and experience leadership is looking for...

What if the biggest thing holding you back at work isn't your ability… it's the way you talk about your ability? In this episode, I sit down with engineer, consultant, and creator Kim Porter to talk about imposter syndrome, leading in male-populated industries, and the subtle ways women unintentionally give away their power at work. We dive into: Why saying "I think" can quietly undermine your cre...

Getting promoted is exciting… until you realize nobody prepared you for what comes next. Most women spend years working toward their first leadership role. But once you get there, the challenges change. In this episode, I share the 8 things nobody told me before my first promotion , including: Why leadership can feel lonelier than you expected How your relationships with coworkers change overnight...

She spent two and a half years watching the guys around her get away with the exact same mistakes that were landing her in someone's file — and the whole time, one thought kept running the show: I don't want to be that girl. Attorney and former undercover narcotics deputy and SWAT operator Bridget Truxillo joins Marie to talk about what staying quiet actually costs women in predominantly male indu...

She spent 20 years earning a seat that was never built for her — and found out the hard way that being good at the job doesn't make you safer. It makes you a bigger threat. ... Retired Fire Chief Deena Johnson Lee joins Marie to talk about what actually happens once you start winning in a predominantly male industry: the "belonging trust" nobody tells you about, the women who turn ag...

You were told to wait your turn. Be patient, keep your head down, and eventually it'll be your time. Here's the problem: the person who got promoted last quarter didn't wait for anything. ... In this episode, Marie breaks down why "wait your turn" is one of the most dangerous pieces of advice a woman in a predominantly male industry can follow — and why time in your seat only...

Have you ever watched a man get credit for an idea that came out of your mouth five minutes earlier? ... Or noticed that the women around you somehow became the party planner, office therapist, note taker, and scheduler—on top of the job they were actually hired to do? ... In this episode, we're talking about the rules of the game nobody explains when you work in a predominantly male industry....

How many opportunities have you talked yourself out of because you didn't feel ready? ... In this flashback episode, I sit down with mindset coach, personal trainer, and Girls on the Run Long Island Chairperson Nancy Feinstein to talk about confidence, self-doubt, and why waiting until you feel ready might be the very thing keeping you stuck. ... Nancy shares how she rebuilt her life after div...

If being direct feels mean, this episode is for you. ... Many women are taught from a young age to be agreeable, accommodating, and keep the peace. Then they step into leadership and discover that clarity, accountability, and difficult conversations are part of the job. That tension can make leadership feel uncomfortable. ... In this episode, Marie Sonnemann breaks down why directness often feels...

You were taught not to brag. Keep your head down. Work hard. Be humble. And for a lot of high performers—especially women—that sounds like good advice. The problem? Leadership can't advocate for work they can't clearly remember. In this episode, we're talking about one of the biggest career mistakes strong employees make: assuming hard work speaks for itself. Because evaluations, promotions, and o...

Most employees think: “if I work hard enough, leadership will notice.” That’s not how promotions work. In this sprint episode, I break down: why high performers get stuck how bosses actually evaluate leadership the “fraction problem” and why hard work alone can quietly sabotage your career.

Most women were taught: “Keep your head down.” “Work hard.” “Don’t brag.” Meanwhile… promotions are being decided in conversations happening behind closed doors. 👀 In this episode, I’m breaking down: ⚡ Why visibility feels so uncomfortable for high-performing women ⚡ The difference between bragging vs. strategic communication ⚡ Why your boss can’t confidently back what they can’t clearly expla...

Have you ever had someone say something at work… and technically it’s fine… but it lands completely wrong? In this episode, I break down the difference between what people say and what they actually imply —and why that’s where so much workplace friction comes from. From a coworker questioning me like he had authority… to a vendor who couldn’t answer a simple question without being condescending… w...

You learned to work twice as hard to prove yourself… ...…but what if that’s the exact thing holding you back? Think working harder gets you promoted? ...Think again. In this episode, I’m breaking down the quiet truth most people don’t realize until it’s too late: 👉 The people getting promoted aren’t always the hardest workers ...👉 They’re the ones who are easiest to choose If you’ve been the one...

Most people think they need more confidence to take action. ...But what if that’s not the problem? ... In this episode, we’re flipping the script. ... Because the truth is—you already know what to do. You’ve felt it in those quiet moments, in your gut, in that nudge you keep second-guessing. The issue isn’t a lack of confidence… it’s that you’ve been taught not to trust yourself. ... We talk about...

Ever walked away from a work conversation thinking, “Nothing they said was wrong… so why did that feel off?” In this episode, we unpack the quiet, often invisible shifts that happen when you step into leadership—especially the ones no one prepares you for. From changing team dynamics to subtle disrespect, repeated ideas, and that “tone” you can’t quite call out, this is the stuff that stacks up. Y...

What if the reason your life doesn’t feel aligned… isn’t because you’re doing it wrong—but because it was never really yours to begin with? Think growth is about becoming better, stronger, more confident? Think again. In this remix episode, Kathrin Fox—a transpersonal psychologist and coach—dives into what it really takes to peel back the layers of conditioning, expectations, and autopilot living…...

You did everything right. ...Worked hard. Stayed low-key. Easy to work with. So why are you still not the obvious choice for promotion? Because this isn’t a confidence problem. ...It’s a visibility problem. In Part 2 of this series, we flip the script. You’ll learn why being “easy to work with” is quietly holding you back—and what actually gets you promoted instead. (Hint: it’s about becoming the...

You learned to blend in to survive… but leadership requires you to stand out. ... Think working hard, staying low-key, and “fitting in” is the path to promotion? ...Think again. ... In this episode, we’re diving into the invisible rules women learn in predominantly male industries—and how those same rules start working against you the moment you step into leadership. ... Because here’s the truth:...

Life doesn’t always go the way we planned. ... Sometimes the path completely changes—and we’re left figuring out who we are on the other side. ... In this Flashback episode of Ordinary to Badass , I sit down with Michelle Lauren Anderson , a burn survivor who experienced burns over 91% of her body at just two years old . ... What followed was a lifetime of surgeries, physical challenges, and emoti...

Think confidence comes first? Think again. In this flashback episode of Ordinary to Badass , Marie revisits a powerful conversation with Laquita Monley — speaker, coach, and Army wife — who shares how life experiences, identity struggles, and unexpected challenges helped her discover the strength she already had inside. Laquita’s journey didn’t start with confidence. It started with a wake-up mome...