She had a stable career and she would’ve stayed on it forever. Until life quietly asked a different question.

In this episode of Hats On!, Ilona shares a deeply human story of unexpected change, resilience, and the paths we don’t plan but end up shaping us the most.

Trained as an audiologist, Ilona built a long, successful career in a demanding field. But when an opportunity came to move overseas, everything shifted. From Australia to the Netherlands to the UK and back again, this conversation explores what happens when you step off the “expected” path—and discover something new about yourself along the way.

We talk about:

• The reality of miscarriage—and the silence around it
• Supporting someone through mental health—and the invisible weight carried by those around them
• Letting go of the idea that life has to follow a fixed plan
• Raising children to embrace individuality, not perfection

At its core, this is a conversation about adaptability. About choosing differently when life gives you the chance. And about understanding that not everything needs to go according to plan to turn out exactly as it should.

If you’ve ever questioned your path, felt stuck in a version of life that no longer fits, or wondered what else might be possible, this episode is for you.

Disclaimer: Guest's opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hats On! or its partners. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice.

Her career didn’t follow a straight line. Neither did her life.

In this episode of Hats On!, Vanessa shares the real story behind an unconventional career — from startups to corporate leadership — and the deeply personal journey she chose to speak about openly: IVF.

As a senior leader in the pharmaceutical industry and co-founder of Women in Mobile, her career reflects innovation, resilience, and reinvention. But behind the achievements is a story of uncertainty, difficult decisions, and moments that tested her strength in ways no one could see.

We talk about:

• Building a non-linear career and trusting your own path

• The loneliness of entrepreneurship and uncertainty

• Redefining leadership through experience, not titles

• Why visibility for women in tech still matters

• The reality of IVF — physically, mentally, emotionally

• Navigating pressure, expectations, and societal norms

• Learning to stay grounded in a constantly changing world

From career pivots to deeply personal challenges, this conversation is about learning to move forward — even when nothing feels certain.

If you’ve ever questioned your path, felt behind, or gone through something no one talks about — this episode is for you.

Disclaimer: Guest's opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hats On! or its partners. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice.

(Episode in Spanish) Empezar de nuevo suena valiente. Pero nadie habla de lo que realmente cuesta.

En este episodio de Hats On!, Angélica comparte su historia desde Colombia hasta el Reino Unido y España — construyendo una carrera global mientras navegaba identidad, presión y pertenencia.

Con un doctorado en química y hoy COO en la industria de dispositivos médicos, su trayectoria parece extraordinaria desde fuera. Pero detrás hay una historia de resiliencia y la constante necesidad de demostrar que merecía estar en la mesa.

Hablamos de:

• Construir una carrera en diferentes países y culturas
• La soledad invisible de empezar de cero
• Ser mujer, inmigrante y líder en entornos exigentes
• Racismo, sesgos y la presión de rendir más que los demás
• Maternidad, identidad y redefinir el éxito
• Los momentos que te rompen… y te transforman

Desde la pérdida personal hasta una experiencia de salud que cambió su perspectiva, esta es una conversación sobre lo que realmente significa convertirse en quien eres.

Si alguna vez sentiste que tenías que trabajar el doble solo para pertenecer — este episodio es para ti.

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(ENG) She started from scratch several times. And no one saw what it really cost.In this episode of Hats On!, Angélica shares her journey from Colombia to the UK and Spain — building a global career in science and leadership while navigating identity, pressure, and belonging.

With a PhD in chemistry and now a COO in the medical device industry, her path looks extraordinary from the outside. But behind it is a story of resilience, invisible struggles, and the constant need to prove she deserved to be in the room.

We talk about:

• Building a career across countries and cultures
• The hidden loneliness of starting over
• Being a woman, immigrant, and leader in male-dominated spaces
• Experiencing racism, bias, and pressure to overperform
• Motherhood, identity, and redefining success
• The moments that break you — and rebuild you

From personal loss to a life-changing health scare, this is a conversation about what it really takes to become who you are. If you’ve ever felt like you had to work twice as hard just to belong — this episode is for you.

Disclaimer: Guest's opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hats On! or its partners. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice.

She had the career. The ambition. The plan. And then everything changed.

In this episode of Hats On!, Tiziana shares what happened when motherhood collided with a high-performing corporate career — and the identity shift that followed.

After years as an HR leader in a multinational company, she returned from maternity leave to a reality she didn’t recognize. The system hadn’t changed — but she had. What followed was a period of isolation, self-doubt, and eventually, a breaking point that forced her to rethink everything.

We talk about:

• The silent struggle of returning to work after maternity leave
• The pressure of trying to be everything at once
• Why “having it all” can feel like failing at everything
• The moment that changed her path completely
• Building a new life rooted in presence, not pressure

Tiziana now coaches women through identity and career transitions using her “Zeit” philosophy — grounded in one belief: The best time is now.

You can find more about her work in https://avanzaris.com/

If you’ve ever felt like you’re not enough — in your career, at home, or in yourself — this conversation is for you. Listen now and join the conversation.

Disclaimer: Guest's opinions are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hats On! or its partners. This podcast is not a substitute for professional advice.

Hats On! – Welcome Episode

We are still having too many conversations in whispers. Hats On! brings them into the open.

Because the truth is: we all wear many hats.
The professional. The mother. The partner. The one holding it together. The one quietly falling apart. The one reinventing herself.

Most of the time, we carry it all in silence.

But something changes when we name it. Out loud.

That’s what this podcast is about.

Each episode brings honest, unfiltered conversations with women navigating the complexity of real life — across careers, cultures, and personal journeys. We’ll talk about identity, ambition, motherhood, loss, leadership, and everything in between. Some conversations will be in English, others in the language that best captures the truth being shared — because some things can only be expressed the way we first learned to feel them.

This podcast is not just for women. It’s for anyone who wants to better understand the women in their lives — as colleagues, partners, leaders, and human beings.

If something here makes you feel seen, less alone, or sparks a conversation you’ve been avoiding — then it’s doing its job.

Hats On. Let’s begin.