Brave Women at Work

Welcome to the Reinvention Roadmap mini-series during the month of January with Brave Women at Work and Jenn Smith, my friend and colleague of Flourish Careers. This series will run on January 15th, January 22nd and January 29th. Jenn and I were chatting the Thrive in ’25 Women’s Conference last summer, and podcast ideas just started pouring out of us! I told her that I was in this weird middle gr...

Well, as we get cooking with gas in 2026, I wanted to share some exciting news! I am going to start doing more solo shows. Why? Well, because I want to. I want to share more of my first-hand experience with you. This does not mean that I will not be doing interviews. Not at all! It just means that we will have more one-on-one time together. Also, if you would like me to cover a specific topic in o...

Happy New Year and officially welcome to 2026! Fresh start in the New Year! For my second show in the Best of Brave Women at Work Series, I was excited to re-share my show with Dr. Shawnte Elbert.  Dr. Shawnte Elbert has faced her fair share of career struggles, but unlike my traditional position of overdriving when I face challenges, Shawnte introduced me to a concept that I love and have re...

For the last 2-3 years, I have highlighted by top 2 favorite podcasts of the year in my year-end Best of Series. This week, I am highlighting my coach, friend, and colleague Jay Fields. I would like to thank Jay for her guidance and instruction this year on inner child and parts work because it has made a huge difference in life. If you are not familiar with parts work, I am going to do a solo sho...

My guest today, Vera Cherepanova, shares the importance of being ethical at work and how we can leverage our values to create safer work environments. In my discussion with Vera, we chatted about: Why ethics is so important to Vera, and how she got into her line of work. The definition of ethical leadership. How ethics and compliance support the growth of an organization. How we can hold true to o...

Today’s show deals with the loss of a spouse, which we all know is a serious and devastating loss for so many women. In fact, here are some statistics on being a widow in the United States: For women under 50, being widowed occurs less than 12% and under 40, it’s less than 5%. Even though it seems rare, this adds up to 73,000 new U.S. widows each year between the ages of 35-54 years old. The avera...

According to an article on American Progress “In a Stagnating Job Market Job Seekers are Struggling to Find Opportunities”, the current US unemployment rate is at 4.4%, which is lower than the long-term average but is at its highest amount since before COVID began almost 5 years ago.  https://www.americanprogress.org/article/in-a-stagnating-job-market-job-seekers-are-struggling-to-find-opport...

Are you were coming up in your career, what were you taught about rest? Here are a few oldies but goodies I was taught: You can rest when you die. No pain, no gain. Sleep is for the weak. Face time means you are committed. Don’t take a break. Do any of these toxic messages resonate with you? Unfortunately, so many women I chat with understand exactly where I am coming from. I am so happy to hear p...

Today, I had the privilege of having Tracey Newell on as a guest. We chatted about more women making their way to the top, no matter what the level means to you.  Listen in to be inspired and challenged to reach your next level. Here’s more about Tracey: Tracey Newell is the former president of Informatica, where she also served as a member of the company’s board of directors for two years pr...

Today, I have a great guest, Arivee Vargas. Arivee and I had a fun and flowing conversation about rising up and getting unstuck from situations that no longer serve you. I loved this conversation, and I am sure you will too! Here is more about Arivee: Arivee Vargas is an award-winning executive & High Performance™️ coach to lawyers and corporate leaders, author of the bestselling book Your Tim...

As you will find out during today’s show, I have one of the authors I have worked with, Magon Peuker, on the show today! Magon and I began working on marketing her book earlier this year, maybe April or May 2025. When I first met Magon, I was so excited to work with her because this was the first book my partner, Hope Mueller, of Hunter Street Press and I were publishing! Also, the book, Raelynn’s...

Have you ever been betrayed? You’re probably thinking, “Of course I have, Jen.” That can be betrayal in a professional relationship with a boss or colleague or as devastating as marriage infidelity. But have you thought of burnout as a form of self-betrayal? When I saw Lora Cheadle, my guest today, refer to burnout that way, I was like “Ouch. That is some tough love right there.” I was intrigued a...

I am excited for today’s guest, another repeat Brave Women at Work guest from a year or so ago, Gina Riley! I look up to Gina as a coach because she is successful in the industry, has built a solid and understandable framework, and is has now launched a book, Qualified is Not Enough: Develop Your Story, Land the Interview, Win the Job .  During the show, Gina and I chatted about: What prompte...

This week, I am featuring a dear repeat guest, Neen James. Neen is a wonderful ball of energy, and I love having her on the show. This time, we chatted about her book that just launched, Exceptional Experiences: Five Luxury Levers to Elevate Every Aspect of Your Business. During the show, Neen and I chatted about: How Neen’s latest book baby came to be How the word “luxury” can be misconstrued An...

Truth time. It’s been a tough season for me. Things have been challenging personally and professionally. Some of the tools I put in place have been helpful, but I have had to re-anchor my roots because the gale force winds of this storm have been stronger than I anticipated.  If you have or are going through a tough season of your own, I feel you. I stand with you. All the listeners and the B...

My guest today, Anne Marie Anderson, is what my 13-year-old, Charlotte, calls a “baddie” or “badass” for short. As you will find out, Anne Marie is a 3-time Emmy Award winner and was a sports broadcaster. Talk about a tough industry! Anne Marie is straight shooter, and you can tell she has earned some hard-won wisdom throughout her career. I also love how clear her concepts are, and I am sure you...

I have some exciting news to share this week! First, this episode is the 250th episode of the Brave Women at Work Podcast! Yes, you heard that right! 250 episodes! If you would have told me that I would do 250 podcasts, I wouldn’t have believed you. But here we are! Also, it’s my birthday week, so I wanted to share a solo show with my key learnings as I turn 48. Yes, you also heard that right! 48!...

I have such a fun show for you today! You are getting a sneak peek into a conversation with one of my oldest friends, Pam Fierst-Walsh. This is Pam’s second time on the show. It’s so fun to record with a friend. I even forget we were on a podcast at one point because this is just who we are and how we talk.  As you will hear, Pam and I recently went on a retreat together. During the trip, Pam...

Today, I am interviewing someone I look up to in business, Kym Insana. As you will hear, Kym not only is a wife and mom to 4 boys (wow, I know!), but she has also built a very successful marketing media execution business.  Kym’s mantra is “You can work hard, have career success, and the family life you desire.” As soon as I heard that, I was like, “Tell me more, Kym!” Who doesn’t want to hav...

One of my key messages for you today is that it is ok to take a break. You are not a bad mom, wife, boss, employee, sister, aunt, friend, or other community member if you drop off the grid for a while. Yes, I felt a bit of guilt, but then I realized that I am better in all areas of my life when I take breaks. If you need to hear this, I hope it helps you!  As my guest today, Dr. Angela Jackso...

You may not know this, but I have been a student of nervous system regulation for several years. When I have faced stress, burnout or other challenges in the past, I thought I could “think” my way out of the issue. I know. It’s a silly notion, but it is what served me for years. It’s what drove my success. And in 2019, it is what drove my demise in burnout. Burnout was a doorway to curiosity. Ther...

I love the topic we are talking about today – fearless authenticity. And guess what? Authenticity is the topic for the next Brave Women at Work book! How cool is that? According to an internet search, “ Fearless authenticity means living a life true to your core values and beliefs, without fear of judgment or societal expectations. It involves embracing your unique self, accepting your f...

Did you know that the female brain and male brain are different? You are probably thinking, “No kidding, Jen.” Remember the book Men Are From Mars, Women at From Venus? My guest today, Barbara Annis, has made it her life’s work to study gender intelligence and the brilliance of the female mind.  For most of my career, I have tried to mold myself into a man’s world. It was a refreshing perspec...

We’re in the summer winddown in the Pestikas household as this podcast launches. My husband, John, and I were just talking the other day, and we are so elated that the kids are almost back to school. Do you feel me? While it is fun to have an unstructured summer, it can get tiring after a while as we become Uber drivers for our children, especially our teenager, Charlotte. “Dad, can I go here?” “M...

An interview with Aiko Bethea