Advancing Women Podcast

Warriors,  do you ever feel like no matter how many productivity techniques you master there is always more to do than you can ever accomplish in the time you have available? So much effort and attention to be productive…often chasing the holy grail of maximizing our productivity. And what about FOMO? The fear of missing out on events, experiences, or life decisions that could make our lives bette...

Did you know that research shows we tend to dress the way we feel? If we feel sad or unmotivated, we are more likely to wear unflattering clothing. But here’s some good news, we can also feel the way we dress! Fashion is one of the most visible ways we can express ourselves and increasingly there's a movement to make fashion more playful and inclusive. Maybe it’s time this summer to have some fun...

Take time for yourself…take time for self-care…fill your cup. We hear this all the time, but the reality is that things often work against you. All the expectations…the balls we’re meant to juggle, all at once and never drop. Oh…and keep smiling. In this episode of the Advancing Women Podcast, I explore the radical acceptance of the chaos in our lives and talk about how we can care for ourselves,...

Coming off of last week's episode addressing the assault on women’s ambition, I wanted to explore ambition and the backlash women experience in more detail in this episode with special guest nationally recognized money expert, Stephanie O'Connell Rodriguez   Does the workplace constantly make you question yourself? Ever had an offer rescinded when you tried to negotiate for more money? Ever been t...

Most of you have probably seen or at least heard about the commencement speech from NFL kicker Harrison Butker. This #newepisode doesn’t cover everything he said. Still, I cover the comments that are in my lane…in the areas of gender equity and women’s experiences in the workforce and the home. Let’s explore the “diabolical lie” that Butker asserts women have fallen for. Women’s ambition is, yet a...

It’s May, a month we celebrate moms and a great time to touch base about how we are feeling about things.  If you sometimes find yourself feeling undervalued, unseen, and underappreciated, this episode is for you. Research shows most women, especially moms, have been socially conditioned to do for others. To always prioritize and meet everyone’s needs. We face societal and familial expectations of...

Have you ever wondered what you would do if you could do anything? What if you took a grown-up gap year to figure it out? That’s just what my guest Jen Lefforge did. That is how, at age 46, after a 25-year career, and after raising 3 sons, she took a year off to find out what she wanted to be when she grew up. That grown-up gap year resulted in her current day job as a professional content creator...

Too often the advice given to women doesn’t work because it wasn’t designed by or for women. In this episode, we share advice from inspirational women of influence. We break it down and talk about what advice serves us, and what advice…seemingly well-meaning, might lead to unintended consequences. Should we always give 100% in everything we do? Should we bring our authentic selves always? Should w...

Want to know what you can do to show support for your family or friends who have a child with autism? This is the episode for you. April is autism awareness month so here are some things to be aware of. Research shows that mothers of children with autism have elevated levels of depression and stress levels comparable to the stress levels of active combat soldiers! This episode is about awareness,...

Which leadership traits are ideal and who decides? How important are confidence and assertiveness versus interpersonal sensitivity and empathy? Are we better off with the relaxed, caring, leader who strives to “do it harmoniously,” or the motivated, inspirational leader who strives to “do it together”? The logical, cautious leader who strives to “do it right,” or the determined, competitive leader...

Do you ever find yourself working on anything and everything but the thing that you should be working on? This episode addresses the inner saboteur and all the things that create resistance and interfere with your creativity and purpose.   “Whenever you're feeling bored, bummed, or broken resistance is winning in your life.” ~ Mel Robbins Resistance is anything that stops you from taking creative...

Delivering big creativity starts with small steps and practices you incorporate into your everyday life. Too often we hold back our creative energy because we lack courage, but the truth is connecting to your creativity is connecting to your courage. Creativity = Courage Just like any proficiency, creativity is a muscle that needs to be exercised. Developing your creativity starts with the simple...

February is black history month, an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans, and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history and, importantly, in the women’s equality movement. African American women have too often been overlooked in the history of our fight for gender equity. This episode honors and quotes many brilliant, brave, black women who fought to create a fai...

When you sit with warriors, the conversation is different. The power of sitting with warriors is the impact of those conversations. Too many of us are surrounded by people that will always see us as we are, rather than seeing our potential and growth. We need to nurture the right relationships and build a community of people that we can count on, that give it to us straight, that we trust,  and th...

As women, we are often faced with unique barriers and then contradictory advice. This episode is about better understanding the biases that produce those barriers so that we can interrupt them and ditch the contradictory advice with strategies that work FOR WOMEN. Too often the best practice advice that women receive doesn't work for us because it wasn't designed by or for us! So, we end up intern...

Thanks to the sponsor of this episode Center Coach Create™ a personal and professional development company that helps ambitious women develop their mindset, skillset, and toolset with evidence-based strategies designed by and for women, Center Coach Create™ can help you get unstuck so you can transcend and thrive. Learn more at  https://centercoachcreate.com/   Let's let 2024 be a year for bold, a...

As women, we can find ourselves feeling more stressed with all the holiday prep that so often disproportionately drains us of our time and our calm. We feel like if we don’t do all the things, others will be disappointed, or things will fall through the cracks. So, we do everything in our power to mediate that, often at great personal cost to our comfort and joy. This episode focuses on YOUR comfo...

Did you know that although women make up half the population, research shows we control or influence most consumer spending (more than 80% of all purchases!) Why then don't more businesses large and small think of women first when creating new products and services AND how dare these companies that benefit so greatly from the decisions women make to purchase their products not create more equity f...

Have you ever felt Imposter Syndrome? Then #tunein because this is the episode for you! Women in the workplace and in society are too often “problematized” rather than addressing very real biases and barriers we face. We are told if we want to succeed…to belong…we have to fit in and research shows that fitting in is the opposite of belonging because we are expected to change who we are rather than...

We are all so busy juggling so many competing priorities for our time and energy. Careers, families, relationships, goals, aspirations, personal growth, wellness, and self-care. It can all begin to feel like too much. Where do we put our energy? Which seeds do we water?  This episode is about focus and ensuring that energy flows where attention goes. It’s not just about planting and watering the r...

Too often culturally we glorify the hustle and grind. The truth is though, we all pay a price for overwork including stress, burnout, and less healthy emotional well-being. Especially for women. This episode of the #advancingwomenpodcast addresses the extreme work model, presenteeism, and a 24/7 work culture where high intensity is the norm, where everything is an emergency, and where every proble...

Mansplaining is more than condescension or interrupting, it’s where condescension intersects with power and privilege. Mansplaining is a condescending explanation by members of socially, culturally, or legally privileged groups in their interactions with those who don’t hold the same power and privilege. In this episode, we deconstruct Androcentric Bias (the assumption that the male view is the no...

Too often we as women take on an unfair share of responsibilities and then are blamed for saying yes to every request when we are too busy and feel overwhelmed. But… if we don’t do it, who will? This episode  demystifies why it is so difficult for us as women to say no (hint: it’s not your fault, but it is your problem!) I explore with compassion (and a lot of evidence) why saying no, while diffic...

Can meritocracy make things fairer? Does it level the playing field? A meritocracy is a system where power and advancement are granted to individuals based solely on talent, effort, ability, and achievement. That we will be evaluated based solely on performance as measured through objective criteria and demonstrated achievement. The problem is the premise of meritocracy. The assumption is that eva...

If you think positive affirmations are a touchy-feely approach to dealing with bias and inequity, think again! Research shows that positive affirmations are an excellent way to combat negative messaging and positively impact our thoughts and actions. Positive affirmations help us to disrupt negative thinking (that often comes from gender bias that is not our fault but is our problem) and help re-w...