This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

Is there a challenge you’ve faced or a hardship you’ve endured that could be transformed into something bigger than yourself? On today’s episode of This Is Woman’s Work, we’re joined by Courtney Johnson, a visionary entrepreneur and passionate advocate who turned personal tragedy into impactful change. At the young age of 23, inspired by her father’s battle with lung cancer and the comfort meals brought during his treatment, Courtney founded Culinary Care, a Chicago-based nonprofit dedicated to supporting individuals and families fighting cancer. Over the past 11 years, Culinary Care has provided over 40,000 free meals, reducing loneliness, restoring hope, and fostering a sense of community for those in the midst of their toughest battles.  This episode is a powerful reminder that we all have the choice and opportunity to transform our pain into purpose. Listen as Courtney shares her journey, her insights on resilience, and her mission to create meaningful change. You are stronger than you might feel today, and you have purpose waiting to be uncovered. Connect with Courtney:  The MOST meaningful way people can help is to join The Line, the monthly giving community. https://culinarycare.org/theline and follow CulinaryCare on Social media IG: https://www.instagram.com/culinarycare/  FB: https://www.facebook.com/CulinaryCare LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/culinary-care  Related Podcast Episodes: Survivorship and Breast Cancer with Virginia Carnesale What’s Your Million Dollar Idea? with Taylor and Casey Capuano of CAKES Body Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

If you love romantic comedies as much as I do, this episode is a must-listen! Today, I’m joined by Lauren Layne, New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of popular romcom books like Made in Manhattan, To Sir With Love, and her latest hit, Miranda In Retrograde. I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy and devoured it in one day. Lauren’s romcoms have sold over a million copies worldwide, captivating readers with their clever, relatable characters. We’ll discuss why romantic comedy novels resonate so deeply, how they offer an escape from life’s stresses, and why adding joy to your day is essential for mental wellness. Whether you’re looking for your next favorite book or a reminder to let more lightness into your life, this conversation will make you smile. Here’s the thing about RomComs - or anything that brings you joy - they remind us that life doesn’t always have to be so serious. We get to choose what we let in, what we make time for, and how we nourish our souls. So, go ahead—embrace what makes you happy, even if it’s just for you. Maybe especially if it’s just for you. Connect with Lauren:  Website: https://laurenlayne.com/ Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Miranda-in-Retrograde/Lauren-Layne/9781668047972  Related Podcast Episodes: Crafting A Better World with Diana Weymar “Validation is For Parking” - the Audiobook (Podcast Style) Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Does your brain feel like it’s constantly running a marathon, filled with stress, worry, and never-ending to-dos—even when there’s nothing urgent? If your mind refuses to slow down, this episode is for you. I’m joined by Dr. Romie Mushtaq, a board-certified neurologist and integrative medicine expert, known for her work in neurology, mindfulness, and corporate wellness. As the Chief Wellness Officer for Great Wolf Resorts and author of The Busy Brain Cure, Dr. Romie’s brainSHIFT programs have helped countless people break free from the cycle of stress and anxiety to find focus, recharge, and reclaim restful sleep. We’re diving deep into how we can shift our minds to escape the overwhelm and constant overthinking that weigh us down. Because while life comes with challenges, carrying an unnecessary mental load makes it heavier than it needs to be. It’s time to cure your busy brain and live with less stress! Connect with Dr. Romie: Website:  https://drromie.com/  Busy Brain Test (Free) https://drromie.com/busy-brain-test/  Book: https://drromie.com/book/  FB: https://www.facebook.com/DrRomie  IG: https://www.instagram.com/DrRomie  LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drromie/  X: https://twitter.com/DrRomie  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/DRROMIEMUSHTAQ  Related Podcast Episodes: All The Ways We Get In Our Own Way with Thais Gibson How Our Dysregulated Nervous Systems Are Impacting Us with Victoria Albina Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

We’ve become obsessed with productivity, confusing it with busyness and setting unrealistic expectations to perform 24/7—leaving us feeling guilty when we’re not “doing enough.” That’s exactly why I’m excited to dive into the topic of toxic productivity with today’s guest, Israa Nasir. Israa, a New York City-based psychotherapist, writer, and founder of WellGuide, brings deep expertise in mental health, identity formation, and healing, particularly for AAPI first- and second-generation immigrants. She has spoken at prestigious organizations like Google, Meta, and Yale University and serves on the Mental Health Advisory Board for PopSugar and August. Her new book, Toxic Productivity: Reclaim Your Time and Emotional Energy in a World That Always Demands More, offers strategies to break free from the hustle culture and reclaim what truly matters. Because at the end of the day, it won’t be the hustle, emails, or to-do lists that define your life—it’ll be the joy you shared, the impact you made, and the legacy you leave behind. So let’s stop glorifying busyness and start embracing a life worth celebrating. Connect with Our Guest: Israa Nasir Website: https://www.israanasir.com/  Book: https://www.israanasir.com/toxic-productivity  IG: https://www.instagram.com/well.guide/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@israajnasir LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/israanasir/ Related Podcast Episodes: A Better Way to Define Success with Stella Grizont 7 Keys to Unlock Your Dynamic Drive with Molly Fletcher Can’t Get No Satisfaction with Dr. Julie Landry Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Leadership is no longer just about who sits at the head of the table—it’s about making sure everyone has a seat at the table. In this episode, I’m joined by a groundbreaking leader who embodies this philosophy. Anne Chow, the first woman and the first woman of color to become CEO at AT&T Business, shares her insights on leading outside the traditional mold and embracing inclusion as a transformative leadership tool. During her time at AT&T Business, Anne led over 35,000 employees, serving 3 million business customers globally. Today, she continues to lead as the Lead Director on the board of Franklin Covey, as a board member for 3M and CSX, and as a faculty member at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Her book, Lead Bigger: The Transformative Power of Inclusion, offers actionable strategies for leading with authenticity and challenging the status quo—my kind of leadership! Anne Chow’s no-nonsense approach challenges us to rethink leadership—not just as a title or a position, but as an inclusive practice. Because when we lead inclusively, we lead bigger—and we bring out the best in everyone. So LEAD well and lead BIG! Connect with Our Guest: Anne Chow  Website:https://www.theannechow.com/  Book: https://www.theannechow.com/lead-bigger/  IG: https://www.instagram.com/theannechow/  LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annehchow  Related Podcast Episodes: The Sixth Level Of Leadership with Dr. Stacy Feiner Who’s Entitled Now?! with Dr. Jessica Kriegel 4 Truths of Radiant Change with Kristen Lisanti Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

It’s no secret that many work environments were built by and for men, leaving women’s contributions and the feminine underappreciated. But here’s a twist: What role do women play in shaping masculinity itself? Honestly, I didn’t even know where to start. That’s why I’m thrilled to welcome Moe Carrick to the show. Moe is an internationally recognized expert in workplace culture, known for helping organizations like Nike, Nintendo, Amazon, and Reddit foster healthy, inclusive environments. With three TEDx talks under her belt and recognition from Thinkers360, Moe has authored Fit Matters, Brave Space Workplace, and most recently, When Work is Good: What it Means, Why it Drives Results, How You Can Build a Workplace People Love. We all have a part to play in shaping leadership that values every form of energy—masculine, feminine, and everything in between. So, ask yourself: What role will you play in creating a workplace where all forms of leadership thrive? Connect with Moe:  Website:https://moementum.com/  Book:https://www.amazon.com/When-Work-Good-Results-Workplace/dp/B0CGKZWJD1/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&sr=1-1  LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moecarrick/  Take The Pulse Check Quiz: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moecarrick/  Related Podcast Episodes: Masculine & Feminine Energetics And How To Unify Them with Dene Logan What It Means to Be Codependent At Work with Amina AlTai Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

How do we live a fulfilling life, even in the face of life’s inevitable challenges, hardships, or unspeakable trauma? This episode features a conversation with someone uniquely qualified to answer that question—Dr. Edith Eger, psychologist, Holocaust survivor, and author of The Choice, The Gift, and her latest release, The Ballerina of Auschwitz. I’m honored, humbled, and admittedly a little nervous to speak with Dr. Eger, who has redefined what it means to live with fulfillment, no matter the circumstances. Dr. Eger, a colleague of Viktor Frankl, has dedicated her career to working with veterans, military personnel, and trauma survivors. She was once a promising gymnast, cut from her Olympic dreams because of her religion, and later imprisoned in a concentration camp. In that unimaginable darkness, she exercised not just physical flexibility, but mental and emotional resilience—the very qualities she now teaches us to embody.  If you take away one thing from this conversation, let it be this: No matter what life throws your way, you can always choose how you respond—and you can choose to live a life that fulfills you. Tune in to hear this inspiring discussion with Dr. Edith Eger and her grandson Jordan Engel, and prepare to be moved, challenged, and empowered to live your fullest life. Connect With Our Guest: Dr. Edith Eger Website: https://dreditheger.com/  Book:https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Ballerina-of-Auschwitz/Edith-Eva-Eger/9781665952552  IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.editheger/?hl=en X:https://twitter.com/DrEdithEger1?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor  Related Podcast Episodes: Trauma with Jessi Beyer Healing Mental And Emotional Wounds with Stephanie Kwong Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

For many of us, delivering a TED Talk sits firmly on our bucket lists. But how do you move from dreaming to standing on that iconic red circle? In this episode, Nicole reconnects with Ashley Stahl to break down exactly how to make that dream a reality. You may remember Ashley from Episode 92—her career began at the Pentagon in counterterrorism, but she has since transformed into a career expert, international speaker, and author. Ashley’s book, YOU Turn, became an international bestseller, and she is now recognized as a top 100 TEDx speaker. She believes TEDx talks are the super highway to launching your personal brand, and with over 100 successful clients, her coaching boasts a 90% success rate in landing speakers on stage. If giving a TEDx talk has ever crossed your mind, you have an idea worth spreading. This episode will inspire you to gather your courage, find the right support, and take action toward your TED dream. So what do you say? Shall we see each other on the big red circle? Connect With Our Guest: Ashley Stahl  Website: www.wisewhisperagency.com   Special Offer: Mention this podcast to get $1,000 off Ashley's TEDx coaching package Related Podcast Episodes: Holler At Your Dreams with Judi Holler Let’s Get Unapologetically Bold with Vaneese Johnson Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Resilience has become a buzzword in today’s culture, thrown around by influencers, coaches, and even bootcamp instructors, all insisting we need to “push through” no matter the cost. But is resilience always the healthiest path forward? Does mental toughness, positivity, and grit serve us in the ways we think—or is there more nuance to uncover? In this episode, Nicole connects with Soraya Chemaly, activist and author of The Resilience Myth: New Thinking on Grit, Strength, and Growth after Trauma. Together, they challenge conventional ideas about resilience and explore a new way of thinking—one that shifts from individual grit to collective care and community connection. Soraya’s previous book, Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women’s Anger, was widely acclaimed and named one of the Best Books of 2018 by the Washington Post, NPR, and Psychology Today. This conversation offers insight into what really matters: kindness, compassion, belonging, and care—for ourselves and each other. It’s time to rethink resilience as more than just strength in isolation and embrace what it looks like to thrive, together. Connect With Our Guest: Soraya Chemaly Website: https://www.sorayachemaly.com/  Book: https://www.sorayachemaly.com/books  Simon & Schuster: https://www.simonandschuster.com/  Related Podcast Episodes: How to Ask for Help with Dr. Cynthia Bentzen-Mercer Stress Less and Fear(Less) with Rebecca Heiss Share the Love: If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform! 🔗 Subscribe & Review: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music

Whether you’re interested in entrepreneurship, or venture capital, or just love hearing from women who are blazing a trail like I do… you are going to love this conversation. Our guest, Carrie Colbert spent nearly two decades in the male-dominated oil and gas industry, with a standout career at Hilcorp. After “retiring” at age 38, Carrie transitioned into a new chapter of her life: investing in women-owned businesses. After five years as an angel investor, Carrie realized that women-led businesses are not only underfunded, but they consistently outperform. This led her to launch Curate Capital to champion female-founded consumer brands. In 2022, Carrie closed Fund 1 at $15 million—50% oversubscribed and with nearly 80% of her investors being women. Curate Capital is now breaking down barriers for female founders and making venture capital more accessible to potential investors. Whether you’re thinking about building a business, investing in one, or simply managing your finances with more intention – get into action toward it. Because it isn’t called trail waiting, or trail thinking, or even trail tiptoeing. Don’t wait for the perfect moment, don’t overthink every step, and don’t play it small. BLAZE your trail, take bold action, and create the future you want. Connect with Carrie: Website: https://www.curate.capital/  IG: https://www.instagram.com/carriec  Like what you heard? Please rate and review  Thanks to our This Is Woman’s Work Sponsor: Visit wisefitwealth.com, click the “Schedule a Meeting with our Team” button, and they’ll send you a free budget sheet and some helpful planning tips! WiseFit Wealth has ONE goal, and that is to help you achieve yours.

Why have we become so obsessed with celebrity and influence? It seems we’re infatuated with people in positions of power, with politicians, and with the uber-wealthy. Are they really the difference-makers we believe them to be? In this episode, Sharon McMahon talks about the change-makers that she calls the “small and the mighty”. Sharon is America’s favorite government teacher and proves that the most remarkable Americans are often ordinary people who didn’t make it into the textbooks. In her book THE SMALL AND THE MIGHTY: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, Sharon discovers history’s unsung characters and brings their rich, riveting stories to light for the first time. She also hosts the award-winning podcast,  ”Here’s Where It Gets Interesting”, and is the author of The Preamble, a Substack newsletter about politics and history.  The change agent, the innovator, the reformer, the disruptor, the mover and the shaker, the get shit done leader might not be on the ballot – it might be someone in your life, at work, in your community. You might be raising them, and it might even be you. So be mighty – regardless of the position you’re in. Connect with Sharon:  Website: https://sharonmcmahon.com/  Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/709748/the-small-and-the-mighty-by-sharon-mcmahon/  The Preamble: https://thepreamble.com/  Like what you heard? Please rate and review

In this episode, we dive into the systems, structures, and practices that are working against us. Because my goal isn’t just that women (and I do mean all women) get a fair shake, but that we expect it. That we require it. Our guest is June Carbone, the Robina chair of law, science, and technology at the University of Minnesota Law School. Previously she served as the Edward A. Smith/Missouri chair of law, the constitution, and society at the University of Missouri at Kansas City; and as the associate dean for professional development and presidential professor of ethics and the common good at Santa Clara University School of Law. Basically, she’s wicked smart and very well-researched. She has just released her new book Fair Shake: Women and the Fight to Build a Just Economy which she co-authored with two other incredible women. My call to action: consider, in addition to what you care most about and what you believe is best, what will move policy and opportunity forward for all women. It’s time for us to think beyond just our own best interests. Buy June’s Book: Fair Shake  https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Fair-Shake/Naomi-Cahn/9781982115128  Like what you heard? Please rate and review

In this episode, we cover a topic that might just surprise you… but friend, we can always benefit from a departure from our usual discussions. We’re talking about crafting! Because it’s always good to tap into a different kind of creativity, and because you just may discover a new passion or rekindle an old one. Our guest is Diana Weymar, and we’re going to talk about CRAFTING, and even a bit about what she calls craftivism. Diana grew up in the wilderness of British Columbia, studied Creative Writing at Princeton and worked in film in New York, and for the past decade, has been threading the needle to create a material record of our times. Both on social media and in person, she has encouraged thousands of people to find their own creative path. She is the creator and curator of the public art projects Interwoven Stories and Tiny Pricks Project. Her collaborations and exhibits bring people together around textile and embroidery to share personal stories and even to discuss political issues. Whether it’s bookbinding, making jewelry, or even starting a cross-stitching club (which, let’s be honest, I’m seriously considering), there’s something deeply fulfilling about tapping into a different kind of creativity—one that nourishes the soul, keeps us openhearted and connects us to a larger community. Connect with Diana: IG: https://www.instagram.com/tinypricksproject/  Book: https://bookshop.org/p/books/crafting-a-better-world-a-handbook-for-making-art-and-creating-change-diana-weymar/21020713?ean=9780063389281   Like what you heard? Please rate and review

This episode is all about reconnecting with and healing our nervous systems, so we can better access our inner wisdom and live more authentically. Victoria Albina is a Master Certified Somatic Life Coach, Family Nurse Practitioner and Breathwork Meditation Guide with a passion for helping women realize that they are their own best healers by reconnecting with their bodies and minds, so they can break free from codependency, perfectionism and people-pleasing and reclaim their joy. She is the host of the Feminist Wellness Podcast, is trained in Somatic Experiencing, holds a Masters degree in Public Health, and has been working in health and wellness for over 20 years. Our dysregulated nervous systems explain the way we understand and react to the world even more than our conscious minds or our inner knowing.  And that is something I’d love for us all to heal.  I speak for many of us when I say it feels like all of our systems are nervous nowadays, and I doubt the medical community would change the name, but wouldn’t it feel great to have a confident system instead? Connect with Victoria: Website:  https://victoriaalbina.com/ Feminist Wellness Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/feminist-wellness/id1454980022  IG: https://www.instagram.com/victoriaalbinawellness/  Like what you heard? Please rate and review  Thanks to our This Is Woman’s Work Sponsor: Breathe better with AirDoctor, the air purifier that filters out 99.99% of dangerous contaminants (allergens, pollen, pet dander, dust mites, mold spores and even bacteria and viruses) so your lungs don’t have to. Visit airdoctorpro.com and use my promo code: TIWW to get up to $300 OFF air purifiers and a free 3 year warranty (and additional $84 value).

In this episode, we talk about how two people can win in a marriage, at work, and in life. Because more of us should be experiencing this! I’ve invited Tiffany Sauder, wife, mom, entrepreneur, CEO, board member, investor, podcast host and keynote speaker, to be our guest. For twenty years, she and her husband have been building their companies and their family on the exact same timeline. That means four kids, three businesses and two careers, all building towards one abundant life of And (not Or). Today, Tiffany spends her time helping two career families move from chaos to connection – and I’m excited to swap some stories and ideas. Handling literally everything so our partners can win, propping them up, dismissing the part we play, sacrificing our dreams, putting our wants and needs in the back seat, that’s what woman’s work used to look like. But not anymore. I don’t care if you’re professionally driven or not, if you work or not, if you love cooking and babies and caring for your home and others or not, you GET TO WIN in your relationship too. Whatever that means and however that looks for you. Connect with Tiffany: Website: https://www.tiffanysauder.com/  IG: https://www.instagram.com/tiffany.sauder/  Newsletter sign-up: https://tiffany-sauder.myflodesk.com/newsletter Task Planner: https://tiffany-sauder.myflodesk.com/taskplanner Ultimate Guide to Outsourcing Your Laundry: https://tiffany-sauder.myflodesk.com/stopdoingyourlaundry  Like what you heard? Please rate and review  Thanks to our This Is Woman’s Work Sponsor: Head over to wisefitwealth.com and click the “Schedule a Meeting with our Team” button. They’ll hook you up with a free budget sheet and some helpful planning tips! WiseFit Wealth has ONE goal, and that is to help you achieve yours.