Confident Conversations

How to get promoted when you are on maternity leave

Many women spend their maternity leave worrying about the impact on their career when they go back to work. In this episode, I talk to Lynn Christison who was promoted while on maternity leave.

Lynn worked as a geophysicist in the oil and gas exploration industry for 15 years. When she went on maternity leave, she was a team leader. While she was on maternity leave, she was asked to come back to a promotion, as the manager of 2 data processing teams. Not only that, Lynn successfully negotiated reduced hours.

Sadly the company that Lynn worked for didn't survive when the oil industry went into decline and Lynn is no longer in that industry. She now manages a Customer care team in a utility metering company.

GUEST: Lynn Christison HOSTED BY: Sherry Bevan

Mentioned on the show

Connect with Lynn on LinkedIn > Worksheet on how to request flexible working > How to make effective use of your Keeping In Touch days >On Facebook: The Confident Mother group Sign up > to join my LinkedIn Challenge which starts in May.

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For ambitious women about confidently balancing work and life, hosted by me, Sherry Bevan, Author, Coach & Speaker. A former Global Head of IT Service for a City law firm, I now work as a women's leadership coach helping ambitious women get clear on what they really want then find the confidence to do it.

Find all the Confident Conversations episodes on iTunes >.

How to get a better night's sleep and wake up refreshed for work - Episode 015

So many women that I talk to struggle to get a good night's sleep and this impacts on their confidence and performance at work. So I looked around for the Go To Expert on Sleep and found zesty lady Rachel McGuinness. Rachel helps busy people wave goodbye to insomnia and sleep problems, so that they get a good night's sleep and wake up refreshed and ready to start their day.

In today's episode with Rachel we talk about:

• How Rachel became the Go To Expert on Sleep in order to fix her own insomnia
• The four stages of sleep and why each one is essential
• The main culprits that mess up our sleep patterns (and what you can do to beat them)
• The dangers of blue light before bed
• How to create your optimal sleep environment (at home or away)

GUEST: Rachel McGuinness HOSTED BY: Sherry Bevan

Mentioned on the show

Rachel McGuinness at WakeUpWithZest.com Follow Rachel on Twitter @WakeUpWithZest Instagram: ZestyLady On Facebook: Wake Up With Zest groupLike Rachel's Facebook page: Wake Up With Zest

Ask your questions or share your feedback

• Comment on the show notes
• Tweet me @SherryRB quoting CC015 #ConfidentConversations
• Email [email protected]

For more Confident Conversations connect with me

• On Twitter @SherryRB or search #ConfidentConversations
• Like my Facebook page
• Subscribe, rate and review in iTunes >
• Sign up to The Confidence Guide published weekly

For ambitious women about confidently balancing work and life, hosted by Sherry Bevan, Author, Coach & Speaker. A former Global Head of IT Service for a City law firm, I now work as a women's leadership coach helping ambitious women get clear on what they really want then find the confidence to do it.

Find all the Confident Conversations episodes on iTunes >.

How to make a bigger impact at work - Episode 014

Many women that I talk to feel invisible at work and want to make a bigger impact so that they can take their career to the next level, get the recognition they deserve or lead in a bigger way, whether that's more people, bigger projects or more responsibility.

In today's episode I explore share five ideas to help you make a bigger impact at work:

• Look after No 1 first
• Clarity of purpose
• Self-knowledge – strengths, values, achievements
• A confident mindset that banishes the imposter syndrome
• Value the differences

HOSTED BY: Sherry Bevan

Mentioned on the show

Discover your Core Values in 5 Easy Steps: download > To book a complimentary 30 minute coaching call: Book a conversation with SherryOn Facebook: The Confident Mother group Sign up > to join my LinkedIn Challenge which starts in May.

Ask your questions or share your feedback

• Comment on the show notes
• Tweet me @SherryRB quoting CC014 #ConfidentConversations
• Email [email protected]

For more Confident Conversations connect with me

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In this week's episode, discover the 7 essentials for your LinkedIn profile whether you want to go back to work after a career break, change role, or get noticed by prospective recruiters, employers or clients. Your LinkedIn profile is an essential item in your career strategy toolkit and it needs to show WHO you are and WHAT you do even if you are not currently jobhunting.

You might feel your profile is already in good shape however it makes sense to review on a regular basis.

Sign up > to join my next LinkedIn Challenge.

HOSTED BY: Sherry Bevan

Mentioned on the show

To book a complimentary 30 minute coaching call: Book a conversation with SherryGet on the LinkedIn Challenge priority waitlist: Sign up here On Facebook: The Confident Mother group

Ask your questions or share your feedback

• Comment on the show notes
• Tweet me @SherryRB quoting CC013 #ConfidentConversations
• Email [email protected]

For more Confident Conversations connect with me

• On Twitter @SherryRB or search #ConfidentConversations
• Join my Facebook page
• Subscribe, rate and review in iTunes >
• Sign up to my weekly newsletter

Confident Conversations is a weekly podcast show for ambitious women about confidently balancing work and life, hosted by me, Sherry Bevan, Author, Coach & Speaker. A former Global Head of IT Service for a City law firm, I now work as a women's leadership coach helping ambitious women get clear on what they really want then find the confidence to do it.

Find all the Confident Conversations episodes on iTunes >.

How to use coaching skills to lead more confidently - Episode 012

In this week's episode discover how to use 3 coaching skills; skills that I use in my work as a leadership coach and will empower you to lead more confidently.

Coaching skills work for women in leadership because they allow you to play to your natural strengths and get the most out of your team. In this episode, we discuss:

• The different manager types including the attachment manager and the abandonment manager
• How coaching skills help you to develop teams who are better at problem-solving, troubleshooting and decision-making
• The power of active listening
• Open questions
• The GROW model

HOSTED BY: Sherry Bevan

Mentioned on the show

To book a complimentary 30 minute coaching call: Book a conversation with SherryOn Facebook: The Confident Mother group

Ask your questions or share your feedback

• Comment on the show notes
• Tweet me @SherryRB quoting CC012 #ConfidentConversations
• Email [email protected]

For more Confident Conversations connect with me

• On Twitter @SherryRB or search #ConfidentConversations
• Join my Facebook page
• Subscribe, rate and review in iTunes >
• Sign up to my weekly newsletter

Confident Conversations is a weekly podcast show for ambitious women about confidently balancing work and life, hosted by me, Sherry Bevan, Author, Coach & Speaker. A former Global Head of IT Service for a City law firm, I now work as a women's leadership coach helping ambitious women get clear on what they really want then find the confidence to do it.

Dealing with your teenager's anxiety with confidence – Episode 011

In this week's episode I'm talking to expert Caroline Cavanagh, author of Anxiety Alchemy.

Having the knowledge and confidence in how to support your teenagers is a key element to getting a work-life balance that works.

Caroline runs Anxiety Alchemy. She is a hypnotherapist and NLP practitioner by background, and now specialises in helping teenagers (and their parents) deal with anxiety.

I took so many notes listening to Caroline! In summary, in today's episode, we discuss:

• The 3 main pillars of of anxiety for teenagers today
• How parents can unwittingly add to the pressure
• How the brain processes information as an adult and as a teenager
• What we can do to help our teenagers and teenagers-to-be, especially in the season of mocks, exams and SATs
• How to give advice without giving advice
• How to avoid conflict and confrontation

Caroline's top tips for parents of teenagers: Love them and accept your teenagers for who they are. Remember that this too will end.

GUEST: Caroline CavanaghHOSTED BY: Sherry Bevan

Mentioned on the show

Caroline's website: Adding ZestCaroline's book: Anxiety AlchemyCaroline on Facebook: @AddingZestLtd Support group for Exam Stress: Anxiety Alchemy for Exam Stress

Ask your questions or share your feedback

• Comment on the show notes
• Tweet me @SherryRB quoting CC011 #ConfidentConversations
• Email [email protected]

For more Confident Conversations connect with me

• On Twitter @SherryRB or search #ConfidentConversations
• Join my Facebook page
• Subscribe, rate and review in iTunes
• Sign up to my weekly newsletter

Confident Conversations is a weekly podcast show for ambitious women about confidently balancing work and life, hosted by me, Sherry Bevan, Author, Coach & Speaker. A former Global Head of IT Service for a City law firm, I now work as a women's leadership coach helping ambitious women get clear on what they really want then find the confidence to do it.

Managing a large team on part-time hours – Episode 010

In this week's episode about the imposter syndrome, I'm talking to Julia Bramble of Bramble Buzz.

While Julia, mum of 6, is now an award-winning specialist and small business social media expert, her career started in the Metropolitan Police Forensic Science Lab in London. She wrote the training material and trained more than 20 hugely resistant, highly respected, court reporting officers who didn't believe in this new-fangled DNA testing being introduced.

In Julia's next role, she was responsible for setting up a new unit to create the first national DNA database. In her new role she was responsible for recruiting, training and leading a team of 60 scientists and yet she only worked 3 days a week. Julia demonstrates that YES leadership on part-time hours can be done.

In today's episode, we discuss:

• How a forensic scientist ends up as a social media expert
• How to effectively lead a team of 60 people when you work part-time
• How to engage and motivate the individuals in a large team
• The change management required to successfully introduce a new way of working

Julia's top tips for women in leadership: don't try and do everything. Delegate effectively which means giving responsibility, backing and support.

GUEST: Julia Bramble HOSTED BY: Sherry Bevan

Mentioned on the show

Julia's website: Bramble BuzzJulia on Twitter: @JuliaBrambleJulia on Facebook: @BrambleBuzzSocialMedia

Ask your questions or share your feedback

• Comment on the show notes
• Tweet me @SherryRB quoting CC010 #ConfidentConversations
• Email [email protected]

For more Confident Conversations connect with me

• On Twitter @SherryRB or search #ConfidentConversations
• Join my Facebook page
• Subscribe, rate and review in iTunes
• Sign up to my weekly newsletter

Confident Conversations is a weekly podcast show for ambitious women about confidently balancing work and life, hosted by me, Sherry Bevan, Author, Coach & Speaker. A former Global Head of IT Service for a City law firm, I now work with ambitious women to help them get clear on what they really want then find the confidence to do it.

How to tell if you're suffering from imposter syndrome - Episode 009

In this week's episode about the imposter syndrome, I'm talking to Rebecca Pintre who runs Artemis Mindset Coaching.

Rebecca provides mindset coaching and training to help women beat their self-confidence demons, increase their productivity and focus and fulfill their potential. The imposter syndrome is one of Rebecca's specialist topics.

Originally from the North of England, Rebecca moved to Paris when she was 18. She now lives in a tiny village near the border with Luxembourg and Germany with her husband and two girls.

In today's episode, we discuss:

• What is imposter syndrome is
• Who does it affect
• What are the typical signs
• How can you can beat it.

GUEST: Rebecca Pintre HOSTED BY: Sherry Bevan

Mentioned on the show

Rebecca's website: Artemis Mindset Coaching

Ask your questions or share your feedback

• Comment on the show notes
• Tweet me @SherryRB quoting CC009 #ConfidentConversations
• Email [email protected]

For more Confident Conversations connect with me

• On Twitter @SherryRB or search #ConfidentConversations
• Join my Facebook page
• Subscribe, rate and review in iTunes
• Sign up to my weekly newsletter

Confident Conversations is a weekly podcast show for ambitious women about confidently balancing work and life, hosted by me, Sherry Bevan, Author, Coach & Speaker. A former Global Head of IT Service for a City law firm, I now work with ambitious women to help them get clear on what they really want then find the confidence to do it.

How to have a difficult conversation in the workplace - Episode 008

This week's episode is about how to have those difficult conversations in the workplace, and especially when it's about poor attitude at work.

I'm talking to Sue Ingram from Converse Well. Sue initially trained in HR and worked in the City, and then in a number of pressurised sales environments. She discovered that the key to business success is the right people in the right jobs.

Sue is now an Author, Speaker and Facilitator on Difficult Conversations in the Workplace. She helps managers handle difficult conversations and provide feedback to their staff.

Today we are talking specifically about how to handle those difficult conversations with somebody in your team about poor attitude.

Sue shares with us:

• How to start that conversation about poor attitude
• What puts us off having those conversations
• Who benefits (and how) from tackling those conversations
• Her top tips for ambitious women who want more confidence to deal with those difficult conversations

GUEST: Sue Ingram HOSTED BY: Sherry Bevan

Mentioned on the show

Sue's website: ConverseWell.comSue on LinkedIn: Sue IngramSue on Twitter: @SueIngramSue's book on Amazon: Fire Well: How to fire staff so they thank youAmy Cuddy's TED talk: Your body language shapes who you are

Ask your questions or share your feedback

• Comment on the show notes
• Tweet me @SherryRB quoting CC008 #ConfidentConversations
• Email [email protected]

For more Confident Conversations connect with me

• On Twitter @SherryRB or search #ConfidentConversations
• Join my Facebook page
• Subscribe, rate and review in iTunes
• Sign up to my weekly newsletter

Confident Conversations is a weekly podcast show for ambitious women about confidently balancing work and life, hosted by me, Sherry Bevan, Author, Coach & Speaker. A former Global Head of IT Service for a City law firm, I now work with ambitious women to help them get clear on the career they really want then find the confidence to do it.

How to speak up confidently in meetings - Episode 007

This week's episode is about speaking up with confidence in meetings.

I'm talking to Susan Heaton-Wright from Executive Voice. Susan helps people get heard in meetings, presentations or public speaking. I originally interviewed Susan for my first online conference in 2015. There's a whole chapter in my book based on that interview about how to project confidence through your voice and presence.

Today we are talking specifically about how to speak up confidently in meetings without being pushy. This is for you if you worry about speaking up in meetings because you don't want to be laughed at or be ignored. Or your voice doesn't get heard.

Many of the women that I work with tell me that they presented a great idea, for it to fall on deaf ears. Ten minutes later, somebody else presents that very same idea and everybody loves it. Susan shares her secrets on how to avoid that happening ever again.

We also talk about:

• The common worries that we have about speaking up at meetings
• How to project confidence through our voice even when we don't feel it inside
• How to sit at the table
• The importance of the non-verbal communication
• How to 'take up space' in meetings so that your presence is noticed
• One story I hear all the time "I made this great suggestion and it fell on deaf ears. Two weeks later, the same idea was presented by a man, and suddenly everybody loved it". Can we fix that?
• Susan's respect and admiration for Betty Boothroyd, first female Speaker in the House of Commons
• How to prepare for a meeting

GUEST: Susan Heaton-Wright HOSTED BY: Sherry Bevan

Mentioned on the show

Susan's website: www.ExecutiveVoice.co.ukSusan on LinkedIn: Susan Heaton-WrightBetty Boothroyd clip: "Order, Order" Sheryl Sandberg's book: Lean InSherry's Women's Confident Leadership programme: get in touch to find out more

Ask your questions or share your feedback

• Comment on the show notes
• Tweet me @SherryRB quoting CC007 #ConfidentConversations
• Email [email protected]

For more Confident Conversations connect with me

• On Twitter @SherryRB or search #ConfidentConversations
• Join my Facebook page
• Subscribe, rate and review in iTunes
• Sign up to my weekly newsletter