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Have you felt like you have a big idea to share but don’t know how to communicate your message in a clear and impactful way? My guest has much wisdom to share. Join us! Dolores Hirschmann is an internationally recognized strategist, clarity coach, TEDx organizer, speaker, and author. She is also the host of her own YouTube channel, Clarity TV. In this episode, Dolores shares how she is able to guide her clients to clarity to define their core idea and reach their next level of growth, the secret to transforming fear into bravery, and why purpose is a daunting word, and there is a better way to think about it.  Clarity of life’s work Dolores works mainly with service business owners who want to serve the world with clarity and purpose. She asks four specific questions: What academic puzzle pieces do you have? What would you do for free all day long? What is a problem that the world has? How are other people attempting to solve that problem? It’s at the intersection of the answers to these four questions that you’ll find your life’s work.  The practical side of purpose Some people are gifted with the purpose of unveiling the brilliance in others, being a mirror for those who have lost their spark. Many of us get lost as we build our lives with puzzle pieces, and we get stuck. In the practical aspect, Dolores reminds women what they are becoming, and that where they are is simply a place on that path to becoming. It’s each person’s challenge to be powered by their purpose, independent of the situation around them. Dolores shares a story of a client discovering purpose and anchoring in the being of who she is.  Stepping into your capacity We sometimes get stuck in a lack of trust mentality because we feel that we can’t handle the consequences if something goes wrong. There are core beliefs that will allow us to delegate control. Going through the 2020 pandemic has helped each of us understand our resiliency and our capacity for survival in new ways. Connecting with that strength allows us to let go in delegating tasks. Another core belief is that if we aren’t involved, something won’t be done well. We feel that everything is in our control, and the opposite of that is the belief that our capacity is limited when we feel disconnected from the world.  Divine timing Dolores has learned to trust that the puzzle pieces of her calendar will all fall into place. Numerous times she has seen meetings or events have to be rescheduled in ways that work out better than the original intent. Now, Dolores smiles when something reschedules itself, and she never gets upset about it. She says it feels like the universe has her back in the way divine timing seems to work things out. Divine timing and delegation are totally connected in that you can trust that things will fall into place. Intentional bravery We can leverage our fear and transform it into intentional bravery. Fear is what keeps us from taking the action that is in front of us. Dolores uses the analogy of the saboteur and the snowflake in how some truth is present in every fear that seeks to sabotage us. We have to allow fear to play its role in protecting us as we move forward to take action. Her work focuses on the steps of clarity, action, and impact. Clarity alone is nothing if it isn’t followed by action and impact.  The secret to a good TED talk Dolores instructs her clients to find the right TED Talk for them, and the next step is not talking about what you do, but what you stand for. She advises clients to talk about the bigger essence of the work they do. There are two parts to a great TED Talk: the work the speaker has done to extrapolate the bigger idea behind their work, and the way it’s beautifully communicated.  Highlights of this episode: 4:49 – How Dolores works with clients on clarity and purpose15:12 – Translating purpose into practicality24:00 – A client story of discovery27:01 – Stepping into your capacity33:06 – The calendar game and divine timing40:50 – Intentional bravery from fear49:26 – Courage is a muscle50:29 – The secret to a good TED Talk54:30 – Fem Five Resources mentioned: www.mastersinclarity.com  Check out the free resources on Dolores’ website.  www.nextfem.com  Find Dolores’ free gift of a clarity call. Untamed by Glennon Doyle Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl The Fem Five: 1. Favorite book to recommend for women? Untamed by Glennon Doyle 2. Favorite self-care hack? ”Outdoor anything at least once a day.” 3. Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “When I was learning to drive, my therapist told me not to worry and that I could drive at the speed I wanted because no one would use their car to push me to go faster.” 4. Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? Elizabeth Gilbert 5. One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Just play. Don’t sweat it. It’s just a puzzle piece.” Last Time on The NextFem Podcast Using Art to Create Transformational Experiences – with Stephanie May Bell Subscribe to the show on iTunes. (Android here). Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who took the time to write a review on iTunes! If you write a review this week, send a screenshot to support@nextfem.com and we’ll give you a shout-out! The post Stepping Into Your Next Level of Growth – with Dolores Hirschmann appeared first on NextFem.

Today’s show introduces you to someone who blends her passions perfectly into the artwork that has become her creative outlet. Her story and her life’s work are inspiring on many levels. Join us to learn more.  Stephanie Bell May is a world-renowned artist and leader in her transformational work called The Art Experience. Stephanie discovered her passion for art as a young girl growing up in Mexico City, where the museums are flooded with a rich history of early and mid-20th century artists with strong political motives, like Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Tina Modotti, and Rufino Tamayo. These masters strongly influenced Stephanie’s vision and played out in her early work. Following years of public exhibition and recognition, she pursued a new visual path where she began to explore issues of female equality and human rights. In this episode, Stephanie and I talk about how her upbringing in Mexico and her studies in Buddhism and psychology shaped both her early work and her projects today. We also discuss the wild inflection point that transformed her and led to the creation of The Art Experience, and how her own marriage led to the awareness of cultural expectations of her as a woman and the knowing of her own soul in its truest form.  Freedom Freedom can mean many different things; the meaning is derived from how cultures value it, and this concept is the overriding theme in Stephanie’s observation and expression. She explains how freedom of expression shows who we are, intellectual freedom gives us opportunities to explore ideas and educate ourselves, and spiritual freedom relates to how we view our existence. Freedom in a different sense means how we find our true selves without social constraints. Stephanie explains that the peace found within that freedom is everything; there is no higher achievement in life.  You can’t un-wild yourself Once you know your wild, you can’t go back to being restrained. We are born as an incredible self that is constantly being left behind as we grow and allow society’s constraints to shape us. We are told to speak and act in certain ways that are acceptable within social norms, especially as women. We’ve been told to be less than our true sexual self and less than our true expressive self, along with being quieter, less demanding, and more accepting of the way things are. Stephanie explains how this un – wilding leads to an unspoken unhappiness that many women feel within their lives.  The ugly truth When we don’t align with society’s norm, we feel that we either have to rebel or suppress ourselves and conform. It’s a dilemma that we each face. We have to remember our pure self and understand the value of our real, authentic, wild self. Stephanie shares how she and her husband checked all the boxes and hit all the markers for success in life, yet they realized that they weren’t happy and were tired of pretending. Stephanie found herself wanting more than the traditional role of wife and mother, and her husband felt the same way regarding his suppressed homosexuality. No more pretending One day, Stephanie’s husband went on a trip and fell into cataclysmic love with another man. Stephanie later observed how they loved each other and never wanted to be apart. She knew their relationship was right, even though it was hard for her to let go of the facade of ideal life and family that they had carefully crafted together. Being gay was her husband’s worst nightmare, and she saw the struggle, trying to help him survive and be happy and fulfilled. Even though she looked at him as her partner and the father of her children, fear and anxiety set in as she faced the questions about why they weren’t the couple that everyone thought they were.  Handling the chaos Because her children were still young, Stephanie had to carry on in front of neighbors, friends, and teachers without anyone knowing what was going on inside. Cataclysmic changes were occurring as she entered a time of spiritual, emotional, and mental gymnastics to get to a point of stability. She learned to meditate and use yoga, exercise, and therapy to save herself. It took a dramatic, life – changing moment for her to realize that she had the answers and peace within herself. It was a rebirth and a surrender that became the starting point to remembering who she is as a person.  Freedom as a sexual being With her newfound freedom in giving up social constraints, Stephanie decided to experiment with sexuality to find her real, original self. She explored a new way of being by reading books and learning about receiving instead of always giving. Learning to ask for what she wanted and needed in all aspects of life had a healing effect on her soul. Freedom came to Stephanie to explore life and expression in all planes of her life.  The evolution of art A complete evolution occurred in Stephanie’s art as her regular life was changing and evolving. She found her voice as an artist in a bold, new way. She threw off social constraints in her art just as she threw them off concerning the expectations in her personal life. As she slowed down the creative process, she found more beauty and fulfillment in the creation of her art. Finding the line between successful art and unsuccessful art, which she attributes to her study of Buddhism,  helped her understand creativity in a new way.  The role of art for women Art goes hand – in – hand with creativity, creation, giving birth, and womanhood. It’s all connected, and sexuality is the driving force behind all that we create. Making art becomes an incredible adventure. After all that Stephanie has gone through, her art became the expression of feminine roles, oppression, finding herself, and returning to her wild.  Highlights of this episode: 3:57 – Freedom: what it means8:14 – Discovering your wild19:20 – The ugly truth about who we get to be27:36 – A cataclysmic love that changed everything38:15 – Handling the chaos in the aftermath46:24 – Finding freedom as a sexual being54:05 – The evolution of art1:07:48 – The role of art for women1:15:12 – Fem Five Resources mentioned: Stephanie’s website:  www.bellmayart.com Find Stephanie on Instagram: @SBellMay Visit www.nextfem.com to find out more about Stephanie’s BOGO offer on in-person or Zoom art retreats. Infidel: My Life by Ayaan Hirsi Ali The Fem Five: 1. Favorite book to recommend for women? Infidel: My Life by Ayaan Hirsi Ali 2. Favorite self-care hack? Swimming in the ocean on a daily basis. 3. Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? A Buddhist therapist said that “emotions are like waves; just as easily as they come, they go.” 4. Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? AOC (Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez) and other prominent female world leaders 5. One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Feel the guilt, but keep going.” Last Time on The NextFem Podcast Bringing True Diversity & Inclusion Into the Workplace – with Jennifer Brown Subscribe to the show on iTunes. (Android here). Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who took the time to write a review on iTunes! If you write a review this week, send a screenshot to support@nextfem.com and we’ll give you a shout-out! The post Using Art to Create Transformational Experiences – with Stephanie Bell May appeared first on NextFem.

Inclusion and diversity are buzzwords in today’s world, but the concepts behind them have always been important. The difference is that people are paying attention in ways they haven’t before. Join us in today’s show to learn more about bringing true inclusion and diversity to the workplace.  Jennifer Brown is an award-winning entrepreneur, dynamic speaker, author, and diversity and inclusion expert. Jennifer is passionate about social equality and advocacy, and she’s committed to helping leaders foster healthier and more productive workplaces, ultimately driving innovation and business results. Jennifer’s body of work is informed by more than a decade of consulting with Fortune 500 companies. She creates a compelling business case for leadership to embrace the opportunities that diversity represents, along with empowering advocates at all levels to find their voice and be a driving force in creating more enlightened organizations. Jennifer has written Inclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace & The Will to Change to help companies become more welcoming and accepting of every race, orientation, and culture that walks through their doors.  The dichotomy of being both privileged and marginalized Jennifer has risen to the top of her field by advocating for those who didn’t have a voice. As a member of the LGBTQ community herself, Jennifer has several friends who were among the first in their role to come out publicly. She was able to watch corporate cultures evolve through the lower – level leadership of her courageous friends, and she welcomed the opportunity to be part of the community that was pushing necessary change. From the beginning, she understood that she had to speak the executive language and present diversity and inclusion from a business case. Even though she focused on her own marginalization in the early years of her career, she now realizes the extent of her privilege because of how she looks and presents herself as a white woman. Being an inclusive manager Inclusion doesn’t just happen. Jennifer explains that you can call yourself a feminist and be politically progressive, and you still can be that manager who hires people who all look the same. Any working manager has many points of failure in the workday when it comes to diversity and inclusion. The important steps to change can only begin when we recognize the places where bias creeps in, and then we make the conscious choice to do one thing differently. Jennifer says it’s a small tweak to the mindset to learn to pay attention to different aspects of diversity and inclusion.  Bring your full self We live in a culture where women have certain roles and expectations in the business world, and they are judged negatively when they function outside those roles. Jennifer says we need to break out in intentional ways to find our voice and fulfill our destiny. In coming out as an LGBTQ woman, Jennifer had to navigate a path for which there was no script. She learned to depend on herself and accepted the gift that comes with truly discovering who she is as a person.  Don’t play the Pain Olympics This is Jennifer’s way of denouncing the hierarchy of oppression. She’s been told that she is just another white person propagating the same harmful system and that she shouldn’t be running her company. The basis for this denouncement is the assumption that she doesn’t know enough about race and ethnicity to understand and be a voice for the marginalized. Her company focuses on the workplace as a place where everyone can manifest their true selves, but the current level of anger and frustration make that a difficult task. She holds fast to the concept that her work is important in holding space for people to come into the conversation. Jennifer explains how intersectionality is demonstrated in the fact that a white woman’s experience is different than that of a woman of color.  Confronting the shame Leaders send a strong message by the way they lead. It’s their experience that allows them to connect with and understand the need for diversity. In Jennifer’s work, she sees that people have shame around inclusion or don’t want to address the topic in personal ways. Leaders are challenged in their thinking about diversity and inclusion, but those who can be authentic and connect to diversity on a personal level can truly be the change. This allows for belonging, which has become a big part of the diversity and inclusion conversation.  Highlights of this episode: 3:50 – Being both marginalized and privileged12:28 – Being an inclusive manager19:15 – Bringing your full self to work23:58 – The Pain Olympics28:06 – Intersectionality defined34:33 – How leaders send a message41:58 – Fem Five Resources mentioned: Find Jennifer’s podcast: The Will to Change Connect with Jennifer on Twitter: @JenniferBrown Connect with Jennifer on Instagram: JenniferBrownSpeaks Connect with Jennifer on LinkedIn and Facebook: Jennifer Brown Consulting Visit www.nextfem.com for Jennifer’s free gift, a free assessment of your inclusion journey Inclusion: Diversity, The New Workplace & The Will to Change by Jennifer Brown Earn It: The Tools You Need to Earn the Money You Want by Daniela Pierre-Bravo and Mika Brzezinski The Fem Five: 1. Favorite book to recommend for women? Earn It: The Tools You Need to Earn the Money You Want by Daniela Pierre-Bravo and Mika Brzezinski 2. Favorite self-care hack? Hot yoga 3. Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “Someone once told me to say yes and figure out how later.” 4. Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? Azure Antoinette, who is called The Maya Angelou of the Millennial Generation. 5. One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Keep going, and believe in your vision. Keep maintaining what you’ve built, and wait for the moment it will be appreciated and seen.”  Last Time on The NextFem Podcast Use Bragging to Advance Your Career – with Meredith Fineman Subscribe to the show on iTunes. (Android here). Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who took the time to write a review on iTunes! If you write a review this week, send a screenshot to support@nextfem.com and we’ll give you a shout-out! The post Bringing True Diversity & Inclusion Into the Workplace – with Jennifer Brown appeared first on NextFem.

Bragging about yourself and your accomplishments isn’t always the best strategy for personal relationships. However, in today’s business world, bragging is an essential skill to advance your career, even though most women experience discomfort in touting themselves. If you need to learn how to brag better with style and professionalism, then today’s show is just for you.  Meredith Fineman is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, podcast host, and women’s advocate. She’s also the founder and CEO of Fine Point, a leadership and professional development company, and a freelance writer with bylines from Harvard Business Review, Forbes, Best Company, and many more. Meredith’s other endeavors include hosting It Never Gets Old, a podcast on secondhand and sustainable fashion, and writing her book, Brag Better: Master the Art of Fearless Self-Promotion. In this episode, Meredith and I discuss how the workplace is shifting amid the global pandemic, and how to combat job insecurity by advocating for yourself with a Brag Better skillset. We also talk about the need for self-advocacy among the qualified quiet and the importance of using privilege to advocate and champion for the underrepresented.  Women and bragging Meredith begins by explaining that bragging, especially for women, hasn’t always been the cool thing to do. Instead, women have been told down through history to look pretty and be quiet. Meredith is passionate about women learning to tout themselves, despite the fears and inherent dangers. Her demographic is the qualified quiet, those men and women who have done the work but don’t know how to talk about it. Her book is for men and women because the world needs to hear male voices speaking up and advocating for women as strong allies. The truth is that everyone needs to learn to brag better instead of feeling ineffective and awkward. Better bragging is for everyone.  Why bragging is difficult but necessary Especially during this global pandemic, it’s more important than ever to know how to brag better from home.  Bragging is necessary for your career because you must turn people’s attention to your work to get the recognition you deserve and to propel your career forward. We are in an extreme emergency situation right now, and this time of fear, uncertainty, and incredible joblessness forces us to be more explicit than ever before. Many of our normal tools are lost as we work from home, so we have to hone other skills. Depending on your goals, Meredith shares advice about asking for a raise or asking for an appointment to a panel with focused bragging. Focused bragging includes strategically offering up yourself and talking about your background and skills to get what you want and propel your career forward.  Do it for others Bragging also requires that you’re committed to lifting someone else up when possible and not being jealous of them. Meredith explains how we can be strategic in the way we brag for others, and she uses the example of the racism crisis in America right now. Speaking as a white woman of privilege, she believes that our duty is to highlight other people and share our voices to expand their reach. Elevating your voice and advocating for others is a way to use your power to speak up for those who aren’t usually regarded with the same level of respect.  Meredith’s sensitivity How did Meredith develop a lens of sensitivity? As the daughter of DC journalists, she grew up with a liberal background, and her Jewish heritage gave her a feeling of other – ness and white privilege. The history of Jewish people gives them a right to speak up for all oppressed people, so advocating for others was a natural progression.  Growing up with diversity everywhere helped Meredith know that she wanted to educate herself about speaking and writing to highlight the perspective and opinions of others.  Key elements of Better Bragging Better Bragging is about stating the facts of your accomplishments in a strategic, cohesive way to get what you want. Bragging is less about the word choice and more about the sentiment. The three pillars of Better Bragging are proud, loud, and strategic. Being proud is the most difficult for most women because we are too hard on ourselves. Being loud isn’t about your volume, but it’s about consistency and repetition. Being strategic means working backward from what you want as the end result, and often it means applying PR tactics to yourself. Thirty seconds or less Since the pandemic, Meredith has added a fourth element of Better Bragging. It’s important that you are explicit in your bragging, not leaving any room for inference. Your message needs to be distilled into a pitch of thirty seconds or less. People have short attention spans, so it’s necessary to be very specific and concise about what you mean. Meredith shares an exercise she uses to help clients be specific and concise like never before. Another tip is to reduce your pitch to two sentences, and even then, she helps clients eliminate words that don’t add to the message.  How to use LinkedIn There are many benefits to LinkedIn, even though many people don’t see them. There are canned and cheesy messages sent by people who communicate in great volume and play the numbers game, but the platform has many opportunities. Meredith advises clients to put their email addresses high up on their profile in a visible place. She also explains how she handles networking and connections on LinkedIn to maximize the platform as a useful resource.  Highlights of this episode: 2:15 – Pitfalls in bragging for women6:27 – Why bragging is difficult but necessary15:55 – Bragging for others20:30 – Where Meredith got her sensitivity25:13 – Key elements of Better Bragging30:39 – Distilling your message35:10 – Recommendations for using LinkedIn46:25 – Fem Five Resources mentioned: www.meredithfineman.com www.brag-better.com  Get a free chapter of Meredith’s book!  Brag Better: Master the Art of Fearless Self-Promotion by Meredith Fineman The Witches are Coming by Lindy West Wow, No Thank You: Essays by Samantha Irby Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets & Advice for Living Your Best Life by Ali Wong Leapfrog: The New Revolution for Women Entrepreneurs by Natalie Molina Nino The Fem Five: 1. Favorite book to recommend for women? The Witches are Coming, Wow, No Thank You, and Dear Girls. 2. Favorite self-care hack? Putting parental controls on my phone (for me), and turning it completely off at night. 3. Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “My best friend told me that 100% of nothing is nothing.” 4. Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? “Kimberly Drew, Tarana Burke, Brittney Cooper, Jamia Wilson, and other prominent black women.” 5. One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Stop buying expensive handbags!” Last Time on The NextFem Podcast Effective Actions for the Workplace Recognition You Deserve – with Dr. Rosina Raccioppi Subscribe to the show on iTunes. (Android here). Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who took the time to write a review on iTunes! If you write a review this week, send a screenshot to support@nextfem.com and we’ll give you a shout-out! The post Use Bragging to Advance Your Career – with Meredith Fineman appeared first on NextFem.

Today’s episode brings clarity to the frustrations that many women feel in their careers. Are you working independently, but struggling to get the recognition you deserve? Do you understand the value of relationships in the workplace? My guest today puts it all in perspective, and she shares the nuts and bolts to help you take effective action steps.  Dr. Rosina Raccioppi is CEO and president of WOMEN Unlimited, an organization that for over 25 years has worked with hundreds of leading corporations focused on creating corporate cultures that nurture the development and advancement of talented women. Their three-pronged approach of mentoring, education and networking allows corporations to accelerate the leadership pipeline of high potential women. In this episode, Dr. Raccioppi and I talk about her book, Relationships Matter: How Women Use Developmental Networks to Step Into Their Power and Influence. We also discuss the challenges and opportunities in the workplace for women. We pinpoint what it takes for women to move up the career ladder, and why it’s not just what you know, but who you know and who knows your work. Dr. Raccioppi explains how WOMEN Unlimited’s programs guide women to the C-suite and help them stay there.  Independence vs. Relationships From the beginning of a woman’s career, there are moments of key inflection points where a leader or mentor’s influence is critical and impactful. In 2019, for the first time ever, women made up over half of the professional workforce in organizations. What Rosina sees from young women starting out is that their independence keeps them from building key relationships and seeking out support in their careers, so they rely instead on their own capabilities. This is a big mistake. Those key mentoring relationships are crucial as leaders provide guidance and feedback that allow women to continue to evolve their capabilities as they grow their careers.  Painful feedback Rosina shares a personal example from her career when she learned a hard lesson through feedback. Her manner is extremely direct, and that was good and effective until it wasn’t. People had told her that there were issues with her somewhat intimidating communication style, but she would blow off that feedback. One day, a colleague made a statement about her direct leadership style that shocked her and caused great reflection. Rosina looks back on that feedback as a gift that gave her insight and realization that have helped her learn to find innovative solutions and to listen to others more fully. This lesson has helped her become more inclusive as a leader. Listen to learn specific techniques to get the feedback you need and deserve. Why Rosina wrote her book We’ve all heard about mentoring as a leadership skill, but WOMEN Unlimited takes it a step further. Their platform is based on mentoring education and networking. The content is bookended by the relationships created by mentoring and networking. For women in the workplace, these relationships are crucial to success. Rosina built upon existing research about how women used mentors, but she took it a step further to see how those mentoring relationships were developed. Rosina says, “Mentoring turns learning into leadership.” Using a crisis to your advantage Generally speaking, during the pandemic crisis, men are looking to make strides to stand out in the workforce while women are hunkering down to get the work done. With any organization, during a crisis, you have to figure out how to be profitable and take care of the customers. The important thing is to map out a path forward for the organization to preserve revenue. Rosina says that successful women will stay engaged and embrace the leadership role even during a crisis.  Building a network Think about the people who will help round out your perspective. Those who impact the customer are the ones who matter most in an organization. Rosina says to think about how to frame the work you do in ways that are important to the customers. You want to stay in the game, be relevant at the table, and create an impact for the customer. If you aren’t doing that currently, then take a good look at your role and what it should be.  How to find a mentor It doesn’t make much sense to approach someone and ask them to be your mentor. Being a mentor is a vague concept to many people; they just aren’t sure what that means. Rosina encourages people to create a board of directors group of 3-4 people who will challenge your thinking and help you grow. Don’t look for people who will tell you what you want to hear, because that won’t help you grow. Often, someone in a different department in your organization is the best person to expand your thinking and round out your perspective. Start with one person, and add others that give you a diversity of perspective on how you want to move forward.  Highlights of this episode: 4:21 – Key inflection points in a woman’s career6:00 – The feedback women need11:37 – An example of impactful feedback for Rosina18:44 – Why Rosina wrote her book26:00 – Using a crisis to your advantage27:34 – Building a network29:46 – Advice for women who need a mentor35:12 – Fem Five Resources mentioned: www.womenunlimited.com Visit www.nextfem.com for this episode for your chance to receive a free signed copy of Rosina’s book, Relationships Matter: How Women Use Developmental Networks to Step Into Their Power and Influence. The Fem Five: 1. Favorite book to recommend for women? My book, Relationships Matter: How Women Use Developmental Networks to Step Into Their Power and Influence. 2. Favorite self-care hack? “Exercise and taking time for me.” 3. Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “My mother helped me see that the only thing I can control is me.” 4. Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? “I can’t name just one, but it’s all the women who are CEOs in traditionally male-dominated industries.” 5. One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Push yourself even further than you think you can go. Don’t be afraid. There will always be a net to catch you.” Subscribe to the show on iTunes. (Android here). Last Time on The NextFem Podcast Communication and PR During the Global Pandemic – with Adele Cehrs Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who took the time to write a review on iTunes! If you write a review this week, send a screenshot to support@nextfem.com and we’ll give you a shout-out! The post Effective Actions for the Workplace Recognition You Deserve – with Dr. Rosina Raccioppi appeared first on NextFem.

Whether you own your business or work for someone else, communication is the key to PR. Never is the importance of communication highlighted more fully than in times of crisis. If you want to know more about PR in the time of a global pandemic or just want to make it through any other type of PR crisis, join me for today’s conversation.  Adele Cehrs is CEO and founder of Epic PR, When+How Agency, and a bestselling author. Beginning her career as a journalist for George magazine and the Asbury Park Press, Adele cut her teeth on marketing and PR on Madison Avenue and K Street. In her 16 years at the helm guiding Epic PR’s success, Adele became a renowned authority on how organizations can get into the news and get out of the news. Today, Adele is heralded as a crisis communication expert by the Wall Street Journal. She works with companies such as Lockheed Martin, DuPont, and Verizon, and helps their executives and leaders navigate the ups and downs of tough customers, hostile rooms, and challenging situations. In this episode, Adele shares actionable steps for staying cool in a crisis, and how to make rapid decisions without losing sight of your long – term goals. She also shares an actionable framework for reading people, navigating crisis situations, and negotiating to win. Whether you’re in management, HR, or sales, effective communication is crucial to success.  What makes a good PR person? Adele says that it’s tough to be a good publicist if you haven’t spent time in a newsroom. You really need to spend time on the other side of the fence to understand the intricacies of how the media works. This experience gives you a decided advantage. Getting caught up in the glitz and glamor of PR will make you lose your creative edge, but Adele has been able from the beginning to work with celebrities without being awed by the spotlight. Her experience working for JFK, Jr. at George magazine gave her the foundation for later success and gave her much empathy for the celebrity experience.  Becoming a crisis communication expert Adele helps people get into and out of the news. Becoming a crisis communication expert was an accidental journey that began when she was at a PR firm, and a crisis arose with a client. Adele came up with a strategy, and the firm used it. She loved that feeling of solving the problem and alleviating the crisis, and she was hooked on crisis communication from that point forward. Being naturally adept at gauging possible outcomes and predicting human behavior, Adele was able to merge her interests of journalism, messaging, human behavior, and emotions to form a fast-paced career that she loves. In addition, her personal 9/11 experience taught her how she could be calm and thoughtful in the middle of others’ crises.  From Epic PR to When+How  A unique and unlikely partnership was born when Adele met Chip, a former FBI hostage negotiator. She became curious about the language of crisis communication, and she and Chip teamed up to teach a master class together. They realized that they made an unprecedented team of crisis communication firm meets FBI hostage negotiator. Their skills merged into a unique perspective in that she helps people with career suicide moments, while Chip’s experience is in helping people in a real suicide crisis. It’s become a partnership that works well as they each bring their interesting gifts, strengths, and skillsets to the table.  The nuts and bolts of effective negotiation With When+How, Adele and Chip are launching the idea of behavior-based crisis negotiations regarding the different personalities that show up in a crisis. They have identified 12 different personality types. One of these types is the Quick Draw, a person who has too many ideas and makes decisions too quickly. With their new system, When+How identifies your personality type under stress, how other people see you and react to you, and how you can improve your reactions and modify your behavior.   Turn those triggering situations around We all are triggered by certain people, their behaviors, and how they speak to us. Adele shares an example of a business colleague whom she finds extremely triggering, especially with his brusque and misogynistic manner. She’s taken that situation to change her perspective, using these interactions to learn about herself and grow, removing herself from the caustic situation without relinquishing her power. It’s a matter of wanting the knowledge more than the pain. The key in many business relationships is not to personalize these triggering interactions, but to look at these moments as plot twists in your journey. Figure out how you can grow and become better because of those triggers.  Compete with yourself For a competitive person like Adele, the key she’s found is to compete with herself and not other people. She tries to set 12 – 15 goals on a yearly vision board as a way to inspire her to reach every day for those larger goals. However big or small those goals are, she says to look at them every day and feel great satisfaction as you achieve them. It’s easy during a crisis to lose focus on those goals, but they can keep you grounded. Applying Adele’s work to real life Check out Adele’s website for free resources about communicating during a crisis. She says to look at any crisis as an opportunity for your company to take risks. A year from now, people everywhere will be receiving awards and recognition for the risks they took during this global crisis. Use any crisis as a chance to get ahead and take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves.  Highlights of this episode: 7:24 – What it takes to be a good PR person18:52 – Journey to becoming a crisis communication expert24:12 – A transition and an unlikely partnership29:55 – Nuts and bolts of effective negotiation38:24 – How to learn from what triggers you49:03 – Competing with yourself59:12 – Applying Adele’s work to real life1:04:28 – Fem Five Resources mentioned: www.whenandhow.com  Check out Adele’s website for free resources! Find Adele Cehrs on Facebook and LinkedIn. The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth by M. Scott Peck The Fem Five 1. Favorite book to recommend for women? The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth by M. Scott Peck 2. Favorite self-care hack? Exercise 3. Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “A former boss showed me why I should work for my own success and not the success of others.” 4. Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? Marillyn Hewson of Lockheed Martin 5. One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Make decisions that will make you happy.” Last Time on The NextFem Podcast Creating A Company That Puts Its Values Into Practice – with Shannon Adkins Subscribe to the show on iTunes. (Android here). Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who took the time to write a review on iTunes! If you write a review this week, send a screenshot to support@nextfem.com and we’ll give you a shout-out! The post Communication and PR During the Global Pandemic – with Adele Cehrs appeared first on NextFem.

What kind of difference would it make if a company were run by women who are committed to authenticity, transparency, and connection? What if that company’s leadership put their values into practice, developing a workplace culture where diversity, self-expression, and creativity thrive? If this sounds like a place where you would love to work, then you’ll want to hear more from today’s guest.  Shannon Adkins is CEO of Future State, a woman-owned, employee-owned consulting company that she returned to revive after a downturn. Future State works with Fortune 100’s and non-profits, treating their clients as the smartest person in the room, making them feel cared for and collaborated with. Shannon originally planned to be a women’s rights lawyer, but when the dotcom boom hit, she found herself working for a small company full of wacky women with magical powers who were not playing by the rules, and a new passion was born. In this episode, Shannon shares how she was able to build and create a team and company culture focused on leading with heart, the roles of empathy, intuition, and transparency in business success, and the 21st-century skill sets leaders need to rise to the occasion during times of great change and ambiguity in order to rewire organizations and people for adaptability.  Future State values When Shannon says that Future State is a woman-owned company, what she means is that 100% of the C-suite and board members are women. To go a step further, Future State is also owned by several hundred employees, 87% of that ownership being held by women. What makes the company unique is the deep commitment to community, team members, and sustainability. Shannon explains that it’s important that people can work for Future State and take good care of their families, sit on managing boards, and experience success. The leadership at Future State is committed to using best management practices in several key areas. Practical application of values It’s important to Shannon and the other Future State leaders to create a culture of care, connection, authenticity, and transparency; they are committed to these values, which means a lot more than merely saying you hold them. Because the company is employee-owned, Shannon answers to the shareholders, who just happen to be Future State employees. She strives to be an open book to the team members because it’s their company. This foundation of trust allows Future State to reassure their employees in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic that the company will survive and thrive on the other side. Even though challenging decisions and policy changes have happened, as with any company’s growth, the leaders have remained authentic and transparent while holding their commitment to the company’s purpose. Empowering employees Shannon believes the key to empowering employees is role modeling. As she stepped into the CEO role, her authenticity and transparency freaked some people out because she was so frank and open about asking people to contribute answers and solutions to problems. She believes the answer is to share more with team members, so they are in on every decision and every problem, even the minute details of banking and company finances.  Downsides to being a woman-owned business It’s not only that women compete with each other and bring each other down, but it’s true that women have higher expectations of each other than they do of men. We tend to have less tolerance for missteps, mistakes, and struggles. Shannon had to learn to let go of the fear of hurting people’s feelings, even though she doesn’t do it intentionally, but it’s something that comes with any leadership role. That fear was just one of the limiting beliefs she had to overcome as she learned to listen to the people around her.  Unique employee interviews In interviews, Shannon likes to get a sense of people’s aspirations and how they see the company. It took a certain amount of selling the company’s values and vision for the future,, because it’s difficult for someone to come in from the outside and immediately catch sight of that vision. Shannon shares a story of how showing up to an interview in leather pants in a moment of self – expression made all the difference in an interview for her.  Embracing diversity Diversity is more than just a buzzword at Future State. Shannon says that leaders have to be curious about the things that trigger them, like disharmony, for example. A leader has to learn to integrate different voices into the organization and listen to those who are different than they are. A culture of growth won’t happen if everyone thinks and speaks the same way, so there is value in varying opinions and voices. Disharmony becomes unproductive when people don’t agree on the vision and the path ahead. Diversity means differences of opinion can still keep you aligned with the overall vision.  Handling differences and suffering Through her personal experience with her mom’s early Alzheimer’s diagnosis, Shannon developed a philosophy that life is for living, and that there are no guarantees. She learned to step up and do what she wants instead of toughing out a bad situation. In doing so, she formulated a policy about allowing herself to suffer. She vowed that she would quit any job at which she suffered for ten days in a row. This philosophy has led to a proactive approach to anything that brings her suffering, either by having a necessary conversation with someone or deciding on another way to take action.  What’s next for Future State? The company remains committed to transforming the world of work and creating organizations where human beings can be self-expressive and creative while they work on meaningful projects. Future State wants all of their work to be purpose-driven for their clients. Shannon says they recently added 15 people to make the team number about 100, and they are committed to creating wealth opportunities for their employees-owners. The leaders there want to be role models while keeping the company human-centered, responsible, agile, and purpose-driven.  Highlights of this episode: 5:48 – Future State values8:16 – Practically employing the values14:22 – Empowering employees20:25 – Downsides to a woman-owned business27:47 – New employee interviews38:05 – Embracing diversity41:54 – Handling differences and suffering51:30 – What’s next?55:27 – Fem Five Resources mentioned: www.futurestate.com Find Shannon Adkins on LinkedIn www.nextfem.com  Get Shannon’s free webinar series on Leading From a Place of ResiliencyUntamed by Glennon Doyle The Fem Five: 1. Favorite book to recommend for women? Untamed by Glennon Doyle 2. Favorite self-care hack? “Snuggles with the dog.” 3. Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “Meryl Natchez told me the first thing I need to do is to ask for feedback.” 4. Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? Rose Marcario, President and CEO of Patagonia 5. One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Trust yourself.” Last Time on The NextFem Podcast Trust Your Body to Tell The Truth – with Lyn-Genet Recitas Subscribe to the show on iTunes. (Android here). Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who took the time to write a review on iTunes! If you write a review this week, send a screenshot to support@nextfem.com and we’ll give you a shout-out! The post Creating A Company That Puts Its Values Into Practice – with Shannon Adkins appeared first on NextFem.

If you’re looking for answers as to why your body doesn’t respond to those trendy diets and restrictive eating plans, then this is the show for you. It makes sense that each person’s body is different, and therefore, the way we metabolize foods can lead to either weight loss or weight gain. The shocking truth is that many of those healthy foods you are eating may be the reason you aren’t losing the weight you want to lose. Join us for today’s show to learn more. Lyn-Genet Recitas is a nutritionist whose work has transformed my life in many ways. She’s a NY Times and international bestselling author of The Plan and The Metabolism Plan, groundbreaking anti-inflammatory nutritional protocols which have been published in over 15 countries. Lyn-Genet has been featured on Dr. Oz, Huffington Post, Thrive Global, CBS, NBC, FOX, Women’s Running, More magazine, and more. Her work has helped hundreds of thousands of men and women reach their best health by finding their chemical responses to food and not counting calories. In this episode, Lyn-Genet shares how to rev up your metabolism at any age under any conditions, how hidden stress and many of the foods typically labeled as healthy, like Greek yogurt and salmon, could be causing inflammation and weight gain, and why lowering inflammation is the key to mental, emotional, and physical vibrancy.  Your body tells the truth Every food has potential health benefits and risks, and these results can vary from person to person. Simply put, many foods have compounds that aren’t going to work for your body. Spinach is an example of a healthy superfood that has two compounds that can be reactive for many people regarding thyroid function and the neurological system. When we gain weight while eating healthy foods, we become distrustful of our bodies. The reality is that your body’s response will tell you which foods work and don’t work for you. Age and weight gain You’ve heard it stated as a fact that metabolism slows down as you age. Lyn-Genet’s work debunks this myth; the truth is that your body’s responses to food and exercise change as you age.  Her work is all about analyzing how the body responds, and as we age, we lose digestive enzymes. Foods that worked well for us in our 20s and 30s may not work for us in our 40s and 50s. In The Plan, Lyn-Genet helps you analyze your body’s response so you can make an individualized plan that works to empower you and help you find success in the quest for a healthy weight.  Figure it out Lyn-Genet’s plan begins with a three-day cleanse in which you reset your body and rapidly lower inflammation. There are generous calorie goals for men and women, and people experience anywhere from 5-14 lbs of weight loss. The key is to measure the body’s histamines produced in response to inflammatory foods, which cause short-term water weight gain. As new foods are introduced, weight gain is measured. The truth is that even healthy foods like turkey can turn out to be a culprit. The traditional weight loss process can cause self-esteem issues in men and women as they try so hard to lose weight with the wrong methods. Empowerment comes from making the choices that are best for your body, and that’s where Lyn-Genet can help.  Shame and stigma We’ve all felt the guilt from eating the wrong foods, the ones Lyn-Genet calls fun foods. The truth is that so-called healthy foods can affect our bodies in negative ways much worse than what we consider cheat foods. Cucumber and pineapple can be inflammatory for you, while a ballpark hotdog and a beer might help you lose weight. Bread can be a healthy food for some people while it incites inflammatory responses in others. We are not all the same, which is why Lyn-Genet’s system brings success and transformation to many people.  Interrupting the inflammation Lyn-Genet is a believer that joyful foods can and should be enjoyed. With a specific person, it could be cottage cheese and cantaloupe that cause weight gain, and not the occasional ice cream treat. Lyn-Genet says that every person is eating at least three healthy foods that are causing inflammation. Unfortunately, as we age, that number increases to six foods that we think are healthy; in truth, they are increasing inflammation and making us feel sicker as we gain weight with age. Identifying and removing these foods from our diets allows our bodies to heal. When we make digestion easy on our bodies, we will be at our healthiest.  The vicious cycle The body reacts to reactive foods with a histamine response and short-term water weight gain. A cascade of other responses follows, like higher levels of cortisol and long-term fat storage. This skews hormones in women, and estrogen dominance causes irritability and carb cravings. Next, the thyroid is attacked and can’t control metabolism as it should. This happens all because we are eating foods that don’t work for us. Our gut function is affected, which affects our overall immunity and serotonin levels. The final result is an increase in depression and anxiety. Food propaganda In most traditional diets, you are told to eat or not to eat certain foods because they work for 60-70% of the population. That doesn’t mean it will work for you. The inflammatory response you have to a food or exercise can last for up to 72 hours. Many people are eating a vegetarian diet because they think it’s a healthier way to eat, when it may be causing inflammation for them. Lyn-Genet cautions us about the studies we read; they are misleading because they don’t represent everyone, and they are usually funded by a company with a vested interest. Be cautious about the research you read. The food connection Are depression and anxiety connected to what you eat? Lyn-Genet says that there is a definite connection and that inflammation and illness always go together. The body’s inflammatory response will affect your mental state. For you to feel better, you have to lower inflammation, and that means identifying and removing what causes the inflammation. Only then will the energy of life and joy return. We have to be committed to nourishing our bodies.  Hidden culprits Eating out at most restaurants will subject you to hidden culprits in your food. Restaurant meals are notorious for too much salt, which leads to hypertension and major carb cravings. Another culprit is soy since most restaurants fry with soy oil. You must be mindful and understand your body as you go out to eat. If you think that vegan restaurants are superior in health, you should know that many ingredients in vegan cuisine are highly reactive, like quinoa and roasted nut butters. Rice flour, potato starch, and tapioca can all be featured in vegan and gluten-free dishes, and they are highly reactive components. Lyn-Genet says that the starch from any food is the most inflammatory part of that food. Surprisingly, french fries can be healthier than a baked potato because the fries are soaked to remove the starch, and if they are fried in a good oil, then the antioxidant capacity of the potato is increased. Keep in mind that almond flour and coconut flour are very low on the inflammatory scale, so look for these ingredients in vegan and gluten-free dishes.  Highlights of this episode: 11:58 – Our habits around healthy foods15:32 – Age is just a number20:10 – How The Plan works24:30 – Shame and stigma around our food26:49 – Interrupting the inflammation31:15 – Why the body reacts to certain foods34:33 – Food propaganda39:05 – The food connection to depression and anxiety44:00 – Salt: the dominant flavor46:42 – Dangers in vegan and gluten-free foods52:16 – Fem Five Resources mentioned: Find Lyn-Genet on Facebook and Instagram www.lyngenet.com  Visit www.nextfem.com to get Lyn-Genet’s free cookbook of recipes with low inflammatory foods. Lyn-Genet wants to see your creations. Send pictures of what you make to info@lyngenet.com.   The Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview of the New Physics by Gary Zukav The Fem Five: 1. Favorite book to recommend for women? The Dancing Wu Li Masters: An Overview of the New Physics by Gary Zukav” 2. Favorite self-care hack? Tequila 3. Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “I gave myself the best advice when I told myself to tune out the naysayers.” 4. Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? Jacinda Ardern, the Prime Minister of New Zealand 5. One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Spend less time worrying about your appearance, and make sure you’re happy. That’s when you’re the most beautiful anyway.”  Last Time on The NextFem Podcast Attract More Positive and Live Your Best Life – with Kristine Fredheim Subscribe to the show on iTunes (Android here). Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who took the time to write a review on iTunes! If you write a review this week, send a screenshot to support@nextfem.com and we’ll give you a shout-out! The post Trust Your Body to Tell The Truth – with Lyn-Genet Recitas appeared first on NextFem.

Today’s show is about a topic that matters to all of us. We’re discussing how to leave the negative behind, attract more positive karma, and shine brighter as we move toward our life’s purpose to live our best life. Don’t you want to learn more? Kristine Fredheim is an acclaimed psychic medium, spiritual advisor, and author. With a Master’s degree in Neuro-Linguistic Programming, she launched Soul Life in 2014 to help people connect with their spirituality, find hope, and achieve their full potential. At a young age, Kristine discovered her ability to see the past, present, and future, as well as to connect with loved ones who have passed on. With these experiences and insights, Kristine authored two books entitled Behind My Face and The Ring of Power. She’s been a regular contributor to Huffington Post, and she’s been featured in Elle, O Magazine, Teen Vogue, and on The Jenny McCarthy Show, among many others. In this episode, Kristine shares how she came to recognize her spiritual gifts, how to tap into your own intuition to better your work and personal life, how her father came to be her spiritual guide, and her relationship and promise to Marilyn Monroe.  Soul agreements From her research and training, Kristine has learned that before we are born, we make agreements with our guides about what we are supposed to come to earth to learn, what we’ll do, how to work on our karma, and to make a plan for our life. Out of her own tumultuous background, Kristine discovered that if you don’t work through your difficult situations, then you’ll continually attract the negative aspects of past wounds. The darkness of those wounds is released when you address it, and we agree to this before we enter our life. A soul agreement is not about a person’s worth but is about becoming brighter through the lessons we learn.  Becoming a medium Kristine recognized her unusual gifts early on, but she had to set an intention about how she would use them. She went to medium school, opened Soul Life, and marketed her practice to clients in North America, even though she is a native Norwegian who still resides there. She desired to reach a broader clientele than the narrow niche of her Norwegian culture. Now she focuses on helping clients find clarity on how they can improve their lives. She explains why it’s important to observe the rules of etiquette and consent in the work she does, simply because soul work is so intensely personal. Attracting clients Kristine has noticed that the clients who are attracted to her are usually going through similar experiences to her own. Helping them brings clarity to her life as she magnetically attracts those with similar needs. Because most people find spirituality to be weird and something to fear, Kristine created a brand that is relatable to people and their everyday problems and needs, and she did this with the help of a great marketing team.  Alternative modalities Intuition was the spiritual buzzword just a couple of years ago in the world of spirituality, but now people are more curious about their soul family, a soulmate, and the science behind what happens to our souls when we die. Kristine’s research shows that some souls stay earthbound as ghosts instead of stepping into the light. Others have their guides meet them and send them home to the light. Kristine’s tarot cards Kristine has created several varieties of tarot cards in memory of her mother, who helped introduce her to spirituality. After her mom passed, Kristine wanted to honor her by creating something beautiful in her memory. Her cards are unique and traditional with a fresh, new look. She explains how the cards are used as a tool in conversation with your spirit and your subconscious.  Medium school Kristine went to school to be a spiritual medium. Even though that might conjure up visions of something you’ve seen in a movie, Kristine says that it’s a real school for which she had to apply and be chosen for, based on her interests and skills. She knew that in order to pursue a career in spirituality, she wanted to get the education and certifications to be as professional in her field as possible. She learned about chakras, readings, channeling, spirit conversations, business skills, tarot cards, and much, much more.  Neuro-linguistic programming Kristine has a Master’s degree in neuro-linguistic programming, but she doesn’t use it regularly in her work. Her education and skills only come into play when she teaches clients how to use specific techniques to release their emotional traumas. Reframing a traumatic experience is one example of a technique used in NLP. Kristine explains that NLP is basically how the brain works to help you have a better life in spite of past trauma. It’s simply a faster way to clear through the hard stuff than therapy when it comes to dealing with issues.  A typical session with Kristine When Kristine schedules a session with a client, she knows nothing about them ahead of time. She talks to them through Skype or FaceTime audio so she can choose her eyes and channel. Her father is her spiritual guide, so he tells her everything she needs to know to help her client have a better life. Kristine then relays his message to her client. A typical session with Kristine lasts about 45 minutes.  Kristine and Marilyn Monroe We are all connected to our soul families in the spirit world, and Marilyn Monroe is in Kristine’s soul family. Kristine and Marilyn have had multiple previous lives together, and they remain connected today. Marilyn was one of the first spirits that Kristine saw as a baby, and she felt recognition and comfort with her right away. Marilyn came in and out of Kristine’s life throughout her upbringing, and her parents didn’t try to squelch the relationship when Kristine explained it to them. Kristine feels that one of her life purposes and a soul plan before her birth is for her to clear Marilyn’s name and reputation during her lifetime. She remains committed to this goal today.  How to cultivate intuition If you want to be in touch with your soul and your intuition, it’s important to have a daily practice where you ground yourself with yoga, meditation, and reading to learn more. Kristine recommends using a journal to write down your intuitive experiences and learn to trust the relationship between you and your intuition. It needs to be an intention about which you are honest. Kristine says if you tell the universe your intention, then you’ll get the help you need.  Highlights of this episode: 10:37 – Soul agreements14:56 – Becoming a medium19:01 – Attracting clients from faraway places27:28 – Alternative modalities33:13 – Kristine’s tarot cards39:15 – What medium school is like41:21 – Neuro-linguistic programming44:52 – A typical session with Kristine51:32 – Kristine and Marilyn Monroe55:26 – Cultivating intuition57:25 – Fem Five Resources mentioned: Find Kristine Fredheim and Soul Life Magic on Instagram Find Kristine at www.soulcardstarot.com or www.kristinefredheim.com Free gift:  A deck of Kristine’s Pink Tarot Cards to the first five listeners who email their request. Find out more at www.nextfem.com.  Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner The Fem Five: 1. Favorite book to recommend for women? Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens and Mrs. Everything by Jennifer Weiner 2. Favorite self-care hack? “Alone time away from my phone just to read or be alone.” 3. Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “My grandfather told me to do whatever the f**k you want.” 4. Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? Reese Witherspoon 5. One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Stop wasting your time on stupid little boys!” Last Time on The NextFem Podcast Closing the Leadership Gap for Women In Business – with Laura Kahlil Subscribe to the show on iTunes (Android here). Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who took the time to write a review on iTunes! If you write a review this week, send a screenshot to support@nextfem.com and we’ll give you a shout-out! The post Attract More Positive and Live Your Best Life – with Kristine Fredheim appeared first on NextFem.

If you want to hear a fiercely passionate advocate for women in the workplace, then look no further than today’s show. My guest shares nuggets of wisdom about the roles of empathy and confrontation in helping women bridge the corporate gender gap, and so much more. Laura Khalil is the #1 transformational speaker helping Fortune 500 companies close the leadership and wage gap for women in business. She’s an executive coach who shares courageous leadership skills to help women succeed inside and outside the corporate world. Facing many of the challenges that confident, assertive, and driven women deal with in the workplace, Laura launched her marketing consultancy in 2013. Determined to thrive, she quickly learned that the traits that penalized her as an employee were her greatest assets as a leader, and she went on to work on global initiatives with name brands like Twitter, GE, Intel, and more. In this episode, Laura shares how her early years as an outlier influenced the work she does today, how women can create male allies, and how to develop the habit and muscle of courage to achieve your dreams.  How to deal with triggers Most women in the workplace have been told that they should smile more. It’s a specific statement that we can readily admit becomes a trigger. The truth is that every man and woman has both masculine and feminine energy, but women are ridiculed if their masculine energy is dominant. Every woman knows what it feels like to be triggered and feel the freeze. Laura says that instead of trying to respond to triggering statements, we should redirect that energy back at the person by asking them a question about what they said. Simply asking them what they mean flips the spotlight on them and forces them to be self – reflective about what they said to you. Being judged by other women Your perceptions of what you see in the outer world is a reflection of your inner world. For instance, when someone asks a woman why they are so emotional, they are simply manifesting their own emotions. Laura says to imagine their face like a giant mirror, and they are really asking themselves the question. When we disconnect from that energy, we can see their judgment as their way of getting love and attention because they never learned more resourceful ways to do it.  The gifts in being an outlier Laura’s story proves that she was an outlier during her time in Silicon Valley. She says that being an outlier accelerates the neural pathways to empathy. The truth is that we’re all doing our best. We are too focused on what others think of us, and they don’t think of us as much as we assume they do, so we should focus on ourselves and being a better person. Sometimes we find recurring situations because we need to work on skills to help us reach our highest potential. Laura learned through her time in Silicon Valley to ask what was going on with herself with her fears and limiting beliefs.  Becoming the #1 transformational speaker Laura admits that this title is aspirational, but her work goes far beyond inspiring others. She gives people tangible takeaways that her clients can use to experience immediate and prolonged improvement. She says that everything you do has to have a level of certainty and that your greatest gift to the world is how you serve others. With an intentional focus on authenticity, Laura readily admits her failures rather than trying to portray a picture-perfect world that isn’t real.  Why you have to practice When Laura first began doing public speaking engagements, she learned the value of practicing in a low – stakes environment where mistakes don’t matter as much before delivering quality information where it does matter. She says that nothing is in your way, but every experience is a step on the way to where you need to be. Her advice is to learn to see the divine design for your life. Every person is here on this earth for a reason and needs to share their gifts with the world.   Employee engagement Why do employees disengage? Laura says it’s because they don’t feel safe in the work environment, or they feel disenfranchised. Psychological safety is important in every organization, and when it doesn’t happen, then people look at their role as just a job. Studies have proven that people will run through walls when they feel validated, seen, and heard, but when they don’t feel valued in these ways, they will fly under the radar and just get by until they find something else. Organizations need to learn that empathy has to be a priority because it improves employee engagement, innovation, and profitability.  Dealing with workplace harassment Workplace harassment is a trauma that must be healed. Women are more likely to leave the company due to harassment. The bottom line, Laura says, is that HR isn’t there to protect employees, but to keep the company from getting sued. Women leave because they feel that no one is on their side. They feel ignored, retaliated against, or pushed out. The solution is for women to learn to train people in how we want to be treated, and we do this by confronting them with questions. Speaking up for ourselves will help us learn to empower ourselves. Laura calls this situation a call to courage.  What we suppress Depending on how we were raised, we may have learned to minimize our accomplishments. This occurs because we weren’t taught to acknowledge our achievements. The result is that we minimize accomplishments in others. When you are taught that praise is a burden, then you are quick to suppress that in others. Even though this results from our childhood experiences, we can learn to make better choices to have a better future by breaking the cycle. Mastering your destiny means staying grounded and planting your legacy in how you serve people in the future.  The inclusive workforce A double standard exists for women in the workplace. Performance reviews are biased. Women are evaluated more on personality traits, and men are evaluated on the work they do. Surprisingly, this bias also occurs from women to other women. Laura says that women need specific feedback on their work that they can use to move forward. Every woman in the corporate world should find a male mentor or sponsor in their organization. The truth is that most men want to help women in the workplace and be an ally for them, but they don’t know what to do.   Highlights of this episode: 17:56 – Being triggered by being told to smile24:04 – When the judgment comes from other women28:05 – The gifts of being an outlier35:50 – Becoming #141:25 – Why you have to practice44:33 – Employee engagement and empathy54:11 – Workplace harassment for women1:02:00 – What we suppress1:10:32 – The inclusive workplace1:16:03 – Fem Five Resources mentioned: www.bravebydesign.net  Find Laura’s podcast and how to join her free weekly Facebook training Women Who Run With the Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype by Clarissa Pinkola Estes The Empathy Edge: Harnessing the Value of Compassion as an Engine for Success by Maria Ross Fem Five: 1. Favorite book to recommend for women? Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes.” 2. Favorite self-care hack? “Self-pleasure. I get into my body with a daily dance party.” 3. Best piece of advice and who gave it to you? “A therapist once told me that I have to learn to take care of myself first.” 4. Female CEO or thought leader you’re into right now? Cindy Eckert of The Pink Ceiling 5. One piece of advice you’d give your five years younger self? “Be kinder to yourself.” Last Time on The NextFem Podcast Leverage Wellbeing for Success with Megan McNealy Subscribe to the show on iTunes (Android here). Thanks SO MUCH to everyone who took the time to write a review on iTunes! If you write a review this week, send a screenshot to support@nextfem.com and we’ll give you a shout-out! The post Closing the Leadership Gap for Women In Business – with Laura Khalil appeared first on NextFem.

Using the big-boy approach to marketing can leave you feeling squeezed out like a misfit, and there’s a good reason for that. Tapping into your higher self and allowing your feminine power to shine will bring authenticity and contentment. If you’re a healer, teacher, coach, or mystic who knows in your heart that you are […] The post Allow Your Feminine Power to Shine – with Julie Foucht appeared first on NextFem.

If you love inspiring comeback stories, then this show is for you. My guest shares the details of her health breakdown due to the stress of her busy corporate career. Instead of taking her life, this crisis got her attention and motivated her to take a hero’s journey to wellbeing.  Megan McNealy is the bestselling […] The post Leverage Wellbeing for Success – with Megan McNealy appeared first on NextFem.

Everyone deals with anxiety in life, but there are many steps we can take to take control. In today’s show, we are covering all the bases about what we are doing wrong in letting anxiety call the shots. The truth is that there are specific principles to follow to live your best life and manage […] The post Don’t Let Anxiety Call the Shots – with Dr. Kathleen Smith appeared first on NextFem.

Is the health of your skin connected to your mindfulness and well being? No one would be a higher authority on the subject than someone who has spent their career in senior-level leadership in the beauty and skincare industry. My guest today shares what she’s learned about integrative beauty and skincare, and how a personal […] The post Integrative Skin Care for Overall Well-Being – with Lori Bush appeared first on NextFem.

Trauma survivors are everywhere around you. Some hide their stories in shame and guilt, and they cannot move forward from what’s happened in the past. At the other end of the spectrum are those who find empowerment and freedom in sharing the truth of their story. They become the strong voices who shed the shame […] The post Let Go of Your Masks to Connect Authentically – with Stacy Raske appeared first on NextFem.

We can all applaud real transformation. It makes a great story when someone spent their youth trying hard not to be seen but then went on to become a powerful and influential leader and marketing success story. Such is the true story of today’s guest. Listen and be inspired to do great things.  Julie Weber […] The post How to Be Great Partner and Co-Founder – with Julie Weber appeared first on NextFem.

The truly entrepreneurial spirit knows no bounds. Many entrepreneurs are simply driven to pursue the next challenge, relishing the obstacles on their way to success. Such is the story of today’s guest, who is always striving to tackle the next problem and expand her horizons.  Karina Costa is the President of LynQ Technologies, the creator […] The post Relishing and Overcoming Entrepreneurial Challenges – with Karina Costa appeared first on NextFem.

Are you a smart, feminist woman who struggles with anxiety and inferiority? You are not alone. Listen to today’s conversation to learn more about how to claim your strength and identity as a strong woman in today’s world. Kara Lowentheil is a Master Certified Coach who has a BA from Yale and a JD from […] The post Claim Your Superpower as a Strong, Confident Woman – with Kara Lowentheil appeared first on NextFem.

As the holidays quickly approach, do you dread the temptation from unhealthy foods that seems to be everywhere you turn? It’s frustrating that packing on extra holiday pounds is an inevitable side effect of this time of year, and then we deal with our clothes not fitting as they should. Is there hope for this […] The post Spice Up Your Diet – with Nagina Abdullah appeared first on NextFem.

What if someone told you that the best way to grow your business is to work less and have more free time? It doesn’t sound possible if you follow the business model of most North Americans. My guest today has turned that business model upside down, and she’s proving that success and contentment are possible […] The post Growing Your Business by Subtracting – with Denise Gosnell appeared first on NextFem.