Brave Women at Work

The nervous system plays a big part in our health. A dysregulated nervous system contributes to stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout. If you’re prone to being on the verge of breaking down, you’re going to want to tune in. In this episode, Jennifer Pestikas is joined by somatic coach Nicole Smith Levay , who shares incredibly simple and effective breathing exercises that help regulate the nerv...

Would you like to be more productive? AKA get more done with less stress. What if I told you that this is possible? You would probably tell me I was joking, but I’m not. My guest today, Dr. Nicole Byers, is an expert in neuropsychology. She helps all of us recovering high achievers get off the hamster wheel of to-do lists, self-doubt, and other limiting behaviors in favor of being more productive...

On a scale of 1 to 10 with my excitement level today, I am definitely at a 10. I completed a Google Survey last year in preparation for the 2023 Brave Women at Work podcast season. I asked who you wanted to hear from and if you had any dream guests. Well, today is one of the dream guests on your list! My guest today, Andrea Owen, is a very accomplished coach, author, and speaker. Andrea and I met...

“Your profession is not what brings home your weekly paycheck; your profession is what you're put here on earth to do, with such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling.” ― Vincent van Gogh Wow. Can you say that you are living and working in your calling? If I’m honest, that hasn’t always been the case. My guest today, Rha Goddess, is an expert in this area and has written...

We’ve had an eventful January in the Pestikas household. Our family is in full swing again between kids in activities, post-holiday parties (yes, that’s a thing), and more. But you know what? I love the start of the new year. It’s a new chapter with a clean white page with fresh opportunities. What about you? How has your new year started? I had a great conversation with my guest today, Susan Mack...

Have you ever gone through an unplanned job loss? With so many people going through layoffs in various industries today, today’s show with Brave Women at Work is right on time. My guest today, Sara Webb, is a go-getter and an accomplished professional in the financial services industry. Sara was brave in her willingness to share how it’s been difficult to be in the messy middle between one job and...

Are you looking to have an amazing 2023? If so, plan, plan, plan for it! My guest today, Anna Runyan, is the owner and CEO of Classy Career Girl, a platform to help women love the work they do in the world. Anna is a successful coach and is a great example of someone who knows how to plan, create systems, and make her goals a reality! If you need some help or a nudge in this area, listen in! Durin...

Here’s a fact about me. I’m a nerd for making a list and setting a plan. How about you? Planning is not making a resolution. It’s putting pen to paper, setting goals, and executing. My guest today, Anna Runyan, is the founder and CEO of Classy Career Girl, a career and leadership coaching platform for women. Anna and I met through another colleague in the personal development space. When I met Ann...

Does having tough or let’s call them “sticky” conversations make you uncomfortable? Yeah, me too! It makes me sweat and want to procrastinate having them because I anticipate how uncomfortable and awkward they will be. Here’s the great news. Jill Shroyer, my guest today and CEO of HR Expeditions, loves these tough conversations and has a system for you to learn how to master them! Today’s show was...

Today on the show, I have a special guest, Shelia Higgs Burkhalter. Shelia and I met the last year while we were working on the Brave Women at Work: Stories of Resilience book. Shelia is an absolutely rockstar author, professional, and person, and I appreciate her time during today's episode. During our conversation, we chatted about: 1. Shelia’s experience on the Brave Women at Work project 2. Wh...

Many of us start the new year with resolutions. And saving a certain amount, paying debt, or creating a financial or retirement plan may be on your resolution list. My guest today, Mikelann Valterra, is Seattle's money coach. Mikelann helps women with their thoughts and feelings around money; after our conversation, I learned that how we feel about money, saving, debt, etc., has a lot to do with r...

Happy Holidays! I am practicing what I preach at Brave Women at Work and taking a break over the holidays. I am bringing back one of my favorite episodes before the end of the year to remind you to take care of yourself during this busy season. During this episode, my guest, Courtney Carver, blogger, author, podcaster, and speaker talks about the importance of minimalism and being more with less....

Happy Holidays! I am practicing what I preach at Brave Women at Work and taking a break over the holidays. I am bringing back two episodes for the end of the year to remind you to take care of yourself during this busy season. If you haven't yet listened to Stress Reset with Sarah Marie Liddle, it's a must. Sarah is an expert in stress management and burnout recovery. During my conversation with S...

There's a commonality between Brave Women at Work guests, they've all discussed the importance of mindset. If you don’t believe in yourself, you can’t be brave. And that’s what this show is all about. My guest today, Dr. Zenobia Tantra, takes it a step further. Yes, mindset is essential, but it also is your overall energy. Zenobia is a dear friend and colleague. She is also a physical therapist sp...

I'm so excited about my guest, Cait Donovan, today! Cait speaks about burnout in an entirely different way, one that is more forgiving and filled with grace. As you may know, I have already experienced one round of burnout. I had no idea what was happening to me, but I thought it was entirely my fault. I carried the guilt and weight of the question, “How could I let this happen?” Here's the excell...

As we’re approaching the end of 2022 (I can’t believe it), my conversation with Shanna Hocking was motivating to me, and I’m sure that it will be for you as well. During our discussion, Shanna and I chatted about: 1. Her book, One Bold Move a Day: Meaningful Actions Women Can Take to Fulfill Their Leadership and Career Potential 2. Examples of one bold move a day 3. How our bold moves each day don...

I hope you have a beautiful Thanksgiving with your family and friends today. Take a break from turkey eating and pre-Black Friday shopping and listen to the latest episode of Brave Women at Work! In this episode, I cover something very timely….gratitude! Gratitude is the answer at work, whether that’s one-on-one with your colleagues, if you are a people leader working with teams, or if you run a b...

Are you ready for it? Let’s party! We have officially reached 100 episodes! 100 episodes! I CANNOT believe it! If you had told me two years ago that I would eventually record 100 podcast episodes with Brave Women at Work, I would have told you that you were crazy. Well, here we are! I want to share my key insights after 100 episodes. These learnings are universal, so you can use them for whatever...

What do you think of when you hear the word power? Does it sound off-putting? Too masculine or dominant? Do you think women can be powerful or hold positions of power? I do, but I know that I often give my power away, whether through self-doubt, Imposter Syndrome, or my old standbys, perfectionism and people-pleasing. I’m so excited about my guest today, Dr. Sharon Melnick, and to share this conve...

Jacob Brown, a keynote speaker, marketing manager, and LinkedIn influencer, recently said: The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let things go. Isn’t that a beautiful reminder? My guest today, Tara Horstmeyer, talks about how you need to let things go in specific seasons of your life, so you can fit work into your seasons and not the other way around. Many women, myself included, beli...

Have you met someone who stopped you in your tracks significantly? “Wow, I can’t believe she’s doing kind of way?" My guest today, Miriam Lawrence, is a beautiful example of an inspiring and brave woman, and I knew I had to have her on the show. Why, might you ask? Miriam’s LinkedIn profile is unique because she’s also a powerlifter. Like in 200-pound+ weights. Miriam started powerlifting at 48 an...

I learned about today’s guest, Kathy Miller, from another guest, Alison Martin, with Engaged Mentoring. Alison purposefully contacted me to say that Kathy should be a guest. When I met Kathy, I have to say her background in manufacturing was unique from all of my other guests. I can only imagine the challenges she faced as a female plant manager. When I heard her story, I knew she was a great exam...

If you had told me that I would be at my book signing a year ago, I would have told you to get out of town. Writing a book was always a dream, but I always put it in the “someday” category. Well, now it is a reality! I just completed my first book signing, and it was a humbling and joyful experience. I’m here to tell you as living proof that you can do whatever you want to do. Whether writing a bo...

Today is a special day with a very special guest. My guest for today’s show is Helen King. Helen is important to me in so many ways. She is my podcast producer and helps me stay on track with Brave Women at Work, and she is a wonderful example of a brave woman. Helen was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer at age 37, even after medical professionals told her that she was too young t...

“Spending time around people who inspire you will not only affect your career, it will change your life.”  Shannon Siriano Greenwood My guest today, Shannon Siriano Greenwood, was inspiring throughout our conversation. It felt like Shannon was my older sister, and I was learning from her wisdom. She’s made bold choices in her personal and professional life after experiencing postpartum depres...