Advancing Women Podcast

Find your keys. Watch your drink. Share your location. Text when you get home. Women know the checklist. But how often do we stop to ask what carrying it costs us…and who gets to move through the same world without thinking about it? In this episode of the Advancing Women Podcast, I explore safety privilege: the relative freedom from having to anticipate and manage particular threats in order to g...

A woman doesn’t become wicked because she stops being convenient. She said no. Set a boundary. Asked for credit. Wanted something for herself. So how did she become the villain? It’s another Season of the Witch on the Advancing Women Podcast, and this year, we’re examining the stories that turn women’s independence into a moral problem. Inspired by Practical Magic, its sequel, and the expectations...

Be confident…but not intimidating. Be warm…but not weak. Lead…but please make everybody comfortable while you’re doing it. Sound familiar? In this episode of the Advancing Women Podcast, Dr. Kimberly DeSimone revisits tightrope bias through a recent experience: feedback that praised women faculty for their warmth while suggesting a male professor would bring challenge, assertiveness, and persevera...

What happens when language created to make inequality visible becomes so broadly used that the inequality itself begins to disappear? Terms like mental load, invisible labor, and emotional labor have helped name forms of work —often disproportionately carried by women—that traditional measures of labor have failed to capture. But lately, these terms seem to be everywhere, applied to everything fro...

When we're young, life is filled with firsts. First days. First trips. First jobs. First heartbreaks. First moments of realizing we can do something we weren't sure we could do. Then somewhere along the way, we get good at life. We build careers, relationships, homes, habits, and routines. And that's a good thing. Routine makes life manageable. Familiarity gives us security. But does it also have...

Have you ever tried to tell someone how something made you feel, only to find yourself suddenly defending the accuracy of your own experience? That's not what happened. That's not what I said. That's not what I meant. You're taking it the wrong way. I guess I just can't do anything right. And suddenly, you're no longer talking about what hurt you. You're litigating whether they did anything wrong....

What can a Division I basketball coach teach us about confidence, identity, leadership, and becoming the women we're meant to be? As it turns out…a lot. In this episode of the Advancing Women Podcast, Dr. Kimberly DeSimone sits down with University at Buffalo Women's Basketball Head Coach Kristen Sharkey for a conversation that goes far beyond the basketball court. The connection began at a women'...

What if everything you've been told about success is true...just not equally true? For generations, women have been given a roadmap to success. Work hard. Earn the degree. Build your expertise. Develop executive presence. Negotiate. Become exceptional. And millions of women have done exactly that. So why do so many still feel like the finish line keeps moving? In this episode of the Advancing Wome...

Summer has a funny way of becoming another thing to accomplish. The perfect vacation. The perfect family memories. The backyard projects. The bucket list. The pressure to make every sunny day count. But what if we've been measuring summer all wrong? In this episode, Dr. Kimberly DeSimone explores the surprising science behind micro moments of joy…those small, seemingly ordinary experiences that qu...

What started as a frustrating battle with my health insurance over a medication that has worked successfully for nearly two years led me to ask a much bigger question: Why are we so comfortable with women's suffering? In this episode, I explore why women's pain is so often treated as "normal"…whether it's menopause, chronic pain, endometriosis, caregiving exhaustion, or countless other experiences...

What if one of the most common compliments women receive isn't really a compliment at all? In this episode of the Advancing Women Podcast, Dr. Kimberly DeSimone explores the cultural obsession with "effortlessness" and the hidden costs that accompany it. Inspired by conversations following a recent Women's Leadership Summit, this episode examines how language shapes perception, why precision of la...

What if getting dressed became less about managing perception…and more about self-expression and shaping our experience? In this episode of the Advancing Women Podcast, Dr. DeSimone explores the surprising emotional depth behind something that initially seems lighthearted: overdressing for no reason, Disney ears on a cruise, bold earrings, sparkle, whimsy, and the idea that maybe “less is more” ha...

Every May, social media fills with beautiful tributes to motherhood. “Moms are superheroes” “A mother’s love knows no bounds" ”Home is where mom is” And that gratitude matters. The acknowledgment matters. But underneath all the flowers, hashtags, “best mom ever” mugs, and brunches…there’s a deeper conversation we don’t have often enough. Motherhood in our society comes with profoundly unequal expe...

What if the greatest loss in your life isn’t failure, burnout, or even heartbreak, but the quiet absence of moments that make you feel alive? In this episode, we explore Deferred Life Syndrome…the pattern of postponing joy, rest, and meaningful experiences for “later.” After the busy season. After things calm down. After everything lines up perfectly. But what if that “later” never actually comes?...

What happens when the people we believe are on our side… can’t hear us? In this episode, I explore what I call the “good guy problem”…those moments when someone who sees themselves as fair, supportive, and an ally is given feedback, and instead of responding with curiosity, something shifts. The conversation moves away from what was experienced and toward protecting intentions, identity, and self-...

We hear it all the time: “You’re too busy because you make yourself too busy.” “It’s your own fault.” “You just need to learn to say no.” But what if it’s not that simple? In this episode, we unpack the uncomfortable truth behind that advice, and why it so often falls flat for women. Saying no isn’t just about willpower or better boundaries. It’s shaped by social expectations, workplace dynamics,...

What if “overwhelm” isn’t actually the problem? In this episode, we take a closer look at a word many women use to describe their lives—and challenge what it might be hiding. Because when women say they’re overwhelmed, it often sounds like a capacity problem…like we simply can’t handle everything on our plates. But what if the issue isn’t capacity at all? What if what we’re really experiencing is...

When we think about heroes, the names that come to mind are often male. Yes, in history books, but also in everyday pop culture. From Neo in The Matrix to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars to Harry Potter himself, many of our most celebrated hero narratives center on a single “chosen one”. But when we look more closely at those stories, we often discover something important: heroes rarely stand alone. I...

February is Black History Month! A time to honor the leadership, scholarship, and activism of African Americans whose contributions have shaped our nation. In this episode of the Advancing Women Podcast, we center and celebrate the Black women whose intellectual and political leadership fundamentally transformed feminism and continue to shape the ongoing work of gender equity. Too often, the histo...

Episode Summary: February is the month of love. A time overflowing with hearts, flowers, and grand gestures. Reminders that our worth is somehow tied to being chosen. In this episode, we flip the script. Instead of seeking validation from the world, we explore the radical act of choosing yourself. We dive into: How women are conditioned to feel “not enough” and simultaneously “too much” and the to...

By late January, many of us have already felt it…the quiet pressure, the creeping doubt, the sense that despite our best intentions, the year may start looking a lot like the last one. If that resonates, this episode is for you. This isn’t about trying harder or setting even bigger goals. It’s about recognizing that you’re not failing your goals…the systems you’ve been given may be failing you. In...

Why do so many women leave conversations feeling confused, guilty, or like everything is somehow their fault? In this episode of the Advancing Women Podcast, we dive into the subtle but corrosive relational patterns that show up in everyday work and home dynamics. The quiet processes that shift responsibility, distort accountability, and erode self-trust over time. We explore: DARVO” a defensive p...

Episode Description: Welcome, warriors, to the final episode of the year! In this reflective, heart-centered conversation, we pause to honor everything this year asked of us, explore the importance of choosing ourselves, and set intentions for the year ahead, not as a “new year, new you” exercise, but as an invitation to care for and prioritize ourselves with compassion. We dive into: The power of...

Episode Description: It’s December. Again. And the end-of-year chaos is real. This episode is your invitation to slow down, find comfort, and embrace joy through the art of going little. In this episode,  we explore the Danish concept of Hygge and I share simple, science-backed practices to help you pause, reset, and reclaim calm during the busiest season of the year. From holding a warm drink to...

Episode Summary   In this powerful episode, Kimberly calls us into a deeper, more intentional approach to the holiday season; one rooted in solidarity, economic empowerment, and supporting women in every space they lead, create, and build. As the holidays approach and our shopping lists grow, this episode challenges the default: What if your purchases, your recommendations, your shares, and your r...