Build Your Brave Career for Women in Tech

"I wanted to cultivate some happiness in my life because my mind was so stuck in perfectionism and performance, and I didn't do well enough. So I was like, I need some optimism and positivity. So the question is, where did I smile today?" - Melissa Rauen

This week we dive into perfectionism and performance anxiety with guest Melissa Rauen. In one year Melissa changed almost every aspect of her life: she got married, bought a house, shifted her career, and transformed her approach to work and life. 

Melissa shares how she began separating her identity from performance in a way that has been pivotal in both her career and her life. Listen in for how she built simple, regular practices to foster gratitude, lower her stress, reduce her workload, and strengthen her mindset.

Then we discuss the growing and demanding opportunities within the multifaceted Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) career tracks. 

Hot topics from this episode:

• Exploring the journey of overcoming perfectionism and performance anxiety.
• Separating identity from performance and daily practices for shift 
• Career opportunities within GRC, compliance, governance, and risk management

Connect with Melissa Rauen on LinkedIn

Related Episodes: 

E51: Marcae Bryant Omosor: Clarity, Purpose and Let the World Catch Up with You; CyberSecurity, Data Protection
E64: Clarity - Self-Concept Design

For more information on how you can build your brave career, reach out to me
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Stressed out. Overworked. Underpaid. Passed over (again… and again… and again). That’s just how it is as a woman in and around the tech industry, right?

Nope. Not around here.

Around here we build the skill of bravery so that we can stress less, work less, and then earn more. 

Because this is the Build Your Brave Career podcast. 

This podcast is just for you, an experienced woman in the tech industry who is ready to flip the script on the tired sterotype that women like us have to be stressed out, overworked, and underpaid. 

We don’t. 

In fact, growing your career as a woman in tech can be interesting, enjoyable, and lucrative. Okay, let’s be real: it can be really lucrative.

But we both know that isn’t going to *just* happen, because even with your education, experience, and how much hustle, you’re still stuck. You’re asking yourself: Is all this time and stress actually worth it? Am I really cut out for tech? What am I missing? 

Look, I get it because I lived it. That’s why I can help and that’s why this podcast is for you. 

First, you’ve got to forget what you've been taught: bravery isn't a personality trait, available only to the brash and bold techbros.

Bravery is a skill, available to everyone, and, as a woman in a male-dominated industry, you already have it. Now you need to build it. 

That’s what this podcast is all about. 

I’m Nicole Trick Steinbach, your host and the International Bravery Coach. 

I’m also a woman in tech. I started as a secretary in a computer science department in 2000 and exited corporate as a global senior director in 2019. In between I lived in Germany for over 13 years and worked in over 25 countries. 

During my corporate career, I led matrixed project teams all over the world to drive forward large strategic programs. I also coached and consulted upcoming leaders and experts craft their fulfilling and lucrative careers. 

Now, I run my own business as an organizational change management consultant and certified coach. My individual clients are women like you who are ready to craft and uplevel your brave career. 

Build Your Brave Career episodes are a mixture of conversations and solo episodes. 

Every conversation is with a fellow women in tech to share how they built their brave careers as well as the specific advice you can use in your own career. 

The solo episodes with me are where I share my frameworks, insights, and principles that you can use to reduce your stress, cut your overwork, and ensure you are well-paid while you enjoy your career. 

Each episode is curated to support you in your career growth. We talk about setting and achieving unique career goals, nurturing your network, establishing and cultivating boundaries, reducing stress with mindset and strategy, building functional and interpersonal skills, increasing total compensation, navigating the job market, and so much more.  

Building the skill of bravery is the most powerful way to create the career and life you really want. You can be a woman in and around tech who stresses less, works less, and earns more. 

Make sure you subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favorite podcasting app.

Ready to learn more about how to Build Your Brave Career, check out the following resources:
Check out my website
Join my mailing list for more insights, opportunities, and inspiration
Connection with me on LinkedIn

"There are two ways that specific feedback matters to your career. First, where you need to grow your skills for career growth. Second, insight into the person giving you feedback.” - Nicole Trick Steinbach 

Let’s delve into the crucial role of specific feedback in skill development and career growth. With statistics, my personal experience, and testimonials from my clients, I reveal the profound impact that specific, concrete, trackable feedback can have on your professional growth. 

I emphasize the importance of detailed feedback for gaining insight into interpersonal and functional skills, enabling you to create targeted action plans for personal and professional advancement. The gender disparity in specific feedback highlights the significant impact on career advancement, confidence, and job satisfaction. 

Finally, I share my method of gathering specific feedback from my coaching clients. I provide the specific questions as well as the tangible result so that you can take ownership of obtaining and utilizing specific feedback to propel your career as a woman in tech forward. 

Hot topics from this episode:

• Importance of Specific Feedback in Career Growth
• Gender Disparity in Specific Feedback: women receive 20-35% less specific feedback than men
• Impact on career satisfaction, promotions, career advancement opportunities, and confidence

For more information on how you can build your brave:
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"Before I decide that I'm the problem, I'm going to make sure I'm not surrounded by broken situations." - Nicole Trick Steinbach 

One powerful quote can help you quickly clear up a stressful, unrewarding career situations: “Before you diagnose yourself with depression or low self-esteem, first make sure that you are not, in fact, just surrounded by assholes.” ― William Gibson

I share personal and client experiences to help you reflect on current career situations that are burning you out and aren't actually your fault. Especially for women in male-dominated industries, we often turn negative situations inward, questioning our own abilities and blaming ourselves incorrectly. We take accountability for bad product, bad processes, broken standards, and even a$$hole behavior. All of it keeps you stressed out, overworking, and underpaid. 

Instead, I suggest bravely navigating the balance between areas for growth and refusing to take on blame that isn't yours. 

If you're seeking structured support, download the free Accountability Triangle to help you get clear on what is going on and how to fix it without overworking. Download it at https://tricksteinbach.com/work-less/ 

For more information on how you can build your brave:
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"Always have your sense of intrinsic worth separated from whatever is happening to you so that even in a storm, you can be a steady ship." 

M Pavia, Product Marketing Expert, shares her experience of reclaiming her career self-confidence to embrace her intrinsic worth during a difficult career phase, which took place during a difficult, bizarre phase of the job market. 

First M shares her biggest lessons that began with her courageous leap into an Ivy League business school for her MBA, then her mismatched job experiences and management styles. All of which led to self-doubt and application rejections that shook her confidence. 

We discuss the process of managing dips in self-confidence when negative, external factors seem relentless, particularly during a tough job market in the tech industry. M shares her insightful strategies, including therapy, reframing her experiences positively, and recognizing her value beyond external validations, coaching, and building specific career skills. 

We also explore the impact of class differences, opportunity gaps, and cultural differences that impact access, growth, and professional development. 

This episode underscores the importance of trusting your own brave career journey, even when the job market or specific positions don't, as well as the power of getting support to craft your own narrative. 

To all the courageous listeners striving in their careers: remember, your worth is intrinsic and unconnected to your professional phase. 

Hot topics from this episode:

• M's career advice on maintaining awareness of one's value during tough times
• The Struggle With Negative Thoughts and techniques to live through them 
• The difficulty of seeking external recognition with the importance of recognizing and valuing one's intrinsic worth
• The process of moving away from brand-name identification, while acknowledging the power of brands to visibility and opportunities 
• Societal Biases and Personal Anecdotes: class differences, privilege, affirmative action, white supremacy, misogyny and patriarchy in career growth 

Resources
Connect with M Pavia on LinkedIn
Excellent Sheep: The Miseducation of the American Elite and the Way to a Meaningful Life
Paper that details the tenants of White Supremacy
Overview of the US Supreme Court and 2023 Ruling about Affirmative Action

For more information on how you can build your brave:
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Do you know who the most powerful person is in your stress cycle? It is you. You are the most important, most powerful person. - Nicole Trick Steinbach 

Radical responsibility is a concept about moving from blame and criticism, towards actual responsibility for the results that you are not just experiencing, but you're also co-creating. It's about making that shift from being the victim. It is about placing yourself into a position of empowerment and choice. 

In this episode, I delve into the concept of radical responsibility in the context of your career and the challenges faced by women in tech. I discuss the impact of overwork and stress, and how you can stop feeling powerless in such situations by choosing Radical Responsibility. 

Listen for practical strategies for taking control of your workload, including setting boundaries, declining unnecessary meetings, and communicating effectively with managers. The episode highlights the importance of holding oneself accountable with compassion and bravery to make brave changes. 

If you're feeling overwhelmed in your career, especially as a woman in tech, this episode is for you. 

Hot topics from this episode:

• Description of Stress and Overwork
• Radical Responsibility, shifting from blame and disempowerment to taking responsibility for co-creating results
• Embracing Empowerment
• Exercise of Radical Responsibility in Action

Download the Accountability Triangle to Work Less here: https://tricksteinbach.com/work-less/

For more information on how you can build your brave:
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"If I were to think of one thing that has changed the trajectory of my life, but also my career, it would be that it would be taking responsibility for the results in my life,” - Christine Kern

Christine Kern discusses the importance of carving out your career path with intention, courage, and a deep life perspective. She shares the intimate details of her journey, from running high-powered teams across the EMEA region to her bold decision to leave a dream job in pursuit of creating environments that foster individual and collective flourishing. 

As women in the fast-evolving tech industry, Christine and I explored the crossroads where professional growth and personal values meet. We stressed the need to listen to life's whispers and honor the calls to action they carry. 

Christine shares a specific story about how she made a powerful transformational decision for her career. She shares foundational information about radical responsibility and conscious leadership. 

Catch these three questions to craft your own clarity to take Radical Responsibility: 

1. How have I contributed to my results and my life? 
2. What was my part in the positive, neutral, and negative results? 
3. What is life whispering to you? 

This is a vivid conversation about honoring and owning your achievements, choosing to empower life’s whispers, and seizing your dreams with courage. Particularly if you are looking for your next big step that balances growth, stretch, and intentional impact, you want to listen carefully to this episode. 

Hot topics from this episode:

• Learn more about Christine Kern
• Connect with Christine Kern on LinkedIn
• Learn about the Conscious Leadership Group
• Discover more about Diana Chapman

For more information on how you can build your brave:
Check out my website
Join my mailing list for more insights, opportunities, and inspiration
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So you just found out you're underpaid. What do you do now? This episode is going to answer that question. - Nicole Trick Steinbach 

Being underpaid is an all too common dilemma for many professional women, especially women in tech. This episode will show you how to address being underpaid and how to fix it. I outline an eight-step process, crafted from my own experience as well as those of my clients. 

This episode starts with the emotional journey of discovering and managing your feelings about being underpaid. Then I walk through the crucial but difficult step of ensuring that you are ready for a salary correction so that you can collect the specific data and insights to set a realistic goal. 

I lead you through how to establish your unique strategic approach in negotiating for fair compensation, emphasizing the need for clear communication, boundary-setting, and ongoing monitoring. 

In this episode, I also address the systemic issues that can impact you and your approach to proactive career management, including staying engaged in the job market and seeking outside support when needed. 

Hot topics from this episode:

• Understanding Underpayment and Taking Action
• Dispell shame and blame associated with being underpaid
• Steps for Addressing Underpayment
  • Feel your feelings. 
  • Confirm that you are ready for the salary and responsibilities 
  • Get specific 
  • Create your strategic approach 
  • Start the conversation 
  • Stay accountable and govern
  • Get (and stay!) on the job market
  • Feel the feelings

Related episodes: 

• E79: How do I know if I am underpaid as a woman in tech?
• E42: Are you Underpaid, Overworked and Un-invested as a Women in Tech?

For more information on how you can build your brave:
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"I am really proud of myself for everything that I've done. And looking back, seeing that and what it's done just reminds me that I can continue to do more." — Jennie Block, Sustainable Product Development Manager expert and digital nomad. 

Jennie works with small and medium-sized companies to understand and reduce their impact on our environment. Jennie is also my client. We delve into the strategies and emotions behind Jennie's bold career moves, including how she specifically confronted being underpaid and establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries. We talked about overworking, overproducing, and choosing to take medical leave. 

Then Jennie shares her passion for sustainable product development and her pivot towards helping businesses lessen their negative ecological footprint. Finally, we dive into relationship shifts and how coaching supported Jennie during her decision and growth process.

Remember, your bravery can lead to remarkable changes—not just in your career, but in our world. Share this story with someone who's chasing courage, and keep pushing the boundaries, together. And don't forget—be brave, eat more plants, and let's make sustainable choices!

Hot topics from this episode:

• Career advice: Setting boundaries and not settling for less
• The importance of financial stability, prioritizing savings and building an emergency fund
• Navigating being underpaid
• Making bold decisions that balance life and career desires and goals
• Sustainable Living and Sustainable Product Development 

Resources:
Connect with Jennie Block on LinkedIn 

For more information on how you can build your brave:
Check out my website
Join my mailing list for more insights, opportunities, and inspiration
Connection with me on LinkedIn

“How do I actually use the build your brave framework? In this episode, I answer the most common question I receive, and also share a concrete, recent example from my own career.”  - Nicole Trick Steinbach

Listen for a specific example of how to utilize the Build  Your Brave framework to stress less, work less, and earn more. I share a specific example of how I continue to use the framework in my own career and business growth: renaming this podcast from “Celebrate Brave” to “Build Your Brave Career” 

I walk you through the three components of the "Build Your Brave" framework: clarity, momentum, and accountability, illustrating how each overlap and support each other in building the skill of bravery. 

Then I go deeper into my personal experience so that you have insight for your brave opportunities: seeking expert advice, reflecting on feedback, and connecting to intuition and desire. I also delve into the challenges and emotions that I experienced during this process, most particularly, the effort of creating transformation while focusing on small, consistent steps. 

You are encouraged to examine your career and identify areas where you might be holding yourself back or overemphasizing external factors so that you can use the "Build Your Brave" framework to stress less, work less, and earn more as you grow your career. 

Hot topics from this episode:

• Overview of the Build Your Brave Framework: Clarity, Momentum, and Accountability
• An example of the Build Your Brave Framework: Renaming this Podcast from "Celebrate Brave" to "Build Your Brave Career"
• Strategies for incorporating community feedback and suggestions into the decision-making process
• Engagement with experts to align the renaming with the podcast's purpose and audience
• Addressing fear, insecurity, and worry while making significant changes
• Emphasizing the importance of taking small steps toward achieving goals
• Encouraging listeners to apply the Build Your Brave framework to their own career challenges

For more information on how you can build your brave:
Check out my website
Join my mailing list for more insights, opportunities, and inspiration
Connection with me on LinkedIn