Loud & Lifted

What happens after a woman breaks through the glass ceiling—and finds herself walking on broken glass?Shannon Nutter is a longtime financial services executive, board member and co-author of Walking on Broken Glass: Navigating the Aftermath of the Glass Ceiling. After decades of working in male-dominated industries and holding senior leadership roles, Shannon knows firsthand how quickly a successful woman can go from being valued to being viewed as a threat.In this conversation, we unpack what workplace bias actually looks like, why accomplished women often question their own experiences and how the story around a woman’s leadership can suddenly begin to change.This isn’t a conversation about blaming, complaining or telling women to fix themselves. It’s about recognizing the warning signs, understanding the dynamics happening around us and being better prepared to respond.We talk about:What happens after women break through the glass ceilingHow workplace bias and the “takedown playbook” show upWhy successful women can still be caught completely off guardHow to recognize when the problem isn’t your performanceWhy relationships and political capital matterHow to document and protect yourself when things shiftWhat meaningful support between women really looks likeWhy organizational change can’t rest solely on womenIf you’ve ever felt the narrative around you change at work—or watched it happen to another woman—this conversation will help you better understand what was happening and what to do next.Chapters04:55 Why the glass ceiling isn’t the last barrier06:47 Why great performance isn’t always enough12:49 Recognizing bias in your workplace14:45 The Goldilocks syndrome: Too much or not enough17:26 The invisible org chart and office politics23:28 The takedown: When high performers get pushed out29:18 Warning signs you might be overlooking32:59 Protecting your voice, results and network36:13 Collaboration over competition: Supporting other womenLinksPurchase Walking On Broken GlassConnect with Shannon

So many women were taught to be nice, helpful, agreeable and easy to work with. Those qualities aren’t bad—but they become a problem when they keep us quiet, overextended or afraid to disappoint anyone.In this Quick Lift, Betsy recaps her conversation with Michelle Minnikin about “Good Girl” conditioning, why people may resist when we begin to change, and how to set boundaries without believing we’ve become cold, difficult or selfish.LinksFull episode with MichelleConnect with Michelle Minnikin

Were you taught to be nice, helpful, agreeable and easy to work with—only to end up overworked, undervalued and quietly resentful?In this episode, Betsy talks with psychologist, coach and Good Girl Deprogramming author Michelle Minnikin about the conditioning that teaches women to put everyone else first. They unpack how it follows us into the workplace, why traditional career advice often fails women and how being the “good girl” can eventually hold us back.Michelle also explains why resentment is one of the clearest signs that a boundary has been crossed, how to begin changing these patterns through small experiments and what it really means to enter your villain era—without becoming someone you’re not.You’ll learn:How good-girl conditioning shows up at workWhy being capable and agreeable can lead to more work, but not more opportunityHow to recognize when your boundaries are being crossedWhy resentment is an important signal instead of something to ignoreHow to practice setting boundaries in small, realistic waysWhy visibility and self-promotion aren’t selfishWhat it means to become comfortable with being dislikedLearn more about Michelle and find her book, Good Girl Deprogramming, at michelleminnikin.com.Chapters 00:00 What “Good Girl” Conditioning Teaches Us04:06 How Good Girls Show Up at Work08:23 Deprogramming Starts with Small Steps12:01 Resentment Is a Boundary Warning Sign14:20 Experimenting with Boundaries17:45 When Competence Turns You into the Worker Bee21:10 Entering Your Villain Era24:12 Becoming “Unfuckwithable”25:11 Why “Let Them” Isn’t Always Enough27:18 Who Pushes Back When Women Change29:38 One Practice to Begin Deprogramming31:20 Where to Connect with Michelle

Episode Overview: If you’re the person everyone relies on, it can start to feel completely normal to carry way too much.In this Quick Lift, I’m breaking down the biggest takeaways from my conversation with Cherylanne Skolnicki about the peak of complexity, why capable women become the default person at work and at home, and how to start changing that without lowering your ambition or your standards.You’ll learn:Why your old way of managing life may not work anymoreHow to spot the invisible load taking up your time, energy and headspaceWhy “I can do this” is different from “I should do this”The four things that make letting go hard: guilt, FOMO, judgment and controlHow to think about delegation differentlyWhy a real boundary is something you can upholdThe question to ask yourself: Am I uniquely qualified to do this?The goal is not to overhaul your whole life. It’s to start getting more intentional about what actually needs to stay yours.Full episode with Cherylanne

At some point, being the woman who can handle everything stops feeling impressive and starts feeling exhausting.In this episode, I’m talking with Cherylanne Skolnicki, founder of Brilliant Balance, about what she calls the peak of complexity—that season when your career is demanding more, your family is demanding more, your ambition is still very much alive…and your available capacity is basically gone.We talk about why the same operating system that helped us climb professionally eventually stops working, why so many women become the default person for everyone and everything, and why letting go can bring up guilt, judgment, FOMO and a whole lot of control issues.Cherylanne also shares practical ways to start changing the pattern—without lowering your standards, losing your ambition or waiting for life to magically calm down.You’ll learn:Why successful women hit a “peak of complexity”How to rethink your week when there’s no time left over for youThe four emotions that make letting go so hardA better way to think about boundariesWhy delegation usually feels harder before it gets easierHow to decide what actually needs to be yoursThe question: “Am I uniquely qualified to do this?”If you’ve built the career, the family and the full life—and you’re wondering why it still feels like too much—this one is for you.Chapters01:05 The Gen X Promise of “Having It All”04:10 Why Cherylanne Left the Corporate Ladder11:35 The Complexity Curve14:30 When the Way You’ve Always Operated Stops Working17:05 The Peak of Complexity19:40 Why You Need a New Operating System21:20 Treat Your Week Like Your Life in Miniature24:15 Put Yourself Into the Week First27:25 Becoming the Default Person for Everyone29:15 Guilt, FOMO, Judgment and Control31:55 Boundaries Other People May Not Like34:25 Delegating Without Lowering Your Standards36:25 Small Experiments That Create More Capacity38:05 No One Is Coming to Save YouLinksTake this quiz: Discover What's Standing Between You and Where You Want to BeBrilliant BalanceInstagram: Brilliant BalanceInstagram: Cherylanne