Bossed Up

Our world is still conflicted about whether or not it likes assertive women. In recent months, I have received both positive and negative feedback about my outspokenness. When I’m confronted with the opinion that my assertive approach to communication might leave a poor taste in people’s mouths, I still have to fight the urge to hide or get defensive, but I have developed a few skills that make these interactions more productive.The road to owning your voice and raising it confidently when you have something to say can be a long one, especially if you were raised to keep quiet. In this episode, I lay out three tips to help you navigate the situation the next time someone gives you negative feedback about your communication style.Challenge yourself to start putting these tips into action. Listen now to learn:Why it’s better to ask for more information than to get defensive;How to decide whose feedback really matters;Why you don’t have to act on all the feedback you receive.Related Links:Read “The Courage to Be

Gen Xers have a wealth of experience and talent to offer the workforce, and yet Millennials and Baby Boomers tend to receive the majority of the media focus and career advice available today. Even Bossed Up doesn’t have as much information for this generation as it could.In doing my part to correct this oversight, I speak with Vince Chan, host of the Chief Change Officer podcast. A Gen Xer herself, Vince supports Gen X professionals as they traverse critical career crossroads. In this episode, Vince shares how the shared traits of this group result in a resilient generation with so much to offer—often more than even they realize.Discover how Gen X navigates career transformation, including:How Gen X’s deep respect for institutions can help them and hold them back;The lifetime of technological shifts Gen Xers have navigatedWhy Gen X needs to set aside a fear of judgment and love themselves more.Related Links:Connect with Vince on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thevincechan/Listen to the Chief Change Of

The last week’s historic political events warrant a totally new, unscripted episode. On July 21st, the news that President Biden would no longer pursue re-election and would endorse Vice President Kamala Harris left me excited and energized for the future, feelings that only grew as I spoke with so many women in the week following the announcement. Just imagine what this candidacy could mean for women, particularly women of color and those in leadership positions.In today’s episode, I share my thoughts about what Kamala’s candidacy means for women.Join me to consider the possibilities this election year, including:How we can  embrace the “audacity of hope” and not sit back in silence;How the words we choose when speaking about Kamala’s candidacy - whether we support her or not - says more about how we view women and power overall;Why we should focus on electing the best future president, not the perfect one;And three ways you can join me to take meaningful action today.Related Links:Register to vote - https:/

Content warning: this episode briefly touches on alcoholism, substance abuse, and abusive relationships.Why does setting boundaries sound so simple, and yet is so hard to practice? My guests on this episode know that it takes practice to make any difficult communication practice permanent.Jan and Jillian Yuhas are twin relationship and conflict resolution specialists who help leaders, families, and organizations build stronger, growth-oriented relationships and set boundaries that stick. They’re also the authors of a new book, Boundary Badass: A Powerful Method for Elevating Your Value and Relationships.Uncover the benefits of setting values-based boundaries at work and at home:Why it can be harder to set personal boundaries than professional, despite a lot of similarities;How to balance setting boundaries and remaining a high-value employee and leader;The importance of identifying values and boundaries from a place of logic, not emotion;Practicing assertive communication in a society where women’s voices are

What would you do differently the second time around? I’m getting the chance to dig deep into this question as I prepare for my second maternity leave this fall. As my due date crawls closer, I have been thinking a lot about what my family’s lives will look like after the baby arrives. In this episode, I highlight three specific ways I’m adjusting my approach and the systemic and personal factors that affect these decisions.How would you navigate these second-baby considerations?What’s changed with saving up for childcare (for me and for Americans everywhere);Why I’m fixating less on birth and more on what comes after;Where I’ve decided to focus my nesting instincts this time around.Related Links:Episode 434, The Economic Imperative of Affordable Childcare - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode434Episode 332, 5 Things to Keep In Mind When Financially Preparing For a Baby - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode332Economic Data Underscores the Need for Significant, Sustained Investment in Child Care and

Initiatives to address pay gaps are spreading across the country. My home state of Colorado is a trailblazer in this quest, and people like today’s guest are spearheading policies that are changing the landscape nationwide. Louise Myrland, the VP of Programs for the Women’s Foundation of Colorado, joins me today to discuss Colorado’s historic pay transparency law, its nationwide impact, and new data showing the profound effects this groundbreaking legislation has had on the careers and lives of women in Colorado - as well as job-seekers everywhere.Leverage Louise’s knowledge of this game-changing policy:Learn your rights as a job seeker;Discover how this legislation expands the rights of already-employed workers, too;Interview tips for navigating outlawed salary questions;The fascinating numbers behind our country’s closing gender wage gap.Related Links:Learn more about The Women’s Foundation of Colorado and access many helpful resources - https://www.wfco.orgExplore Colorado’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Act -

What’s the wildest thing that has happened to you at a presentation or workshop? Whether in the audience or on the stage, most of us have experienced something not going according to plan. I had my own experience with this a few weeks ago while giving a keynote in California, during which time a surprising disruption inspired the three tips I’m sharing today on how to keep calm and carry on when something goes awry. Learn from my experience to strengthen your own public speaking skills, including:Why you should address what happened, not ignore it;What to say once the moment has passed;How to empower your audience and yourself to move forward.Related Links:Book me to speak at your company or conference: www.emiliearies.comSpeak Up: A Live Assertive Communication Course for Women in the Workplace - https://www.bossedup.org/speakupBossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz comp

How do you manage a complex pregnancy while continuing to manage your career? Pregnancy can be complicated, and people who experienced prior reproductive challenges often anxiously wonder just how similar their next experience will be. When these stressors are piled on top of our day-to-day work challenges and the possibility of an unsupportive workplace, things get even more daunting.I’m thrilled to share that I am currently in my second trimester (!!) after past fertility challenges, so this is a topic close to my heart. This was the perfect time to talk with Dr. Nathan Fox about the premise of his new book, and how to manage pregnancy expectations and assertively communicate with both physicians and superiors in the workplace during this time.Dive into this discussion by learning more about:Embracing a joint decision-making approach to medicine that honors both doctor and patient expertise;Identifying the best OB/GYN for your unique health situation;Understanding the risk of recurrence of pregnancy complic

How has your life been affected by a non-compete agreement? Whether you’re painfully familiar with these contract clauses, know someone who is, or just think our free market could be more free, the recent news that non-compete agreements are on their way out the door should give you a boost.Those who have been boxed in by an employer’s non-compete agreement are absolutely not alone—they are baked into around 30 million Americans’ employment contracts. In this episode and blog post, I break down where non-competes came from, the issues they cause, and explore what a future without them might look like.Find out what a world without non-compete agreements might look like:What are they are and how they constrain employees;The widespread impact of these contracts;How will these changes affect the labor market;How will employers protect their intellectual property from now on?Related Links:Statistics from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis - https://www.minneapolisfed.org/article/2023/new-data-on-non-compete-c

How do you move cities without totally starting over? Relocating to a new place causes can leave you feeling totally uprooted and lost. Who better than a professional community builder and networking pro to offer insight on getting back into the swing of things in a new space? Emily Merrell, is the founder of the Second Degree Society networking community and Ready Set Coach, and my guest today.A few years ago, Emily relocated from San Francisco to Denver. She shares her thoughts on navigating such a significant life change - and doing it all as a new parent.Take away some great tips for masterminding your next move:How to embrace discomfort and grow in a new place;Why asking people out on friend dates is a game-changer;How scheduling non-negotiable social experiences can help;The challenge of balancing networking and caring for your family.Related Links:Learn more about Emily - https://www.emilymerrell.com/Connect with Emily on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/emilyamerrell/Discover Second Degree Societ

How should you address a layoff in a job interview? This year of job market flux has seen more than 80,000 layoffs in the tech industry alone, on top of 250,000+ in 2023. These statistics highlight just how normal and not-at-all-shameful layoffs are, but that doesn’t mean living through them is easy.In today’s episode, I have three takeaways for managing the interview question that will inevitably come up if you’re one of the hundreds of thousands of people who were unceremoniously let go in the past year and a half. These tips serve as a reminder that the question “Tell us about why you were laid off” is a chance to focus your story on your values and use your experiences to drive home what makes you a great candidate for the opportunity before you.Tune in to learn how to explain your layoff with pride and power:Why you shouldn’t skirt around the truth;How to normalize your experience without making it personal;Where to take the story so it highlights your best traits and skills.Related Links:HIRED: my Job S

In our modern world, where isolation, loneliness, and stress are at all-time highs, how do we fend off the feelings—and the medical symptoms—that plague such an outsized percentage of our species?Journalist Julia Hotz’s new book, The Connection Cure: The Prescriptive Power of Movement, Nature, Art, Service, and Belonging, explores the phenomenon of social prescribing, a medicine-adjacent approach being adopted in the UK that sees doctors prescribing things like “sea swimming” (yes, really!) and has the potential to alleviate not only the health burdens many of us face in our daily lives but also the pressures on the medical system and the heavy costs of medical care. In this episode, I talk with Julia about what inspired her to write The Connection Cure and the incredible and surprising results of her extensive research. Discover how social prescribing could take you from asking, “what’s wrong with me?” to “what matters to me?” instead:Defining and demystifying the concept of social prescribing;How reconnecti

How do you avoid making the job search your entire life when seeking employment is your full-time pursuit? Searching for a new job is stressful and time-consuming. If you’re doing the full-time job search hustle, factors like financial stress and endless immersion in the hunt can quickly become overwhelming. Add to that, it’s taking many months or even a full year these days to land a job. All this highlights the need to build sustainability into your search.Two weeks back, I covered how to create a sustainable job search plan when you’re also working full-time. Today, I’m sharing some strategies on how to do the same when you’re unemployed and searching for the perfect career opportunity. I hope that by tailoring these strategies to your own biorhythms and strengths, you’ll be equipped to approach this trying and tiring time with a bit more ease.Crack the secret of sustainable full-time job searching :Why you should batch your tasks and kick multitasking to the curb;How creating your own deadlines will help

How has our patriarchal society structured your thoughts and how can you take them back? If you’ve always considered “reprogramming your brain” to be mystical mumbo jumbo, this guest might just change your mind. I certainly had to adjust my preconceived notions when I read Kara Loewentheil‘s new book, Take Back Your Brain: How a Sexist Society Gets in Your Head and How to Get It Out.Kara and I talk about the insidious nature of our patriarchal society and the impact of that socialization on our brains. We cover making the leap into your dream job and the balance between systemic and individual change. The founder of A New School of Feminist Thought, Kara teaches women how to rewire their thought patterns to spur societal change, and her work is just the eye-opening and mind-expanding approach that women can benefit from.Learn more about how your brain works and how to deprogram the patriarchy from within, starting with:Our tendency to throw out the dreams that don’t please everyone;Mistaking a layer of libera

How do you make time to job search while keeping a full-time job going? Finding a job these days feels a lot like a full-time job in itself, and it’s not easy to make meaningful progress without completely exhausting yourself.The reality of the modern job market is that it can take months to manifest a new offer. That’s a lot of time spent searching, so you need to have a sustainable plan in place. Having tackled this mountain recently myself, I have some tried and true tips to help you stay on track without running out of steam.Get your action plan in place with these measurable and manageable tips:Why you should script your job search moves ahead of time;How to build out an impactful and trackable application strategy;How to stay realistic about the sacrifices you’ll need to make without going overboard.Related Links:Episode 435, Grow Your Professional Network in the New Year - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode435Episode 449, Your Cover Letter is Better With Bullet Points - https://www.bossedup.org/p

We’re in the midst of unprecedented times, where corporations prioritize short-term profits over the long-term health of their organizations, clients, and employees. Wage and wealth gaps grow ever-larger, and a few billionaires hoard an obscene amount of money while more and more people struggle just to get by. The upcoming book Fair Shake: Women and the Fight to Build a Just Economy, which my guest June Carbone co-authored with Naomi Cahn and Nancy Levit, explores the history, politics, and legality of how we got to where we are today, the impact this system has on women and the quest for gender equality, and the efforts being made to reverse these trends. Explore what past and present corporate research can teach us about where we’re headed:Where did our winner-take-all economy come from?How does this profits-first, people-last approach impact women?What is the triple bind befalling women leaders today?How do we start rebuilding a positive-sum economic culture of collectivism?Related Links:Pre-order ‘Fair S

We all have our ideal working conditions. We might love working from home, enjoy a couple of sociable days in the office each week, or crave the daily ritual of a peaceful commute. Whatever your personal preference, the recent trend in many sectors to force a return to the office has raised a lot of concerns.In this episode, I dig into the statistics and history of the WFH-to-RTO saga and its weighty impact on employees—in particular, how the move away from flexible work options may have a disproportionate effect on working mothers.We’ll break down the latest data and explain how we got here:Why the “she-cession” was followed by an influx of moms re-entering the workforce;The stats that back up the nation’s feelings on flexible work;How changing mandates are affecting job seekers;The systemic causes that got us to where we are today.Related Links:Wall Street Journal essay - https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/careers/return-to-the-office-mandates-are-a-disaster-for-working-mothers-bf57a071Time magazine article - ht

Community, connection, and collaboration: these are the keys to our survival as a species if you ask Baily Hancock, a community architect and strategist with more than three decades of experience. Prioritizing these concepts within both her own career trajectory and her client work has positioned Baily as an expert and thought leader who helps organizations conceptualize, launch, and grow successful communities.In this episode, she shares what she’s learned about leveraging community, leaning on connections when navigating major career pivots, and fostering collaboration every step of the way. We even dig into thought leadership and the question of job security as either an employee or entrepreneur.Prepare to expand your professional persona and unleash the thought leader within as we uncover:The persistent reality of reinvention throughout our careersThe game-changing benefits of nurturing community and reaching outWhat’s actually more secure—being an employee or entrepreneur?How to put yourself out there as

Writing cover letters is stressful. If I surveyed a thousand job seekers about their least favorite parts of the job search, I bet most of them would put this task near the top of their list. But as awful as they can be, they’re still important and can help set you apart. A good cover letter lets you highlight the most important details of your application right away. Here’s my straightforward, bullet point-based cover letter strategy that will help you curb the overwhelm and get right to the point. Keeping the reader engaged through the first page of your application goes a long way to getting your foot in the interview room door. Discover my go-to template for creating an impactful cover letter every time:Why white space and brevity will land your cover letter on the top of the stack;How to harness the awesome power of the rule of three;Step-by-step instructions for creating your own low-stress, speedy cover letter writing strategy.Related Links:Hired: my Job Search Accelerator - https://www.bossedup.org/ge

Resiliency is an important trait for any leader, but the systemic barriers that underrepresented professionals face, on top of persisting gender and racial gaps, make this skill even more vital. My guest, Jacqueline Twillie, quite literally wrote the book on resiliency for these leaders, drawing on her experience working to reduce worldwide inequity. In this episode, we discuss her book and her approach to strategic sustainability for leaders facing these challenging dynamics. From the cyclical process of refilling your resilience well to a fresh take on failure, Jacqueline’s approach to empowering women from underrepresented backgrounds who are navigating the pitfalls and potentials of leadership offers real-world advice for all leaders seeking a stronger foothold in their futures.Reset your mindset with Jacqueline’s expert insights into:The ways risk, resilience, rest, and reward work together to foster growth;How cultivating resilience is like navigating a traffic jam;What neurotransmitters and nutrition h