The Upgraded Leader Podcast

We are told feedback is a gift. Whether it's from our boss, customers, or even our family. But not all feedback is created equal! It's not always accurate or is just someone's opinion. We get to choose what feedback we are going to act on or not: even if it is from our boss or customer. In today's episode, I cover: Why feedback can be incredibly useful in Upgrading our careers...

Do you suffer from perfectionism? It's something that is really common with us high-achieving business owners and corporate leaders. It can be so frustrating because we know perfection isn't possible but it can still hold us back if we don't recognize it. In today's episode, I'm sharing the 7 sneaky ways perfection can show up and we do not realize it. Full show notes and...

We spend so much time and energy trying to fix ourselves. We are obsessed with self-help! But what would happen if we redirected that energy to amplify our strengths? The things we are already good at? The answer is an Upgraded life, career, and business! In this episode, we talk about: Why focusing on our strengths is a better use of our energy How to decide which strengths to develop Ways to man...

Our strengths are incredibly powerful clues into what roles we would thrive in vs. what roles we would be miserable in.  And work is hard enough! How do we figure out our strengths and then determine what roles would be best for us? In this episode, Ahlia Kitwana covers: Using your strengths to demonstrate your value at work How to use your strengths to figure out your next step How to lean on the...

Do you ever find yourself procrastinating on something? A conversation, an email, a simple task.  But if it’s not the thing itself that you are having the most trouble with you could be experiencing resistance.  Resistance is the negative emotion associated with the task or action we don’t want to take.  It’s rooted in fear or shame and can hold us back in even bigger ways than procrastination. Fu...

Support the show Sign Up for my weekly newsletter to get access to my exclusive insights, tips, and resources to Upgrade Your Career! Follow Nicole on LinkedIn and on Instagram @nicolecasespeaks music by audionautix.com Sign Up for my weekly newsletter to get access to my exclusive insights, tips, and resources to Upgrade Your Career! Follow Nicole on LinkedIn and on Instagram @nicolecasespeaks mu...

"When is it more than working too hard?" As highly motivated women, there are definitely times when we push ourselves and burn the candle at both ends. You know the feelings: 👉Fatigue 👉Exhaustion 👉Low Energy 👉Brain Fog 👉Declining work performance But how do we know when it’s something more? On this episode of the podcast, my special guest Dr. Susan Lovell walks us through ways that...

Support the show Sign Up for my weekly newsletter to get access to my exclusive insights, tips, and resources to Upgrade Your Career! Follow Nicole on LinkedIn and on Instagram @nicolecasespeaks music by audionautix.com Sign Up for my weekly newsletter to get access to my exclusive insights, tips, and resources to Upgrade Your Career! Follow Nicole on LinkedIn and on Instagram @nicolecasespeaks mu...

Support the show Sign Up for my weekly newsletter to get access to my exclusive insights, tips, and resources to Upgrade Your Career! Follow Nicole on LinkedIn and on Instagram @nicolecasespeaks music by audionautix.com Sign Up for my weekly newsletter to get access to my exclusive insights, tips, and resources to Upgrade Your Career! Follow Nicole on LinkedIn and on Instagram @nicolecasespeaks mu...

Support the show Sign Up for my weekly newsletter to get access to my exclusive insights, tips, and resources to Upgrade Your Career! Follow Nicole on LinkedIn and on Instagram @nicolecasespeaks music by audionautix.com Sign Up for my weekly newsletter to get access to my exclusive insights, tips, and resources to Upgrade Your Career! Follow Nicole on LinkedIn and on Instagram @nicolecasespeaks mu...

Let’s face it, most of us are out here just winging it. And that’s totally cool for most things in life but your performance review is not something you should whing.  I know performance reviews get a really bad rap. I know most of them really suck, they aren’t valuable, they are time-consuming, they aren’t accurate, they are full of bias, or there just isn’t a process at all. I get it But the tru...

Want to get a promotion at work this year? Go talk to your boss right now. You are ready: ✅You've done the work ✅You've hit your goals ✅You've gone above and beyond But waiting until your performance review to talk to your boss about your career growth will leave you disappointed and empty handed. In this episode, I'm sharing with you how to get that promotion you deserve th...

We don’t want to just survive, we want to live a healthy, vibrant life. In this episode, I’m joined by my special guest, Cassidy Amber Chapman . She is the author of the #1 New Release in Holistic Medicine on Amazon, The Vibrancy Codes; A Guide to Vibrant Health and Vitality. We’re discussing holistic health- mind, body, spirit, and how it all connects to Upgrading your Life and Career! Get the bo...

Have you ever wondered, “Is it time to quit my job?” I think it’s something we’ve all wondered at some point in our career. In todays episode, I’m sharing 3 questions to ask if it is time to quit your job that will help you figure it out. As leaders, it’s important to know this for not only ourselves but also for when employees and co-workers come to us for advice.  Full transcript and show notes...

We've all heard the idea that people don't leave companies, they leave bad managers. And bad managers create toxic workplaces. I know you don't want that to be you. It’s one thing to survive a toxic workplace but how do you prevent one in the first place if you are a leader?  Often, toxic workplaces start from the top of the organization and radiate down into the rest of the organiz...

A recent study from Deloitte found 77% of employees are experiencing burnout in their current workplace. If you are experiencing burnout and in a toxic work environment, know you are not alone and it is not your fault. But your family can see and feel how this is affecting you and so can future employers when you are on interviews.   Full transcript and show notes are at nicolecasespeaks.com/podca...

Want a new job? A promotion? Have someone agree with your idea? Approve your last minute budget request? Or stop scheduling meetings at 4pm on Fridays? Your ability to influence others is the single most important skill you must develop in order to be effective at work and in life. But we often think influencing means manipulating people or lacking transparency. This couldn’t be further from the t...

As a women leader, you are trying to do it all. You want a successful career, donate time to causes you care about, spend time with your family, keep up with your health goals, and travel the world. Your to-do list is never ending and you are being pulled in a million directions. How do you prioritize and protect your time when everyone else is trying to get some of it? Full show notes and transcr...

Setting boundaries can be really hard. We want to get it all done. We want to be seen as team players and help everyone. And as leaders, we might put extra pressure on ourselves to always be available. But by not setting boundaries, we can take on too much, become resentful of our team, and be at risk of burning ourselves out. Full show notes and transcript can be found at http://www.nicolecasespe...

What do you do when your boss pushes on your boundaries? You want to be a team player and go above and beyond, but you have to draw the line somewhere. Holding strong to a boundary does not make you selfish, lazy, or not good at your job.  In today’s episode, you’ll hear from HR Manager, Melanie Adair about her experience with a boss who pushed her boundaries so far that she ended up leaving the c...

We can all think back on certain times in our lives and careers when we felt stuck. Maybe something just felt off or all the way to pure misery and burnout. Sometimes it can be easier to identify what we don’t want and then we can start to get clearer on what we do want.  Today I’m sharing my own story of when I’ve been stuck in my life and career, and how I dug out of that and started building th...

Have you ever felt stuck or unmotivated, burnt out, or overwhelmed in your job? Are you getting the sense that you need to make a shift but don’t know where to start? Or maybe you’ve been one of the unfortunate thousands of other people who have been laid off this year? If you are feeling this way or experiencing any feelings of just not sure what’s next for you - I’m so excited to introduce you t...

There is a lot of uncertainty and worry right now around if we are going into a recession or not, inflation, and mass layoffs. But the reality is, no matter how well the economy is doing and how strong your industry is, there is no such thing as job security. But there are some things you can do to make sure you are well-prepared for anything that could come your way.  For episode show notes and f...

I’m feeling a big upgrade in my life and business this year. I’ve set the goals, planned it all out, and studied all the strategies. But I know all the strategies in the world won’t get me where I want to go without also having the right mindset. Some people say mindset makes up more than 50% of our success. Just ask any athlete out there. As we continue to grow and learn, our mindsets have to gro...

There are things more important than setting and achieving your goals. As driven and ambitious women, we can get really caught up in the setting and achieving our goals. And then, when we don’t achieve them, we feel like giant failures. But there are more important things to this whole thing than just checking a box in our goals journal. Find the show notes and full transcript at https://www.nicol...