What makes someone magnetic in a meeting, not just competent, but commanding?

In this episode, Emily talks with communications expert and executive coach Janet Bartucci about gravitas: that subtle but powerful presence that gets people to lean in, listen, and take you seriously. Drawing on decades of experience in corporate leadership and brand strategy, Janet breaks down what gravitas really is, why women are often praised for being “good” but not genuinely heard, and how we can start showing up with grounded presence, without shouting, shrinking, or pretending.

This is a practical, personal conversation about what it looks like to stop second-guessing and start leading, in work and in life. 

Key Takeaways

• Gravitas isn’t about being the loudest. It’s about being the clearest. It’s the quiet conviction that makes people pay attention.

• Confidence gets you in the room, gravitas gets you heard. Delivery, tone, and presence often matter more than words alone.

• Recovery is part of power. Missteps happen. Gravitas shows up in how you handle them.

• Visual presence signals self-respect. Style, posture, and polish help you communicate authority before you speak.

• Good girl conditioning keeps us small. Approval-seeking dilutes your power. Gravitas begins with self-trust.

• This is a learnable skill. You don’t have to be born with it—you can develop it with intention, clarity, and practice.

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Host Emily Paulsen is an accomplished entrepreneur and happily childfree woman shining a light on the often overshadowed childfree-by-choice perspective. Whether interviewing innovative experts or positioning leaders to scale through her Brand Studio, Electric Collab, Emily’s power lies in allowing people to feel seen and celebrated for who they are . She’s spent years honing the ability to deeply understand and amplify others in an honest, high-impact way. 

Learn more about Emily on her website: www.curiouslifeofachildfreewoman.com  

And connect with her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curiouslifeofachildfreewoman/ 

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The guest on this episode, Janet Bartucci, is a leadership strategist who helps women stop performing and start leading. After decades inside high-powered boardrooms and executive roles, she saw the same story play out: brilliant women getting overlooked, not because they lacked skill, but because they were stuck in outdated scripts about how to show up.

Through her 5 Steps to a Self-Directed Life framework, Janet now teaches women how to reclaim their voice, lead with grounded authority, and build gravitas that’s not performative, but deeply embodied. Her work is about dropping the “good girl” act and becoming the kind of leader who doesn’t wait to be chosen.

Learn more at www.janetbartucci.com or connect with her on Instagram @janetbartucci.