In this episode, Nichole Harrop chats with career coach Andrea Yacub Macek to discuss navigating career uncertainty and creating strategies for your next career move. Andrea shares her personal journey, including how she transitioned from pursuing a medical career to climbing the corporate ladder, and finally finding her passion in helping women discover career alignment.

Andrea and Nichole dive into topics like:

• How to recognize when you're at a career crossroads
• Common challenges women face in their careers, like toxic bosses or feeling lost in their roles
• The importance of sitting with discomfort and using it to gain clarity
• Practical strategies for turning setbacks into growth opportunities
• The power of vulnerability and building trust in your decision-making process

Whether you're feeling stuck in your current role or unsure of your next steps, Andrea's advice on gaining clarity and aligning your career with your purpose will give you the tools you need to move forward with confidence.

Key Takeaways:

1. Embrace Change: Career setbacks or unexpected changes can be growth opportunities if you practice resilience and trust in yourself.
2. Clarity First: Before making any decisions, take time to clarify your vision for your life and career, and simplify it into actionable steps.
3. Support System: It's important to build a network of supportive people around you, whether that's inside your workplace or outside.
4. Sit in Discomfort: Growth often comes from uncomfortable emotions. Don’t run from them—process them to gain deeper insight into what you truly want.

Links Mentioned:

• Download Nichole’s Career Growth Guide to focus on key areas of professional development each month. Get yours here.
• Connect with Andrea Yacub Macek on LinkedIn.
• Visit Andrea’s website for more information on her coaching services.

Check out the Career Growth Guide to grow in your career.

In this episode, Nichole Harrop sits down with Heather Nemelka, a single mother of five who re-entered the workforce after an 18-year break. Heather shares her inspiring journey of navigating career pivots, regaining confidence, and launching her own business, Elevare, to help women—especially single mothers—return to the workforce.

Heather discusses the challenges she faced, including the self-doubt that comes with re-entering the workforce after a long break. She offers actionable advice on using informational interviews to build confidence, making career pivots, and leveraging networking to grow professionally. Heather's story provides valuable insights for anyone looking to re-enter the workforce or pivot careers.

Key Takeaways:

• Informational Interviews: Heather explains how conducting informational interviews helped her gain confidence, network, and land her first role after her career break.
• Building Confidence: Heather highlights the importance of “borrowing confidence” from those around you and using past experiences as evidence of your abilities.
• Networking: Heather shares practical tips for expanding your network, including attending free local events, volunteering, and making meaningful LinkedIn connections.
• Affirmations and Self-Belief: Heather emphasizes the power of positive affirmations in overcoming self-doubt and rebuilding confidence.
• Reframing Experience: Mothers returning to the workforce can leverage the skills they've gained during their time at home to showcase value in the professional world.

Resources Mentioned:

• Elevare: Heather’s business focused on helping women, particularly mothers, return to the workforce. Visit www.elavare.com for more information.
• Career Growth Guide: Nichole’s resource to help you focus on skill development and career conversations with your leader. 

Connect with Heather Nemelka:

• Website: www.elavare.com
• LinkedIn: Heather Nemelka 

Connect with Nichole Harrop:

• Website: hellogrowvio.com
• LinkedIn: Nichole Harrop

This podcast episode with Elizabeth Lotardo dives deep into the importance of leading yourself effectively as a foundation for transitioning into leadership roles. Elizabeth shares her insights on how to shift focus from unattainable output goals to manageable input goals, empowering individuals to control what they can and improve their performance. She emphasizes that leading yourself is about identifying and maximizing what is within your control—like your mindset, emotional response, and daily actions—while recognizing the power this brings in both personal and professional growth.

Key takeaways include:

• Celebrating Small Wins: Embrace and celebrate small achievements as they contribute to overall progress and satisfaction.
• Managing Unrealistic Goals: Understand the importance of setting realistic goals and how to break them down into actionable steps within your control.
• Leading Yourself: Leadership starts with effectively leading yourself by controlling your mindset and behaviors, which will eventually translate into successful leadership of others.

Elizabeth’s book, available now, offers a deeper exploration of these concepts, providing practical advice for anyone looking to enhance their leadership skills by first mastering self-leadership.

Tune into the first episode with Elizabeth Lotardo here.

Get your copy here. Or download on Audible here.

Connect with Nichole and Elizabeth on LinkedIn.

Grab your copy of the Career Growth Guide.

In this episode of the Future Female Leaders podcast, Nichole Harrop discusses what to do after not being promoted to a leadership role. Nichole offers insights into the emotional and strategic steps you can take to turn the experience into an opportunity for growth. Whether the role was filled by an external or internal hire, Nichole shares advice on how to navigate the situation with grace, support the new leader, and continue your own career development.

Get your copy of the Career Growth Guide here.

Connect with Nichole on LinkedIn. 

Key Takeaways:

1. Reflect on Your Leadership Aspirations:

   • Before jumping into the disappointment, assess your true interest in leadership roles.
   • Understand the difference between ladder growth (traditional career progression) and expanded growth (broadening your skills and impact without necessarily moving up).

2. Seek Constructive Feedback:

   • Give yourself time to process before seeking feedback.
   • Approach feedback with curiosity and a readiness to implement changes.

3. Support the New Leader:

   • Whether the new leader is an external or internal hire, offer your help to make their transition smooth.
   • Build a positive relationship by being a resource and showing your value to the new leader.

4. Build Relationships and Continue to Grow:

   • Use this time to deepen your relationships within the organization.
   • Consider asking the new leader about their experiences and strategies, turning this into a learning opportunity for yourself.

5. Maintain a Positive Attitude:

   • Even if disappointed, focus on helping the team and the new leader succeed.
   • This attitude not only helps the team but also positions you as a strong candidate for future leadership opportunities.

Actionable Tips:

• Assess Your Goals: Take time to reflect on whether you genuinely want to be in a leadership role or if you’re driven by external factors like title or pay.
• Ask for Feedback: When you're ready, ask for specific feedback on why you weren’t selected for the role and how you can improve.
• Offer Support: Be proactive in supporting the new leader, whether they were hired internally or externally.
• Network and Learn: Use this time to build relationships and learn from the new leader’s experiences.

In this special milestone episode, Nichole Harrop reflects on the journey of creating and growing the Future Female Leaders podcast. Nichole shares her experiences, challenges, and accomplishments over the past five years, celebrating the podcast's 250th episode. She discusses the importance of celebrating milestones, the evolution of her podcasting skills, and the valuable lessons learned along the way.

1. Introduction and Milestone Celebration

   • Nichole celebrates the 250th episode and reflects on starting the podcast nearly five years ago.
   • Emphasizes the importance of celebrating both small and large accomplishments.

2. Starting the Podcast Journey

   • Nichole shares how she was encouraged by a business coach to start her own podcast after not finding many relevant podcasts to guest on.
   • Initial challenges of learning podcasting basics, including using GarageBand and creating an RSS feed.

3. Overcoming Doubts and Initial Struggles

   • Dealing with doubts and the desire for perfection.
   • Early experiences of recording episodes in less-than-ideal conditions and the slow growth in the initial months.

4. Finding a Niche and Audience Growth

   • Nichole's goal to fill a gap in the podcasting space by focusing on career growth for future female leaders.
   • Realizing the need to pivot content based on feedback and focusing more on career growth topics.

5. Podcast Rebranding and Impact

   • Changing the podcast's name from "Next Level Leaders" to "Future Female Leaders" to better align with the target audience.
   • Celebrating the global reach of the podcast with listeners in 120 different countries.

6. Top Podcast Episodes

   • Highlighting the top five episodes based on listener engagement:
     1. Episode 15: Building off Strengths
     2. Episode 231: Are You Setting Boundaries at Work?
     3. Episode 49: Are You Doing the Right Things to Stand Out at Work?
     4. Episode 241: The Most Important Thing About Consistency
     5. Episode 215: An Easy Way to Approach Giving Feedback

Get the Career Growth Guide

Connect with Nichole on LinkedIn

In this episode, Nichole Harrop reflects on her past approach to career growth and shares how she wishes she had focused more on holistic growth rather than just climbing the corporate ladder. She discusses the importance of celebrating each step of the journey and offers practical advice for maintaining a balanced and fulfilling career trajectory.

Key Takeaways:

1. Career Growth Guide: Nichole introduces a helpful resource, the Career Growth Guide, to assist listeners in establishing a consistent and effective growth strategy.
2. LinkedIn Importance: She stresses the importance of having a LinkedIn profile for career development and networking, even if one is not actively posting content.
3. Ladder Growth vs. Expanded Growth:
   • Ladder Growth: Traditionally, career growth is seen as climbing a corporate ladder, focusing on achieving higher titles and positions.
   • Expanded Growth: Nichole advocates for a more rounded approach, where growth is multifaceted, similar to a garden of blooming flowers. This includes expanding skills, knowledge, and impact without necessarily moving up in title.
4. Personal Reflection: Nichole shares her experience with burnout from focusing too heavily on upward career movement and the lack of fulfillment that came with it.
5. Work Journal: Keeping a work journal to track accomplishments, projects, and impacts can help one recognize their growth and stay prepared for future opportunities.
6. Mindset Shift: Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their own growth strategies and consider adopting a more holistic view of career development.

Check out Nichole's digital resources here

Connect with Nichole on LinkedIn

Episode Highlights:

• Importance of Building a Personal Brand:

  • Focus on LinkedIn, but also applicable in general.
  • Creating a personal brand helps in career growth and visibility.

• Reminder:

  • Check the link in the show notes for career growth resources.
  • The Career Growth Guide is a valuable tool to complement building your brand.

• Personal Brand Backstory:

  • Nichole's experience as a career job hopper and the fresh start it offers.
  • Importance of professionalism and maintaining a positive reputation.

• Key Points on Building a Personal Brand:

  • Reflect on how you make people feel and interact with others.
  • Set personal boundaries and hold yourself to a standard.
  • Consider how you want to be remembered after leaving a job.

• LinkedIn Tips:

  • Start by engaging with content and commenting on posts.
  • Gradually build confidence to post your own content.
  • Share your growth journey, insights, and recommendations.

• Networking:

  • The power of building a network and offering value.
  • Consistent visibility on LinkedIn opens doors to opportunities.

• Practical Advice:

  • Download the Career Growth Guide for monthly focus areas and video content.
  • Use the guide for ideas on what to post and how to grow.

Get the free intro to the Career Growth Guide!

Connect with Jennifer Moore on LinkedIn Connect with Nichole Harrop on LinkedIn

Topics/Questions discussed:

How can someone in an entry level role recognize that they might need to help their leader to become more of a coach?

What is a good way to go about changing the structure of a helpful 1:1?

What can you do if you are trying to make changes to your 1:1 structure and it’s not going well?

What other advice or guidance do you have to help someone who wants to grow?

Get the Career Growth Guide here. Connect and ask any questions to Nichole on LinkedIn.

Key Points:

• Importance of knowing your boss's expectations, especially if aiming for growth or leadership.
• Metrics such as customer satisfaction, quality scores, attendance, and meeting punctuality can be key.
• Tailor your approach to meet your leader's priorities.
• Ask your leader what they need from you today to endorse your future growth.
• Use the Career Growth Guide (in show notes) for career roadmap and growth tips.

Connect with Nichole on LinkedIn

Check out the different digital offerings Nichole has, here!