Build Your Brave Career for Women in Tech

Do you ever feel stuck while pursuing your career goals? In this episode, I dive into a common lie we face as women in tech: the implicit or explicit responsibility to make your growth easy for everyone else. 

Many ambitious women in tech find themselves at a crossroads—a point where pursuing their career goals seems daunting and when met with resistance, often leads to a withdrawal from growth. 

Through a representative cli...

You are always on the job market. Always. Understanding and practicing is a cornerstone of building a brave career. Whether you’re thriving in your current role, facing uncertainty, or anything in between, this episode will equip you with the mindset and strategies to stay ready for any opportunity or challenge.

Drawing from listener feedback on episode 126, we’re revisiting this topic with a clearer structure and actionabl...

What would change if you chose to see adversities not as tests, but as confirmation of your decisions, values, and goals? This episode will help you explore an option for shifting your perception so that you stress less, work less, and then earn more as a woman in tech. 

I share two specific stories and one call to action to help you challenge the idea of adversity as a "test" so that you can decide if you want to shift tow...

Mahua Chakuvati, Sales & HR Tech Leader, dives deep into her unique definition of bravery, sharing how core values like acceptance, humility, gratitude, and honesty have propelled her forward in a remarkable career spanning sales, business applications, operations, and people management.

Listen in for unique value definitions and how Mahua puts them into action: 

• choose radical acceptance of reality
• practice daily hum...

We're diving into a brave, empowering topic: the strength and freedom that come with choosing to allow others to disliked you. Yes, you heard that right! As women in tech, we're often conditioned to seek approval and avoid conflict, but embracing the reality that not everyone will like us is a powerful step for our careers.

In this episode, I share examples, including a personal story, to illustrate how being disliked can a...

Kim Bennett, CEO of AtlasGuru.com joins to share a range of powerful insights relevant to those who aim to build a strengths-based career. 

Kim shares her journey from a comfortable corporate job in digital marketing to becoming an entrepreneur. We discuss the long road to entrepreneurship, the challenges of leaving a secure position, and the rewarding experiences of leading a strengths-focused, tech-driven business. Kim em...

Can you love your colleagues enough to let them experience the consequences of their behavior?

Women in tech are great at solving problems. But sometimes we leap in to protect others from their errors and shoulder burdens that aren’t ours. It slows down our careers and increases our stress. 

This episode unpacks how stepping back, setting boundaries, and trusting others to handle their responsibilities empowers not just your...

You matter. 
Especially during difficult events: 

• Choosing to bravely recognize and believe in your inherent worth is brave. 
• Deciding that your voice deserves to be heard, that your dreams, goals, career, relationships, and money matter is brave. 
• Getting and staying involved in building the community, career, life, and world you desire is brave.

This week I address the emotional fallout after the most recent US e...

Bravery doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, bravery in your career as a woman in tech can be simple, nurturing, collaborative, and even easy.

For women in tech who often feel that being brave at work means facing monumental stress, this episode will give you a fresh and empowering perspective.

Through two unique client stories, I illustrate how bravery may start in moments of discomfort but end with greater confidence, ease, a...

Let’s explore the profound impact fairy tales have had on our professional lives, especially as women in tech.  Most of us have grown up with stories of women waiting for their Prince Charming or Knight in Shining Armor. While most of us have shed this mentality in our personal lives, its residual effects can still hold us back in our careers as we wait for the perfect boss, recruiter, mentor, or sponsor. 

I delve into my o...

In this groundbreaking episode I dive deep into the dynamics of the glass ceiling and the glass floor, specifically focusing on how men in tech can play a pivotal role in fostering inclusive workplaces. With detailed statistics and compelling arguments, I highlight why inclusive cultures are essential for financial growth, innovation, and overall business success.

I unpack the metaphors of the glass ceiling and glass floor,...

Listen in for strategies to deal with inappropriate, confidence-undermining questions in the workplace. These strategies, phrases, and mindset can be used for any behavior that crosses professional norms, strengthens the patriarchy, and permits misogyny to grow. 

Listener question: “When I call off sick, one of the men consistently asks me if I am pregnant. I want it to stop. What can I do?”

What You'll Learn:

• Tools and a...

Listener question: My colleague doesn’t trust my skill. What do I do? 

Many women in tech face the drama: dealing with colleagues who don’t trust your skills. If you’ve ever felt sidelined in meetings, excluded from important emails, or observed others taking over your responsibilities, this episode is for you.

In this episode, we cover the important internal work you must undertake to address disrespectful colleagues. 

Then ...

Listener question: I know I'm a direct person, but I'm being told I'm aggressive. How do I know the difference? 

I have personal experience with this topic in two different different ways and suggestions of how to navigate them: 

• First, you need to ask for specific examples of situations in which you were labeled “aggressive.” 
• Then, you need to explore what type of discomfort you want to choose: shifting your communi...

Listener question: I have been waiting for a promotion. I am ready. What do I do now? 

Let’s discuss how to not just wait for a promotion but to actively communicate and advocate for yourself.

First, you need to tell our boss directly that you want a promotion, ask them if they support you, and then listen carefully to their response. 

Then, you must create a specific plan based on your goals, your manager’s response, and...

Listener Question: Is it ethical for me to accept a job that's one or two layers below the job I had before all of the layoffs when so many other people are also struggling to land a job? 

Let’s tackle a listener's question about the ethics of accepting a job below their previous level during these mass layoffs. 

First, I share why my answer is a strong, unequivocal “YES.” Then I share additional insights from a variety ...

Listener Question: I'm in a "safe job" but this "safe job" is so boring. What do I do? 
Let’s work through a career dilemma: feeling bored at a "safe" job right in a time of mass lay-offs. In this episode I share actionable strategies to navigate boredom and rediscover engagement in your career.

• First, I urge a reevaluation to ensure your current situation is as secure as you think. 
• Then, we examine the root of your ...

We dive into an often-overlooked aspect of building a successful career: embracing positive emotions. Many women in tech find it challenging to celebrate achievements or feel joy without spiraling into anxiety or fear.

I unravel this misunderstanding of bravery and highlight the importance of experiencing the full range of emotions in your career journey through the Build Your Brave Framework and a specific client example. 

...

This is an important, timely, and short message just for my US audience, particularly if you have the right to vote in the United States
Call to action: join us at Women in Tech for Harris.

US Election Day is November 5, 2024. This election is about so much more than politics. It's about our industry’s future as well as our careers and lives as women in tech. 

Many important topics are on our ballots: 

• Health care
• Cli...