Brave Women at Work

Have you ever had a time where you met someone and they felt like an instant friend? That’s the situation that happened to me when I met Kristin Harrison. Kristin is someone that I’ve worked with and eventually connected with via email and phone. We’ve never met in person and we live pretty far apart from one another, but I’m sure that if we lived closer we’d be hanging out on the regular. In this...

Have you heard about the great resignation happening in the workplace right now? Here’s what Google has to say about this term: The Great Resignation, a term first coined in 2019 by Texas A&M's Anthony Klotz to predict a mass, voluntary exodus from the workforce, is here, and it's quite real. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, during the months of April, May, and June 2021, a total of...

We’re back with the discussion on getting paid. Who doesn’t want to get paid what they’re worth? I know I do, and I’m sure you do too! The pay conversation is absolutely critical when negotiating a new job. Don’t just accept the first offer because it will set the tone for your place in a company and in your career. I know this conversation can feel uncomfortable, but it gets easier with practice....

Let’s talk about something very important today – getting paid for what you’re worth in an existing job. If you find out that you are being underpaid in comparison to your peers and especially based on the duties you are completing in your role, how do you broach the conversation with your manager or Human Resources? This podcast explores this scenario and provides you with a step-by-step blueprin...

We have all faced difficult times in our lives. There are some periods that are extraordinarily challenging, such as losing a partner or child, facing a scary diagnosis, losing a job, and more. During my conversation with Jody LaVoie, she shares her story of losing her husband, Steve LaVoie, after a workplace violence crime at his organization ArrowStream in July 2014. Steve ultimately succumbed t...

Do you have a mentor? If not, have you ever had one? Before I had a mentor, I had no idea how a mentor could benefit me personally or professionally. I thought my boss was automatically my mentor. And for those of us that have had a bad or incompetent boss, we’ve learned that this is definitely not the case. Not all managers are mentors or leaders. A mentor is a person that is there to push you an...

If you listened to my prior episode with Courtney Carver of Be More with Less, you know that I’m an aspiring minimalist. A minimalist is a person that thinks about what they bring into work and life. Instead of having or doing all the things, they purposely remove things that no longer serve them. You might be wondering, how does this impact my work? As it turns out, I think it impacts our work a...

Are you a manager (either at work or home)? Would you like to be a manager in the future? Do you want to return to management after a break? If any of these scenarios apply to you, listen in to my discussion with Makeda "Mak" Andrews.   During my conversation with Mak, we talked about why the first 90 days of a new management opportunity are important, what the difference is between a leader...

Are you facing challenges personally or professionally that you think you can't overcome? Then listen to this discussion with Hope Mueller. Hope's story really inspired me, and I'm sure it will inspire you too.   Hope Mueller grew up in a commune in Indiana and had a rough childhood and first marriage. She faced many obstacles but found strength in her work and eventually triumphed and built...

Do you have a friend or colleague that has a compelling and brave story? Well, my conversation with Ilhiana was a shining example of how you can overcome challenges and push past your comfort zone to find success.   Ilhiana is a Transformation Strategy Coach and Consultant, a Diversity and Inclusion Catalyst, a Hispanic advocate and an international motivational speaker. She is a possibility...

Do you want to manage your stress better? I know I do! In this episode, I spoke with Colonel Deb Lewis. Deb taught me that we can make stress work for us and not against us. Stress doesn't have to be the enemy. Along with this, I learned more about Deb's experience at West Point, her position as a colonel in the Army and more. What I loved most about this conversation is how Deb shared her tips wi...

I recently heard the quote from actor Chuck Norris, "You need to slow down to move faster." What? We can slow down to move faster? I didn't even know that was possible. I'm so used to speeding up to try to get everything done. Are you like that too? If so, there's another way.   In this show, I talk about how moving faster doesn't work, drives up our stress levels, and lowers our productivity...

Do you want to be happier? I'm guessing the answer to that question is a resounding yes. Most of us, including me, have lived our lives thinking when I finish my degree, I'll be happier. When I get a promotion, I'll be happier. When I leave this company and start a new job, I'll be happier. And so on. And you know what? When we get a taste of success, we are happier for a short while. Then the dan...

Have you ever thought that asking the right questions of yourself could make a difference in your career and life? Well, my conversation with guest Laura Steward proved just that. Laura and I talked all about this very topic and how she has had an innate ability to cut to the chase and get to the very heart of the matter with questions since she was a little girl. You might be thinking, “Well, wha...

Have you ever experienced the “mean girl” voice in your head, especially when you’re moving to a new level of success? I definitely have. This mean girl voice is also called the Imposter Syndrome. Imposter syndrome is the feeling like you’re a fraud, even when you’ve experienced success in the past. You feel like you can’t possibly be successful again or that people are going to see through your a...

Did you know that 87% of recruiters actively use LinkedIn? Did you also know the average network size on LinkedIn is 930 connections? If you are completely new to LinkedIn, have a network you'd like to grow or are looking for your next position, then LinkedIn is a powerful tool for you to use.   During this show, I spoke with Barbara Mason, CEO and founder of Career Pathways Consulting. Barba...

You heard it here first. Your mother was right! During this podcast, I welcomed Sandra McDowell, applied neuroscience educator and founder of the eLeadership Academy, back to Brave Women at Work. We talked about Sandra's book, Your Mother was Right: 15 Unexpected Lessons About Leadership and the Brain and more:   - Sandra redefined neuroleadership and shared some practical tips from her book...

Have you ever tried to achieve work-life balance? Spoiler alert: it's not possible. In this episode, Kacey Hartung, working mom and owner of Balanced Heart Coaching, and I talk about the concept of work-life flow and how this is much more achievable than work-life balance. Kacey also shares what led her to start her side-hustle, how she redefined success after becoming a new mom, and the one exerc...

As a high achiever, I have always had this blueprint or set of checkboxes that I needed to hit or “check off” in my life and career. Can you relate Here are some examples of the checkboxes I’m talking about. • Get a degree. • Get my first job. • Advance in my next job. • Advance some more. • Get a management job. • Get a bigger management job. • Get married. • Have children. • Have scheduled birth...

"Perfectionism is self-abuse of the highest order." - Anne Wilson Schaef In this episode, we talk about perfectionism, something I've struggled with my whole life. Perfectionism is self-abuse because it drives you to chase an ideal that is unachievable. It is an effort in futility that is fraught with self-loathing and being paralyzed by procrastination or fear. The good news is that this often si...

Have you ever heard of both male and female energy archetypes? This was an exciting and entirely new topic of conversation for me, and one that blew my mind. I had so many a-ha moments about my own work history and how I move through and work in the world. I’m excited to share my conversation with Emma Djemil. Emma is a certified coach that helps women in leadership to practice rebellious self-acc...

Getting to a place where we can be at home in our skin can be quite the journey. During my conversation with Janelle Anderson, life coach and owner of Emerging Life Coaching, we talked about early trauma in her life that caused her shame and a feeling of not being good enough. Some of the traumas that Janelle shared include being raped in college, meeting a young man that lead her into prostitutio...

Have you ever heard of corporate gaslighting? I didn't before my conversation with Laura Weldy, professional coach for women who are looking for more in their careers. Corporate gaslighting is when you are praised for your personal performance at work, but you are not given an opportunity to advance or are told that you're not ready for advancement. Corporate gaslighting can leave you feeling stuc...

What's the secret sauce? Is it one of my special recipes? As you will learn in this fun episode, it has absolutely nothing to do with cooking. LOL. In this episode, we will discuss the special skills and talents that make you different and set you apart from others. Most people don't think about this and blend into the crowd. I'm challenging you to think about your personal brand, what your secret...

Welcome to the 18th episode of Brave Women at Work. We have a special guest on our show today, Nanci Wilson. Nanci is known for having an outgoing personality with a knack for connecting with others. She applied to be a teller at a Credit union, all she knew was that she had been treated kindly and wanted to do that for others. After graduating from credit union education, Nancy quickly learned wh...