Fierce Feminine Leadership

Changing careers and reinventing yourself is a difficult challenge. In my experience, many women who are trying to reinvent themselves and their careers often try to leave their past careers, experiences, and skills behind them. However, if you are trying to recreate yourself, your career, and your business, leaving your past behind you along with all of the experiences, skills, and insight that you have developed throughout your previous business is a huge mistake!

In line with the “Women and Risks” theme from last week’s episodes, today I am joined by the wonderful business and career coach, Sarah Vermunt. Sarah’s journey started while working toward obtaining her Ph.D. in human resources management and organizational behavior. After devoting four years of her life, and investing a lot of money into developing her career, Sarah began to realize that this career choice was not what she dreamed about after all. After spending two years dedicating her time to her previous career dreams, she went on a mission to find the work she loves – being a coach and teacher for entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and new graduates.

Competition in the workforce over the years has become a “taboo topic.” Many women do not want to talk about having a competitive edge in their field. We keep saying “It’s not about competition, it’s about collaboration.” Ladies, competition is a healthy aspect of building your career and business. It allows us to push ourselves past our comfort zones, and while being open to collaboration is important, having a strong competitive edge is also essential.

Welcome back, my Fierce Feminine Leaders! I am incredibly excited about today’s episode and our guest on the show today. Today we talk about women and risks. Many successful women are afraid to take risks in their business or career, but do not realize that taking risks – stepping out of their comfort zone – often leads to personal and professional growth.

Welcome back, my Fierce Feminine Leaders! If part of your business consists of public speaking or giving public presentations, then this Is an episode you do not want to miss! Today is all about public speaking. Are you making the most of it? Are you ensuring that your message is delivered the way you intend it – strong, powerful, and making a positive impact on your listeners?

Have you ever felt conflicted in your success? Felt confused, uncertain, or even felt like an imposter? Have you recently made a monumental change only to hear a negative voice in your head saying, “Who do you think you are to do something like this?” Thousands of highly successful women go through these feelings each and every day. They feel like they’re crazy. They feel like a “hot mess.” Rest assured, my Fierce Feminine Leader – you are not crazy. You are upleveling.

Mindy Weinstein is the “expert to the experts” when it comes to SEO and internet marketing strategies. She is the President and Founder of the digital marketing firm, Market Mindshift, as well as a digital marketing strategist, public speaker, trainer, and a published author. She has taught dozens of large companies and major brands how to market their online products and services using digital marketing, social media, and SEO strategies. Mindy has had media appearances and has been interviewed and quoted in countless publications including FOX, NBC, ABC, the Huffington Post, and Bloomberg Radio. She has an MBA from Arizona State University and is currently working on her Ph.D. in Psychology with a special focus on technology. Keep Reading >> Get Discovered: A Smart Women's Guide to SEO with Mindy Weinstein In today’s episode, Mindy shares her story on how she got started in the digital marketing industry as well as several actionable tips on how you can improve your visibility and discoverability online. T

Ambitious women in business, especially those in high-energy careers, often struggle through many obstacles and dilemmas. Probably one of the most common dilemma that high-achieving women face are those that are internalized – feeling as though you are “not up to snuff” in your career, despite having a glowing resume, awards, or fantastic recommendations. This dilemma is what I call “Ambitious Woman’s Dilemma, and it is the most common condition affecting ambitious, high-achieving women in business. Keep Reading >> Click to get a copy of AWD Worksheet In today’s episode, I share with you 6 of the most common symptoms of Ambitious Woman’s Dilemma (AWD), and what you need to do to overcome this condition.   Here’s a Breakdown of Today’s Show: What is Ambitious Woman’s Dilemma? How common is AWD? Is there a way to “cure” the AWD condition – and if so, how? Why highly ambitious women begin feeling the effects of AWD?   What Is Ambitious Woman’s Dilemma? AWD is a common condition among smart, ambitious women

In our last episode, I spoke with Joan Michelson of Green Connections Radio. She brought up a fascinating topic about the differences between how women support other women in business compared to the ways men support other people in business. This discussion led me to evaluate how the women within my own network have supported me through various business ventures, as well as how the men in my network have shown their support. One thing that I have found interesting during this evaluation was that women typically demonstrate their support through emotional support while men will often support you through practical support.

Today, I am joined by a fabulously fierce feminine leader, advocate for female leaders throughout the corporate and entrepreneurial world, and owner of Green Connections Radio, Joan Michelson. Joan has made a huge impact in the corporate world and helping women “claim their power” in their industries. Her very specific, unique niche in the business community is in the Clean Tech area, also known as the “green space.” She joins us today to share her story about how the “green space” niche fell in her lap and provide some insight and tips to other women in leadership roles on ways they can find their voice within their organization. Keep Reading >>   Here’s a Breakdown of the Topics We Covered: Joan’s story – how she dived into the Clean Tech space, the struggles she has endured, and how she overcame those struggles and how she empowers other women to do the same. Statistics show that women tend to get promoted on performance while men get promoted on potential. Women walk into a discussion or decision with a

An interesting point was mentioned during my last episode while interviewing Vicki Saunders, the founder of SheEO. She said that women are not asking for help in their businesses – that many women feel they need to do everything on their own in order to be, or feel, successful and accomplished. In reality, though, it is incredibly hard to do everything on your own without asking for help and developing a team.

Today, I am joined by award-winning mentor and advisor, entrepreneur, and founder of SheEo, Vicki Saunders. Vicki has incredible experience and insight on what it takes for women to “step into their power,” lead their businesses on their terms, and grow a successful, meaningful career as an entrepreneur or intrapreneur. In today’s episode, she shares some of her insight on leadership and entrepreneurship as well as the “art of disruption.” Keep Reading >> Vicki routinely speaks at conferences and events around the world, including the World Economic Forum in Davos, the Women of Influence Series in Canada, and the TedX Conference among several others. She was selected as a “Global Leader of Tomorrow” by the World Economic Forum and has co-founded and run several ventures throughout Toronto, Silicon Valley, and Europe. Vicki, thank you for joining me on the show today and sharing your valuable tips, suggestions, and insight.   Here’s a Breakdown of the Topics We Covered: Vicki’s “back story” on how she became

Whether you are running a business or running a marathon, high-performance is a critical skill to have in order to “finish the race.” As many of my wonderful listeners already know, I am a huge fan of high-performing women, athletes, entrepreneurs, and business executives. However, throughout my coaching experience, I often see many women that have the potential to be high performers, but somehow fail to unlock that potential – leaving it on the table. Today, I share with you four critical psychological skills that all high-performers must have and master in order to achieve success in life, business, and sports.

Welcome back, my Fierce Feminine Leader! Today’s episode, I talk about the number one desire that women who want to lead crave, and how “the approval trap” prevents these amazing women from stepping into their power and achieving this desire. Keep Reading >> I have worked with countless high potential business women throughout my career. The number one thing that these women want from leading their company is – you guess it – freedom. However, freedom often comes with a price, and the price that we discuss in this episode is releasing your natural need for being a “people pleaser.” Women have been conditioned to be people pleasers; to make people happy, comfortable, and to feel good. However, to step into your power, you must be able to break free of the fear of criticism. If you are not gaining the traction in your career to the degree that you want, transition your mindset from student to teacher. My challenge for you: Examine the times and situations in your life and career where you are playing smaller o

Welcome back to the Fierce Feminine Leadership podcast! In today’s episode, I share with you three tips on finding your voice as a Fierce Feminine Leader. Keep Reading >> Did you know that the vast majority of “new and noteworthy” podcasts on Stitcher and iTunes are hosted by men? In fact, statistics from Stitcher regarding top podcasts, only about 10% are hosted by women, while 80% are hosted by men. Women listen to a lot of podcasts, webinars, and attend dozens of conferences, but statistics show that the majority of business professionals and leaders are actually using their voice as a vehicle to increase their sales, earn more money, and market their businesses. Women often struggle with finding and utilizing their voice as a means to improve their businesses for three reasons: We feel we don’t have anything to say. If we do have something to say, we often ask ourselves “why would anyone be willing to listen to what I have to say?” We are afraid of our own power. Ladies, it’s time to step into your pow

Your reputation. Your personal brand. Many Fierce Feminine Leaders know they need a personal brand, but they simply don’t know where the starting line is when it comes time to create one. In the business world, you are aware that your reputation often precedes you. Your personal brand can help you leave a lasting, positive impression on a potential client, customer, or business associate – and this is critical for your success. Keep Reading >>     So, how do you create a strong personal brand? In this episode, I am going to share with you 5 critical elements of a strong personal brand. The 5 Critical Elements of a Strong Personal Brand A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words Your customers, clients, and business associates are researching you before they make the decision to hire or buy from you. Having a professional, high-quality headshot picture taken by an experienced, professional photographer will help your customers and clients make that decision. They do not want to see a picture of you with your dog pl

Do you ever catch yourself comparing yourself to other successful people, and feeling frustrated and discouraged that your achievements are coming up short compared to someone else’s? Many – if not most high achieving professional women experience this phenomenon. It’s called “Compare and Despair” and it has reached monumental proportions since the development of the Facebook highlight reel. Keep Reading >> Research shows that most high achievers have a competitive streak, whether in sports, business, or in life in general. While having a competitive edge can be a healthy, positive personality trait to have – it is not when it grows to the epic proportions of “Compare and Despair”. This phenomenon can cause you to significantly inhibit your ability to perform at the high levels that everyone around you knows you’re capable of. In this episode, I talk about the “Compare and Despair” cycle and give you three simple ways to break this career inhibiting habit, move past these negative thoughts, and move forward

Are You A Tall Poppy Tall Poppy Syndrome, what is it? It is a social phenomenon throughout the industry, often affecting women – but sometimes men, too – in which great people of merit are criticized or resented because of their achievements. Tall Poppies often “play small” because they are worried that they will be criticized for showing up in the world as brilliantly as they really are. The term, “Tall Poppy Syndrome” was coined by New Zealand Researchers, and many women in business unconsciously allow it to affect their business growth. In this episode, I explain three ways that Tall Poppy Syndrome is preventing you from stepping into your power as a female leader. 3 Ways Tall Poppy Syndrome is Preventing You from Being a Powerful Female Leader Tall Poppy Syndrome makes you self-conscious Research shows that self-consciousness inhibits high performance. Tall Poppy Syndrome can hold you back from accepting high-profile assignments Own your brilliance! Tall Poppy Syndrome can prevent you from buildi

Getting The Seat On The Board Women make up about 50 percent of the workforce today, but did you know that only a small percentage of these working moms hold a seat on the Board of an organization? It’s true, and what many women in business may not realize is the significant impact that holding a seat on the board of a non-profit or corporate organization can have – on their own businesses as well as the organizations they support. Today on the Fierce Feminine Podcast, I share three power ninja moves that you can do to help you get a board seat! In This Episode, You Will Learn: How to Prove Your Medal Quantify Everything List your top 10 career highlights. Boost Your Financial Knowledge Take time to learn how to read financial statements. Build Your Network Invest time into building a solid network and make it known that you are interested in a board position. Download the worksheet below. This powerful tool will help you create your career highlights list, as well as help you translate that inform

The Monster That Is Working Mom Guilt Welcome back to the Fierce Feminine Podcast! On today’s episode, I will discuss the “dirty little secret” of working mothers: Working Mom Guilt. Working Mom Guilt has a nasty habit of reaching virtually every working mother. I have worked with dozens of working mothers; every single one of them have expressed, at one point or another, that they have experienced Working Mom Guilt at some point in their career. So, today I will share some tips with you on ways you can cope with the monster of Working Mom Guilt. Keep Reading >> Know and Understand that You’re in Good Company Remember that you are not alone! There are a lot of successful working moms feeling Working Mom Guilt. Go for Good Enough Release your intention and need to be a perfect parent. Lower your “mom standards” from being perfect to being “good enough.” Expect Working Mom Guilt to Go for the Jugular Anticipate and prepare for Working Mom Guilt. Realize you can’t be in two places at once – and that’