This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

Let’s talk about the thing you replay over and over in your mind at 2 a.m. The comment in the meeting. The story you shared. The truth that felt a little too honest. Welcome to the oversharing hangover. We’ve been taught that credibility requires polish and power lives in restraint. Keep it tight. Keep it tidy. Keep the messy parts to yourself. But what if that’s wrong? In this episode, Nicole sits down with Leslie John, Harvard Business School professor and author of Revealing: The Underrated Power of Oversharing, to unpack what the research actually says about vulnerability, trust, and credibility — and why saying less might be costing you more than you think. In This Episode, We Explore: Why oversharing can build trust The difference between thoughtful revealing and emotional dumping How admitting mistakes can increase credibility at work The “Goldilocks rule” of vulnerability How to weigh the cost of revealing vs. staying silent The research is clear: we consistently trust people who reveal something real more than those who stay guarded. And thoughtful vulnerability doesn’t weaken your credibility — it strengthens it Thank you to our sponsors! Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/bg2602-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww  Connect with Leslie: Website: https://www.lesliekjohn.com/  Book: https://www.amazon.com/Revealing-Underrated-Oversharing-Leslie-John/dp/0593545389 LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslie-john-75928721/  IG: https://www.instagram.com/proflesliejohn/  Related Podcast Episodes: Big Trust Energy: How to Build Self-Trust When Self-Doubt Won’t Shut Up with Dr. Shadé Zahrai | 380 How To Be Yourself At Work: Authentic Presence Over Executive Presence with Claude Silver | 366 How To Tame Your Inner Critic (Without Gaslighting Yourself) with Megan Dalla-Camina | 354 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 | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk a lot about dreaming bigger — but not nearly enough about what it actually costs to play it safe. Fear of failure keeps brilliant ideas stuck in our heads, careers stalled, and confidence quietly eroding. In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil is joined by Lorraine H. Marchand, innovation expert, Wharton professor, and author of No Fear, No Failure. Together, they unpack why failure isn’t the enemy — avoidance is. From reframing fear as data, to designing smarter experiments, to creating cultures (and inner narratives) where learning beats perfection, this conversation is a permission slip to try, fail, learn… and keep going. If you’ve ever felt paralyzed by getting it wrong, worried about failing publicly, or trapped by environments that say they want innovation but punish mistakes — this episode is for you. We explore: Why fear of failure shuts down growth faster than actual failure ever could How to reframe failure as learning (and why that changes everything) Why women are more likely to internalize failure — and how to stop How to test ideas without burning it all down What “failing forward” looks like in real life (not just on LinkedIn) How to stop being afraid of other people seeing you try Because growth doesn’t happen without risk — and playing it safe has a cost. Thank you to our sponsors! Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/bg2602-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww  Connect with Lorraine: Website: https://www.lorrainemarchand.com/  Book: https://www.lorrainemarchand.com/no-fear-no-failure/  LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorrainemarchand  Related Podcast Episodes: 197 / Fear & Failure (Part 1) with Amy Green Smith 181 / Stress Less and Fear(Less) with Rebecca Heiss VI4P - Perfectionism and Failure (Chapter 6) 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 | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever read something that felt like it was pulled straight from your own brain? That was me reading Nora McInerney’s Substack about what she calls restless life syndrome — the persistent, low-grade feeling that you’re meant to be living at least 14 different lives… and somehow squeezing them all into this one. So naturally, I diagnosed myself.  In this unfiltered and unhinged episode of This Is Woman’s Work, I’m sharing my own wildly impractical, slightly delusional, deeply human “restless life” list. This isn’t a five-step plan. It’s a permission slip. Because maybe your 12 open tabs, your urge to burn it all down, and your conviction that fulfillment is one hobby away aren’t signs that you’re broken. Maybe they’re signs that you’re awake. If you’ve been craving reinvention, dreaming of multiple lives, or quietly wondering what else is possible beyond productivity and responsibility, this episode on restless life syndrome will hit home — and maybe light a tiny, rebellious fire. Thank you to our sponsors! Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/bg2602-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww  Connect with Nicole: Subscribe to Nicole’s Substack: https://nicolekalil.substack.com/  Join the Inner Circle: https://nicolekalil.myflodesk.com/newsletter  Related Podcast Episode: Yell for Help | Unfiltered & Unhinged Ask the Damn Question | Unfiltered & Unhinged I’ve Got Beef With The Health & Wellness Industry | Unfiltered & Unhinged 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 | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if being a “good woman” isn’t actually virtuous — but conditioned? In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil sits down with Elise Loehnen, New York Times bestselling author of On Our Best Behavior: The Price Women Pay to Be Good, to dismantle the centuries-old rules that still dictate how women are expected to behave, desire, rest, earn, and lead. Together, they unpack how the seven deadly sins — yes, those — quietly shape modern women’s lives, ambitions, bodies, money stories, and relationships. Pride, envy, greed, sloth, lust… turns out they’ve been weaponized against women for generations, rewarding self-sacrifice and punishing visibility, appetite, and power. This conversation goes deep — into patriarchy, good-girl conditioning, reputational harm, money shame, envy as information, and why women are often both the enforcers and the casualties of these ancient rules. If you’ve ever felt exhausted by trying to be good, likable, selfless, and low-maintenance all at once… this episode is your permission slip to stop. Because goodness that costs you yourself isn’t goodness. It’s conditioning. Thank you to our sponsors! Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/bg2602-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww  Connect with Elise: Substack: eliseloehnen.substack.com  IG: https://www.instagram.com/eliseloehnen/  Book: https://www.eliseloehnen.com/onourbestbehavior  Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/pulling-the-thread-with-elise-loehnen/id1585015034   Related Podcast Episodes: 136 / Mean Girls with Caroline Adams Miller How To Defy Expectations with Dr. Sunita Sah | 271 From Mean Girls to Hype Women with Erin Gallagher | 353 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 | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We’ve been taught to avoid it — to hide it, shame it, or outwork it. But what if failure isn’t the thing that destroys confidence… what if it’s the thing that builds it? In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil sits down with Jane Chen, co-founder of Embrace Global and author of Like a Wave, We Break, to talk about what happens when success collapses — and why that moment might be the most honest, transformative chapter of your life. Jane shares the raw story of losing the company she poured a decade into, how her identity unraveled alongside it, and the healing journey that followed — from redefining resilience and self-worth to learning how to listen to her body, sit with discomfort, and rebuild from a place of authenticity instead of achievement. This conversation dives deep into: Why failure is a confidence builder, not a confidence killer How achievement can become a trauma response Separating your worth from your results, titles, and accolades Knowing when to keep pushing — and when it’s time to stop The role of self-compassion, community, and psychological safety in leadership Why breaking isn’t the end… it’s often the beginning Because confidence isn’t built by never falling apart. It’s built by trusting yourself to rise again. This episode is a powerful reminder that failure, fear, and doubt aren’t detours — they’re part of the path. When we stop chasing perfection and start honoring what’s real, we build the kind of confidence that actually lasts. Thank you to our sponsors! Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/bg2602-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww Connect with Jane Website: https://www.janemariechen.com Book: https://www.amazon.com/Like-Wave-We-Break-Falling/dp/0593582349 IG: https://www.instagram.com/janemarie.chen/?hl=en  LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janemariechen/ FB: www.facebook.com/janemariechen  Tiktok: @janemariechen TEDtalk: https://www.ted.com/talks/jane_marie_chen_what_losing_everything_taught_me_about_resilience Related Podcast Episodes: The Biology Of Trauma - And How To Heal It with Dr. Aimie Apigian | 346 How To Listen When Your Parts Speak (IFS Therapy + Ancestral Wisdom) with Tamala Floyd | 376 Five Habits of Hope with Dr. Julia Garcia | 365 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 | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve ever wondered “Do I actually matter?” — not in a motivational-poster way, but in the deep, existential, 3am-staring-at-the-ceiling way — this episode is for you. In this powerful conversation, Nicole Kalil sits down with Rebecca Neuberger Goldstein, award-winning philosopher and author of The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us, to unpack one of the most fundamental human needs: the need to matter. Together, they explore why mattering may be even more essential than happiness, how our desire to matter shapes our lives, relationships, and conflicts, and why the pressure to prove our worth often leads to comparison, competition, and division. Rebecca introduces the concept of “mattering projects” — the deeply personal ways we justify our lives to ourselves — and why there is no single “right” way to matter. This episode challenges the idea that mattering is loud, performative, or scarce, and reframes it as an inside-out experience rooted in integrity, connection, and self-justification — not productivity, perfection, or approval. 💥 What we cover: Why the need to matter may be more fundamental than the need to be happy The difference between fleeting happiness and long-term flourishing What a “mattering project” is — and how to recognize yours Why comparison and competition distort our sense of worth How mattering becomes dangerous when treated as a zero-sum game Why the person you most need to matter to… is you How women have been taught to confuse usefulness with worth The ethical guardrail: you matter and so does everyone else Mattering isn’t about being extraordinary, productive, or universally admired — it’s about living in alignment with what you can justify to yourself. You matter not because you prove it, but because you’re here, shaping lives through how you live, lead, and relate. Thank you to our sponsors! Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/bg2602-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Rebecca Website: https://rebeccagoldstein.com/  Book: https://rebeccagoldstein.com/the-mattering-instinct/  Substack: https://rebeccanewbergergoldstein.substack.com/  Related Podcast Episodes: Finding Purpose Through Human Design with Emma Dunwoody | 228 Practical Intuition For Bold, Better Decisions with Laura Day | 360 Big Trust Energy: How to Build Self-Trust When Self-Doubt Won’t Shut Up with Dr. Shadé Zahrai | 380 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 | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For decades, we were sold a lie: get good grades, be smart, keep climbing—and success will magically follow. But in a world of nonstop disruption, AI, political chaos, and careers that don’t come with ladders anymore, IQ and EQ alone aren’t cutting it. In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil sits down with Liz Tran, executive coach, former venture capitalist, and author of AQ: A New Kind of Intelligence for a World That’s Always Changing, to unpack the intelligence that actually determines who thrives when everything keeps shifting: AQ (Agility Quotient). AQ isn’t about being perfect, flexible to the point of burnout, or endlessly accommodating. It’s about how well you adapt to change, uncertainty, and the unknown—without losing yourself in the process. Liz breaks down the four AQ archetypes (Firefighter, Novelist, Astronaut, Neurosurgeon), how proactive vs. reactive change impacts your life and career, and why adaptability is no longer optional—it’s survival. This conversation will change how you think about intelligence, leadership, confidence, and what it really takes to succeed when the rules keep changing mid-game. Bottom line: Intelligence isn’t just what you know—it’s how you respond when what you know stops working. Thank you to our sponsors! Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/bg2602-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Liz Website: https://liz-tran.com/   Book: https://liz-tran.com/#aq  IG: https://www.instagram.com/liztranwrites/ Quiz: https://liz-tran.com/#quiz LI: linkedin.com/in/liztran1  Related Podcast Episodes: Unlocking Your Hidden Genius: How to Harness Your Innate Talents with Betsy Wills & Alex Ellison | Ep. 289 129 / 4 Truths of Radiant Change with Kristen Lisanti Diversity Isn’t a Strategy - It’s a Leadership Result with Aiko Bethea | 378 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 | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The health and wellness industry loves to tell women they’re broken — and then sell them the fix. In this unfiltered and slightly unhinged solo episode, Nicole Kalil calls out wellness culture for what it too often is: rebranded diet culture, influencer-led misinformation, and shame dressed up as self-care. From green juice guilt to inflammation fear-mongering to TikTok experts blaming women for their own illnesses, Nicole takes aim at an industry that claims to prioritize longevity and quality of life — while obsessing over looking younger, smaller, and more “acceptable.” She shares her own expensive experiments with wellness trends, what actually helped, what didn’t, and why one-size-fits-all solutions are a massive red flag. This episode is a permission slip to trust your body, question the algorithm, and stop outsourcing your health decisions to people with discount codes and zero accountability. Because real wellness isn’t about perfection — it’s about agency, discernment, and self-trust. Thank you to our sponsors! Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/bg2602-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Nicole: Subscribe to Nicole’s Substack: https://nicolekalil.substack.com/  Join the Inner Circle: https://nicolekalil.myflodesk.com/newsletter  Related Podcast Episode: Yell for Help | Unfiltered & Unhinged Ask the Damn Question | Unfiltered & Unhinged 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 | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If meetings are draining your energy, killing momentum, and stealing your calendar — you’re not imagining it. They’re broken. And they’re costing us trillions. In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole is joined by Dr. Rebecca Hinds, organizational behavior expert, Stanford PhD, and author of Your Best Meeting Ever, to expose why meetings are one of the most expensive, overlooked products inside any organization — and how to fix them. We get into: Why bad meetings are literally an old-school sabotage tactic (thanks, WWII) The real cost of ineffective meetings — and who pays the highest price The 4D CEO Test for deciding if a meeting should exist at all Why status updates don’t belong in meetings (ever) The science behind why meetings over 8 people stop working How to measure meetings by return on time invested Why you don’t need fewer meetings — you need better ones And how to influence meetings even when you’re not the one in charge This conversation is part wake-up call, part permission slip, and part playbook for anyone done pretending “this is just how work works.” Meetings aren’t neutral. They shape culture, power, and whose work gets seen — so if your meetings are broken, your organization is too. The good news? You don’t need more authority to change them — just more intention. Thank you to our sponsors! Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/bg2602-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Rebecca Website: https://www.rebeccahinds.com/  LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-hinds/  Related Podcast Episodes: Leadership Unblocked (The Hidden Beliefs Sabotaging Your Ability To Lead) with Muriel M. Wilkins | 367 The Sixth Level Of Leadership with Dr. Stacy Feiner | 236 The 3 N’s - Negotiation, Networking & No with Kathryn Valentine | 327 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 | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Talking about sex shouldn’t feel like a performance review you didn’t prepare for — and yet, for so many women, it does. In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil gets publicly uncomfortable (on purpose) to talk about what we’re really craving when it comes to sex — not hotter, not louder, not more performative… but healthier. Joined by internationally renowned human sexuality professor and author Dr. Nicole McNichols, this conversation cuts through cultural noise, outdated scripts, and unrealistic expectations around women’s desire. Together, they unpack why exhaustion, mental overload, hormonal shifts, and decades of conditioning disconnect women from their bodies — and how to rebuild a sex life rooted in honesty, agency, and pleasure. This episode isn’t about doing more or trying harder. It’s about unlearning shame, understanding your body, honoring your evolving needs, and creating a roadmap for sex that works for you — at every stage of life. What We Cover: Why “hotter sex” is the wrong goal — and what healthier sex actually looks like The mental load, exhaustion, and emotional labor killing desire (and what to do about it) Dr. McNichols’ Hierarchy of Sexual Needs and why pleasure starts internally Getting out of your head and back into your body (hello, sexual mindfulness) Mismatched libidos, desire discrepancies, and how to stop making them mean something’s wrong When curiosity, communication, and consent unlock deeper connection Healthy sex isn’t about performance, frequency, or checking boxes — it’s about presence, permission, and pleasure that evolves with you. When women reclaim agency over their bodies and desires, connection deepens, shame loosens its grip, and intimacy becomes something we get to experience — not something we’re expected to perform. Thank you to our sponsors! Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/bg2602-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Dr. Nicole McNichols: Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/You-Could-Be-Having-Better-Sex/Nicole-McNichols/9781668053775  IG: https://www.instagram.com/nicole_thesexprofessor/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nicole_thesexprofessor Related Podcast Episodes: Access, Agency & The Abortion Underground with Rebecca Grant | 358  051 / Connecting To Your Sexuality with Aylen Doucette How To Listen When Your Parts Speak (IFS Therapy + Ancestral Wisdom) with Tamala Floyd | 376 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 | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve ever turned a simple request into a full-blown production — congratulations, you’re one of us. In this short, unfiltered episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil shares a painfully relatable story involving kindergarten, lasagna, glitter, and a catastrophic failure to ask a clarifying question. This episode is a reminder (and a loving call-out) for all the women who default to over-functioning, over-planning, and over-complicating things that were never meant to be that deep. Sometimes the bravest, smartest move isn’t doing more — it’s asking the damn question. Because clarity beats chaos. And noodles in a box beat four trays of lasagna. If you’re spiraling over something that feels way harder than it should be, this episode will hit you right in the overachiever feels. A funny, human reminder that better communication — and one simple question — can save you a whole lot of unnecessary stress. Thank you to our sponsors! Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/pd2550-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Nicole: Subscribe to Nicole’s Substack: https://nicolekalil.substack.com/  Join the Inner Circle: https://nicolekalil.myflodesk.com/newsletter  Related Podcast Episode Yell for Help | Unfiltered & Unhinged 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 | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve ever wondered how some people build businesses that last—this episode is your blueprint. Nicole sits down with Neri Karra-Silliman (author, advisor, entrepreneur, and Oxford entrepreneurship expert) to unpack what immigrant entrepreneurs can teach all of us about confidence, courage, resilience, and creating businesses that thrive for generations—even when you’re not starting with privilege, connections, or a trust fund. In this episode, we get into: Why immigrant-founded businesses often endure longer—and why nobody’s been asking the right questions The difference between an entrepreneur and a pioneer (hint: pioneers build what didn’t exist before) How companies like WhatsApp and Duolingo started with impact-first problems  The 8 principles of business longevity inspired by immigrant entrepreneurs, including: Cross-cultural bridging (innovation happens when you live in more than one world) Community as currency (relationships are the wealth) “Frying in your own oil” (aka self-sufficiency before outside money makes you lazy) Shared values over growth-at-all-costsRejection as fuel (“no” is the beginning of negotiation) Luck as a skill (recognizing moments and playing your hand) Faith as the foundation for risk, reinvention, and resilience And the most overlooked glue of all: kindness Immigrants aren’t the problem—they’re the blueprint. This conversation will change how you think about risk, reinvention, and what it really takes to build something that lasts (with profit and purpose). Thank you to our sponsors! Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/pd2550-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Neri: Website: https://www.nerikarrasillaman.com/ Book: https://www.amazon.com/Pioneers-Principles-Longevity-Immigrant-Entrepreneurs/dp/1394304056/ref=  Related Podcast Episodes The Hard Truths Of Entrepreneurship with Dr. Darnyelle Jervey Harmon | 313 The Power Of Instinct In Business And Life with Leslie Zane | 214 From Small Business to Big Impact: Leadership, Confidence, & Community at the Goldman Sachs 10K Small Businesses Summit | 362 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 | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fun and work in the same sentence? For most of us, that’s a “does not compute” moment… and that’s exactly why this conversation matters. Workplace culture expert Bree Groff (author of Today Was Fun: A Book About Work. Seriously.) breaks down why we’ve been trained to treat joy like it’s “unprofessional,” why busyness is murdering brilliance, and how to start building workplaces (and workdays) that are actually fit for human life. In this episode, we get into: Why “hard” doesn’t automatically mean “valuable” (and why we need to stop romanticizing suffering) The two toxic extremes: “Work is called work for a reason” (aka: misery cosplay) “Do what you love and you’ll never work a day” (aka: burnout bait) Bree’s “third way”: work can be a nice way to spend our time on the planet—not a daily punishment Why people don’t buy your work because you suffered—they buy it because it creates value (pain is optional) The “infinite workday” problem: nonstop meetings, constant interruptions, and zero space to think Why brilliance requires spaciousness: “do nothing” time, thinking time, walking time, shower-epiphany time How conformity kills creativity (and why “professionalism” can be a creativity straightjacket) The case against delayed gratification when it turns into: “I’ll live later” (spoiler: later is not guaranteed) Wrap-up: Work doesn’t have to be miserable to be meaningful—and if your job demands your whole life in exchange for a paycheck, that’s not ambition… that’s a bad deal wearing a blazer. Thank you to our sponsors! Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/pd2550-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Bree: Website: https://www.breegroff.com/home  Book: https://www.breegroff.com/book  Related Podcast Episodes Work Shouldn’t Suck: How to Make It Good with Moe Carrick | 356 How To Play: Shift Your Thinking, Inspire Connection & Spark Creativity with Cas Holman | 355 The Ambition Trap with Amina AITai | 309 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 | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Women’s bodies get endlessly analyzed from the outside… while our internal health gets treated like an optional group project nobody studied for. Cool cool cool. In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil goes deep on the perimenopause/menopause mess: the years of brain fog, 3 a.m. wake-ups, mood swings, weight gain, and the medical equivalent of a shrug. Enter Dr. Sarah Daccarett, hormone specialist and aging expert, to explain why so many women are confused, dismissed, and exhausted—and why hormone replacement therapy (HRT) should be viewed as foundational health support, not a “last resort once you’re fully miserable.” What We Cover Why most women (including doctors) are confused about perimenopause + HRT—and why that’s not your fault The “natural” misconception: why Sarah argues HRT can be more natural than the supplement aisle Why waiting for hot flashes is like waiting for your car to explode before you change the oil Hormones as the “CEO of the body”: brain, bones, metabolism, sleep, libido, digestion—ALL of it The real problem with “just fix your gut / cortisol / diet” advice when your hormones are the actual root issue PCOS, insulin resistance, and why “just lose weight” advice can be straight-up useless Why hormone testing can be wildly unreliable—and why symptoms still matter Medical gaslighting: how women lose trust in themselves when the system keeps minimizing them If you’ve been white-knuckling your way through perimenopause symptoms, you’re not weak—you’re under-supported. Better info + better care isn’t “extra,” it’s the bare minimum. Thank you to our sponsors! Get 20% off your first order at curehydration.com/WOMANSWORK with code WOMANSWORK — and if you get a post-purchase survey, mention you heard about Cure here to help support the show!  Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/pd2550-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Sarah: Website: www.innerbalance.com $50 off Discount code: PODCASTDRSARAH Related Podcast Episodes: Don’t Let Your Doctor Kill You: The New Hormone Solution with Dr. Erika Schwartz | 305  Endometriosis & Women’s Health with Somer Baburek | 238  Floored: Why Our Pelvic Floor Health Matters with Dr. Sara Reardon I 314 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 | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve ever waited to “feel confident” before you take the leap… congratulations, you’ve been scammed by your own brain. In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil goes full confidence-nerd (with the occasional rant) with Dr. Shadé Zahrai—behavioral researcher, peak performance educator, and author of Big Trust—to expose what confidence actually is, why self-doubt doesn’t disappear, and how to build real self-trust that holds up when life gets messy. What we get into: Why confidence isn’t the opposite of self-doubt (and why that myth keeps you stuck) The thing you actually need first: self-trust / Big Trust—backing yourself before the outcome is guaranteed How “failure” can build confidence if you stop making it mean you are a failure The self-image trap (including a wild scar study that proves your brain will invent reality if you let it) The Four A’s of Big Trust: Acceptance, Agency, Autonomy, Adaptability (aka the internal upgrades your confidence has been begging for) The 4 Inner Deceivers (and the bonus villain): The Classic Judge (never impressed, always loud) The Misguided Protector (aka fear dressed up as “logic”) The Ringmaster (grind culture’s toxic BFF) The Neglector (everyone else first… until you break) The Victimizer (outsourcing your power like it’s a hobby) If self-doubt is showing up, it doesn’t mean you’re broken—it means you’re human and doing something that matters. Build Big Trust, take the step anyway, and let confidence catch up like it always does. Thank you to our sponsors! Get 20% off your first order at curehydration.com/WOMANSWORK with code WOMANSWORK — and if you get a post-purchase survey, mention you heard about Cure here to help support the show!  Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/pd2550-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Shadé : Website: https://www.shadezahrai.com/  Book: https://www.shadezahrai.com/bigtrust?utm_source=chatgpt.com  IG: https://www.instagram.com/shadezahrai/  LI: https://th.linkedin.com/in/shadezahrai?trk=public_post_feed-actor-name  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@shadezahrai?lang=en  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/shadezahrai  Related Podcast Episodes: VI4P – What Confidence Is, What It Isn’t, and Why It Matters (Chapter 1) | 168  197 / Fear & Failure (Part 1) with Amy Green Smith Confidence Isn’t Born, It’s Built — Lessons from the Cockpit to Real Life with Michelle “MACE” Curran | 343 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 | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We need to talk about asking for help — and not the polite, over-explained, apologetic version most of us were taught. In this unfiltered and slightly unhinged mini-episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil shares a courtside lesson she learned from a group of middle school girls playing basketball — and honestly, they’re doing teamwork, boundaries, and support better than most adults. When these girls get caught on defense, they don’t spiral, minimize, or pretend they’ve got it handled. They yell “HELP! HELP! HELP!” loudly, clearly, and without shame — fully expecting their teammates to show up. And guess what? They do. No judgment. No scorekeeping. No martyrdom. This episode is a reminder that burnout isn’t a badge of honor, doing it all alone isn’t strength, and asking for help early is one of the smartest, strongest things you can do. Because life, love, leadership — it’s all a team sport. And around here? We answer when someone yells for help. That’s woman’s work. Thank you to our sponsors! Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/pd2550-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Nicole: Subscribe to Nicole’s Substack: https://nicolekalil.substack.com/  Join the Inner Circle: https://nicolekalil.myflodesk.com/newsletter  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 | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Food isn’t just food anymore — it’s guilt, pressure, decision fatigue, and a never-ending group project you didn’t sign up for. In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil sits down with Jenn Lueke (Jen Eats Good) to talk about meal planning, meal prep, grocery shopping on a budget, and how to stop feeding your family like it’s your unpaid side hustle. Jenn breaks down a simple, realistic system that helps you waste less food, spend less money, and reclaim your weeknights — without turning Sunday into a six-hour kitchen hostage situation or expecting Pinterest-level perfection. In this episode, we cover: Jenn’s meal planning framework (high-level): Why most women have a complicated relationship with food (and why it’s not a personal failing) How to meal plan in 20–30 minutes and save yourself hours of midweek chaos The pantry–fridge–freezer inventory that stops you from buying your 18th jar of salsa “Partial prep” for people who hate meal prep Component cooking so you don’t hate your lunches by Wednesday Low-stress strategies for picky eaters How to actually use a cookbook instead of admiring it like kitchen décor Friday: Inventory + pick meals + grocery list Weekend: Grocery run + 30–90 minutes of prep Weeknights: Less thinking, more eating Because when dinner stops requiring constant brainpower, you get your time, energy, and patience back. And that’s the real win — not perfection, just a system that works for your life instead of draining it. Thank you to our sponsors! Get 20% off your first order at curehydration.com/WOMANSWORK with code WOMANSWORK — and if you get a post-purchase survey, mention you heard about Cure here to help support the show!  Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/pd2550-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Jenn: Website: https://jenneatsgoood.com/ Cookbook: https://jenneatsgoood.com/cookbook/   Substack: https://jenneatsgoood.substack.com/subscribe  Related Podcast Episodes: How To Eat Lunch with Cheryl K. Johnson | 277 139 / Well-Rested with Jolene Hart 153 / Eating Your Feelings with Jessica Procini 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 | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Leadership is already messy. Add culture, identity, power dynamics, and a workplace that rewards sameness… and suddenly you’re not leading—you’re surviving. In this episode, Nicole talks with Aiko Bethea, founder of RARE Coaching & Consulting, about what actually creates diversity (spoiler: it’s not a checkbox) and why diversity is the outcome of great leadership. We get into: Why “diversity” isn’t a skill set (and why treating it like one makes you a worse leader) Power-sharing vs. power-hoarding and how that impacts belonging, equity, and performance The real reason leadership advice feels like a chaotic buffet of contradictions How to measure leadership impact beyond “we hit the number” (because people aren’t spreadsheets) Why leaders making mistakes feels riskier than ever—and why ownership is still the right move The “punching a ghost” feeling when reality is being rewritten in real time  What it means to be a well leader: aligned, accountable, humane—not perfect Because the goal isn’t to lead like the “stereotypical old-school leader.” The goal is to lead like your full self—and create workplaces where more people can do the same. Thank you to our sponsors! Get 20% off your first order at curehydration.com/WOMANSWORK with code WOMANSWORK — and if you get a post-purchase survey, mention you heard about Cure here to help support the show!  Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/pd2550-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Aiko: Website: https://www.rarecoaching.net/  IG: https://www.instagram.com/rare_coach  Invite to join RARE community  -  https://www.rarecoaching.net/membership/ Related Podcast Episodes: Leadership Unblocked (The Hidden Beliefs Sabotaging Your Ability To Lead) with Muriel M. Wilkins | 367  How to Push Back: From People-Pleasing to Power with Tonya Lester | 369 How To Be Yourself At Work: Authentic Presence Over Executive Presence with Claude Silver | 366 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 | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Manifesting has been turned into a social media vending machine: think it, post it, get it. Spoiler alert: the universe is not Uber Eats. In this episode, Nicole goes full curious skeptic with Colette Baron-Reid, internationally respected intuitive, oracle expert, and bestselling author—to reclaim manifesting from influencer fluff and bring it back to what it actually is: alignment over attachment, being over chasing, partnership over control. This is not about “good vibes only” or visualizing a yacht and waiting for it to dock. It’s about who you’re becoming, how you’re showing up, and what you’re rehearsing every single day—consciously or not. What We Get Into: Why performative spirituality cheapens real intuition (and why it feels so off) The truth bomb: you don’t manifest what you want—you manifest what you are Why attachment to outcomes kills trust, joy, and momentum How curiosity + gratitude open the door to synchronicity The science behind perception, focus, and your brain’s internal “sorting system” Colette’s Art of Manifesting practice: a meditative drawing method using circles and flowy lines to rewire patterns and co-create with intention Destiny vs. free will—and why it’s not either/or Why manifesting doesn’t eliminate pain or challenge, but can radically transform how you experience your life Bottom line: manifesting isn’t a magic trick—it’s a practice. You don’t get to control the universe, but you do get to control how you show up, what you rehearse, and what you’re available for… and that’s where the real power (and real transformation) lives. Thank you to our sponsors! Get 20% off your first order at curehydration.com/WOMANSWORK with code WOMANSWORK — and if you get a post-purchase survey, mention you heard about Cure here to help support the show!  Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/pd2550-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Colette: Website: https://www.colettebaronreid.com  Book: https://www.amazon.com/Art-Manifesting-Meditative-Drawing-Practice/dp/1401997856/ref=  FB: https://www.facebook.com/colettebaronreid  IG: https://www.instagram.com/colettebaron_reid/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ColetteBaronReid/featured  Related Podcast Episodes: Practical Intuition For Bold, Better Decisions with Laura Day | 360 The Icelandic Art of Intuition with Hrund Gunnsteinsdóttir | 307 How To Breathe: Breathwork, Intuition and Flow State with Francesca Sipma | 267 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 | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole sits down with Tamala Floyd - psychotherapist, Internal Family Systems (IFS) Lead Trainer, author, and longtime guide for healing trauma and inherited burdens—to break down what “parts work” actually is (spoiler: you’re not broken, you’re multidimensional). Tamala explains how our protector parts (critic, caretaker, people-pleaser) form to keep our wounded parts safe—and how real healing starts when you stop silencing them and start listening. What You’ll Learn The Big Takeaway: What Internal Family Systems (IFS) is—and why “having parts” is normal, not dysfunctional The difference between Self (your calm, grounded core) and parts (your protective strategies) How to unblend from parts so you’re not being driven by fear, approval-seeking, or old survival roles What it looks like to heal wounded parts through witnessing, compassion, and unburdening A practical workaround if talking to your parts feels “too weird” (drawing, objects, externalizing) Healing isn’t about becoming one perfect, polished “whole” person. It’s about becoming the leader of your internal system—with your parts on the bus, but not driving the bus. Thank you to our sponsors! Get 20% off your first order at curehydration.com/WOMANSWORK with code WOMANSWORK — and if you get a post-purchase survey, mention you heard about Cure here to help support the show!  Sex is a skill. Beducated is where you learn it. Visit https://beducate.me/pd2550-womanswork and use code womanswork for 50% off the annual pass. Connect with Tamala: Website: https://tamalafloyd.com/about/  Book:https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/748042/listening-when-parts-speak-by-tamala-floyd-lcsw/?utm_source=chatgpt.com  The Living Ancestor Retreat: https://mailchi.mp/tamalafloyd.com/listeningwhenpartsspeakretreat-17566020  Related Podcast Episodes How Our Dysregulated Nervous Systems Are Impacting Us with Victoria Albina | 244 How To Rewire Patterns That No Longer Serve You with Judy Wilkins-Smith | 323 People-Pleasing & Being “Needy” with Mara Glatzel | 147 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 | YouTube Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices