When you’re hit with a daunting question in a meeting, how do you reply? In this common situation, it’s normal to panic or blurt out an uninformed answer just to have something to say. Today’s episode dives into the concept of bridging phrases, which can help you pivot professionally. Taking a beat and presenting an honest, if incomplete, response is always going to make you look more competent and confident than mumbling something inaccurate and circling back later to correct yourself. In this quick episode, I share three go-to phrases to help you navigate hard workplace questions with leadership style. 

It’s time to start bridging—not bluffing—with conviction:

• What to say when you need to fact-check yourself first;
• How to respond when you only know part of the answer;
• The perfect phrase for when you need to phone a friend for help.

Related Links:

• SPEAK UP: an assertive communication course for women in the workplace - https://www.bossedup.org/speakup
• “Why You Should Pause During Presentations & 7 Ways to Master It” - https://www.maptive.com/pause-during-presentations-ways-to-master-it
• Episode 417, The Truth About Women’s Communication at Work - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode417
• Episode 419, I Was Called “Aggressive” at Work…Now What? - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode419
• Episode 490, How Do We Unlearn Silence and Voice Our Worth? - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode490
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

Let’s explore identity and ambition through the lens of caregiving and career.

I’ve talked a lot this year about settling into my “baby-making era,” working full-time while raising a toddler and an infant in this tumultuous time of trad wives and girl bosses. There’s a concerning disconnect between what women want and what society thinks of those desires. Joining me to talk about all this is Neha Ruch, founder of The Power Pause and author of the USA Today bestselling book of the same name.

Neha is a marketing professional who stepped back from the corporate world to raise her son and become an advocate for women’s autonomy in work and life. We engage in a bold conversation about the problem with binary narratives around motherhood and how a shift in perspective can help us all achieve our goals, both within the home and outside it. 

Let Neha’s work inspire your career and caregiving journey:

• What’s wrong with the phrase “stay-at-home mom,”
• Why the binary choice of being a working or at-home mom is both unrealistic;
• Why stepping back from your career doesn’t mean giving up your ambition;
• Tangible ways companies and moms can normalize taking a “power pause”.

Related Links:

• Connect with Neha - https://www.instagram.com/neha_ruch/
• Get “The Power Pause: How To Plan A Career Break After Kids” - https://www.thepowerpause.com/thepowerpause
• Learn more about Neha’s organization - https://www.thepowerpause.com/
• The 2023 American Mothers on Pause study - https://www.thepowerpause.com/americanmothersonpause
• TAKE ACTION with Bossed Up - https://www.bossedup.org/takeaction
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/
• Follow Emilie on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/emiliearies/

When inspiration slumps, how do you get it back? On those days (or weeks) where you just aren’t feeling it, you might find yourself considering a total life overhaul—I’ve been there. But before you hit send on that resignation letter, give these three simple, less extreme techniques a try.

Tune in to learn how to bounce back when boredom or burnout strikes:

• Why literally stepping outside is key to jumpstarting your inspiration;
• How those non-work-related tabs open on your browser could be the answer;
• Why an energy audit might be the best 30 seconds of your day.

Related Links:

• Episode 511, The Engagement Crisis Impacting Young Workers - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode511
• Episode 172, The Healing Power of Nature - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode172
• Gallup, Engagement Recedes for the First Time in Four Years - https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx
• Stanford Researchers Find Mental Health Prescription: Nature - https://news.stanford.edu/stories/2015/06/hiking-mental-health-063015
• LinkedIn Learning, Get Unstuck: Make a Plan to Move Your Career Forward - https://www.linkedin.com/learning/get-unstuck-make-a-plan-to-move-your-career-forward
• Neuron, States of Curiosity Modulate Hippocampus-Dependent Learning via the Dopaminergic Circuit - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25284006/
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

How do you transition from team member to team leader without letting the pressure and power turn you into a bad boss? I interact so often with well-meaning new managers suddenly discovering how different it is to lead the team than to be a member of it. Luckily, we have the wisdom of executive coach and author Sabina Nawaz to turn to!

Sabina wrote her new book, “You're The Boss: Become the Manager You Want to Be (and Others Need)” after spending more than 20 years counseling C-level executives and experiencing her own “bad boss” moment. She speaks with me about how to balance the pressure and power of management and use it to bring out the very best in your leadership journey, wherever on the corporate ladder you might be.

Fine-tune your leadership with Sabina’s expertise:

• How to become pressure-proof so you can turn tension into teamwork;
• The microhabits that can help you be a compassionate leader (and partner, and parent);
• How to deal with the feedback distortion that occurs when you shift from team member to manager;
• Self-assessment questions that will identify your challenges and make you a better boss.

Related Links:

• Order Sabina’s book, “You’re the Boss” - https://sabinanawaz.com/book/
• Learn more about Sabina’s work - https://sabinanawaz.com/
• Episode 512, The Engagement Crisis Impacting Young Workers - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode511
• Episode 437, The Succession Gap and the Growing Value of Your Aspirations - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode437
• LEVEL UP: a Leadership Accelerator for Women on the Rise - https://www.bossedup.org/levelup
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

How do new parents balance limited paid leave and a newborn who has to spend weeks in intensive care? Becoming a NICU family is heart-wrenching enough, but having to weigh returning to work before your newborn has come home from the hospital makes this already-stressful time even harder.

Today, I’m thrilled to share some good news about a new groundbreaking law that has  Colorado once again on the forefront of caring for caregivers.

Whether you’re living in Colorado or wondering how to advocate for your state to take more action on this front, this episode is essential listening for anyone passionate about the infrastructure of care and gender equality in America.

Learn all about the new legislation, including:

• How inspiring new benefits will benefit parents with babies in the NICU;
• How employees and businesses alike are benefiting;
• And how the state is reducing premiums while increasing benefits. 

Related Links:

• Episode 489, How the Cost of Childcare Has Become a Workforce Issue -  https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode489
• Episode 434, The Economic Imperative of Affordable Childcare -  https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode434
• Episode 479, America’s Parents Are Not Okay - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode479
• Senate Bill 25-144, “Change to Paid Family Med Leave Insurance Program” - https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2025A/bills/fn/2025a_sb144_00.pdf
• A Better Balance, “Colorado Expands Paid Family and Medical Leave for NICU Parents” - https://www.abetterbalance.org/colorado-expands-paid-family-and-medical-leave-for-nicu-parents/
• Colorado General Assembly, “Change Paid Family Medical Leave Insurance Program” - https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb25-144
• Colorado Politics, “Colorado governor signs bill increasing family leave for parents of NICU babies” - https://www.coloradopolitics.com/governor/colorado-governor-signs-bill-increasing-family-leave-for-parents-of-nicu-babies/article_04eeae6d-9c50-485d-bbde-9feadc2d062c.html
• Denver7, “Deductions for Colorado's paid family, medical leave program begin in 2023” - https://www.denver7.com/news/politics/deductions-for-colorados-paid-family-medical-leave-program-begin-in-2023
• Colorado’s Family and Medical Leave Insurance (FAMLI) program - https://famli.colorado.gov/
• TAKE ACTION with Bossed Up - https://www.bossedup.org/takeaction
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

With the uncertain state of the economy right now, money is on most people’s minds. Now is the perfect time to explore why our finances are so much more than “just numbers,” and how intricately emotions and money intertwine.

My guest, Aja Evans, is a financial therapist and the author of the new book, Feel Good Finance. After noticing how often people in therapy sessions breeze past their money stresses, she set out to make talking through our financial concerns more commonplace. This one is certain to resonate—Aja’s insights left me feeling like I’d just had a cathartic therapy session myself.

Identify your financial priorities and values with Aja’s expert advice:

• Why we need to consider our childhoods when thinking about money;
• How we can talk about money with our kids to set them up for their own financial futures;
• The hefty, wide-ranging impact of financial trauma (and why we need to address it);
• How to start figuring out our basic needs and making brave changes to get aligned.

Related Links:

• Learn more about Aja’s work - https://ajaevanscounseling.com/
• Get a copy of “Feel Good Finance” - https://bookshop.org/p/books/feel-good-finance-untangle-your-relationship-with-money-for-better-mental-emotional-and-financial-well-being-aja-evans/21301669
• Connect with Aja on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/ajaetherapy/
• Listen to Hidden Brain, “Rewrite Your Money Story” - https://hiddenbrain.org/podcast/money-2-0-rewrite-your-money-story/
• TAKE ACTION with Bossed Up - https://www.bossedup.org/takeaction
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

As a leader, how can you tackle disengagement on your team? Employee engagement is in crisis, and it’s costing more than just morale. According to Gallup, only 31% of the American workforce is engaged at work, while a staggering 17% are actively disengaged—cynical, vocal, and dragging others down with them. This unfortunate reality takes a toll on worker mental health, and also poses a full-blown productivity problem, with real financial consequences.

In this episode, I unpack the latest findings from Gallup’s workforce engagement surveys and look at how leaders can leverage it as a blueprint for creating meaningful, motivating work environments. From setting clear expectations to building genuine connections and offering real opportunities for growth, we explore the practical ways to shift your team’s momentum.

Take a deeper look at what the numbers say about leading your team to maximum impact:

• What the generational divide in employee engagement might reveal;
• Why it’s not as simple as blaming remote work for worker disengagement;
• How expectations create the foundation for a more engaged workforce.

Related Links:

• Book Emilie to speak at your event - https://www.emiliearies.com/
• Episode 265, How to Set Clear Expectations As a Leader - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode265
• Episode 376, How to Make Performance Reviews More Effective as a Manager - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode376
• Episode 407, How to Delegate Without Feeling So Bad About It - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode407
• Episode 452, Redefining Success: Women and the Fight for a Fair Economy - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode452
• Episode 483, Can You Be Friends At Work? - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode483
• Episode 489 How the Cost of Childcare Has Become a Workforce Issue, https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode489
• Gallup, U.S. Employee Engagement Sinks to 10-Year Low - https://www.gallup.com/workplace/654911/employee-engagement-sinks-year-low.aspx
• Gallup 2025 State of the Global Workplace Report - https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx
• Gallup, The Benefits of Employee Engagement - https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236927/employee-engagement-drives-growth.aspx
• Gallup, The Q12 Employee Engagement Survey - https://www.gallup.com/q12-employee-engagement-survey/
• LEVEL UP: a Leadership Accelerator for Women on the Rise - https://www.bossedup.org/levelup
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

What would happen if you stopped pursuing a career destination and focused instead on the best direction? Too often, we find ourselves checking the “right” boxes to get the best degree and climb the corporate ladder, only to find ourselves unfulfilled as we near the top. There’s something wrong with that picture.

Megan Hellerer, the author of “Directional Living: A Transformational Guide to Fulfillment in Work and Life,” joins me to talk about the approach she has adopted and the one she now teaches. Directional living is about recognizing that human beings change over time. It’s about eschewing a Final Destination and the resulting roadmap and instead focusing on what aligns with our lives and goals as we go through life.

Embrace Megan’s individualized approach to constructing a fulfilling life and career:

• Why the American Dream just isn’t serving us anymore;
• Why we can’t define fulfillment by society’s limiting perception of success;
• How recalibrating your inner thermostat can help you start living directionally;
• Why the idea of “failure” is overrated and what to focus on instead.

Related Links:

• Buy “Directional Living: A Transformational Guide to Fulfillment in Work and Life” by Megan Hellerer - https://meganhellerer.com/directional-living-book
• Learn more about Megan’s coaching - https://meganhellerer.com/work-with-me
• Connect with Megan on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/meganhellerer/
• LEVEL UP: a Leadership Accelerator for Women on the Rise - https://www.bossedup.org/levelup
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

What separates a good manager from a great leader—and why does it matter for your career? The important difference between these two mindsets is often overlooked, but recognizing and honing a leadership approach can help land you the promotion, raise, or amazing new job you deserve.

In this episode, I share three key dimensions where making the shift from a management to a leadership mindset really lets you shine. Through practical examples and workplace scenarios, I explore how leadership isn't about abandoning managerial skills and their inherent structure—it's about thinking more broadly, connecting more deeply, and pushing for change when it counts. From writing memos to preparing a presentation, anyone can start zooming out, questioning the status quo, and influencing outcomes at a higher level.

Think big-picture with these little mindset shifts:

• The difference between being task-focused and people-focused;
• The benefits of shifting from execution to innovation;
• What it means to do the right thing, not just do things right;
• How to sharpen your leadership mentality in any situation.

Related Links:

• Stanford Advancement of Women in Medicine - https://drive.google.com/file/d/19mNpvWVeiD6yWSZMf42deJqjvZoVqJKj/view
• Leadership Development and DEI Training for Teams - https://www.bossedup.org/forteams
• Herminia Ibarra on Women and Vision - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBYTlKnLSMk&t=249s
• Episode 308, How Women Leaders Can Win in Male-Dominated Workplaces - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode308
• Episode 344, What Confidence Really Is and How to Cultivate It - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode344
• Episode 356, How to Think Like a Leader Rather Than a Manager - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode356
• LEVEL UP: a Leadership Accelerator for Women on the Rise - https://www.bossedup.org/levelup
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/

What can you or your organization do to make the workplace more inclusive for people with autism?

Recently, RFK Jr., the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, attracted considerable criticism following his disparagingly blanket statements about people with autism. Many people in the autism community lead fulfilling lives full of love, joy, and productive work—despite the hapless and hopeless depiction of this population that RFK shared. 

This is an excellent moment to draw attention to my conversation with Amanda Kelly, the president and CEO of Firefly Autism and one of the founders of the groundbreaking Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce (CNDCC). It’s impossible not to look at our growing talent shortage in this country and ask: why aren’t we hiring neurodivergent and autistic people? In this episode, Amanda dives into how we can all make our workplaces more welcoming for neurodivergent individuals, who make up one-fifth of our population. 

Whether you’re neurodiverse or neurotypical, Amanda’s jaw-dropping stats and pursuit of equity will inspire you:

• Learn about the shocking lack of career resources for autistic adults;
• Discover how organizations can make their workplaces more inclusive, for neurodivergent people and beyond;
• Break down the ongoing issues of neurodiversity and inequities in diagnosis; 
• Understand the unique gender component of autism and its impacts.

Related Links:

• Firefly Autism - https://fireflyautism.org/
• Colorado Neurodiversity Chamber of Commerce - https://www.cndcc.org/
• Connect with Amanda on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-d-kelly-d-psych-2b5957a0/
• RFK Jr., “Autism destroys families” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KPxTnX1sgJc
• “Addressing the ‘Cliff’ for Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder” - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33539916/
• NYT, “The Dangerous Race to Put More Children to Work” - https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/24/opinion/editorials/arkansas-child-labor.html
• Autism Recovery Network, “Why Is the Autistic Unemployment Rate So High?” - https://autismrecovery.sg/why-is-the-autistic-unemployment-rate-so-high/
• Episode 390, How to Manage ADHD in the Workplace - https://www.bossedup.org/podcast/episode390
• TAKE ACTION with Bossed Up - https://www.bossedup.org/takeaction
• Bossed Up Courage Community - https://www.facebook.com/groups/927776673968737/
• Bossed Up LinkedIn Group - https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7071888/