I sat down with Anna Belyaeva on The Career Diet podcast to break down the mistakes that kept me stuck at director for five years, and what I'd do instead. Looking for more? One week left to join my fall cohort: https://insightstoactioncc.com/signup

I was reporting straight to the CEO, running an entire function, and there was no VP above me. I still couldn't get the title. I had no idea what I was doing wrong. I was working harder than anyone, my team loved me, I knew the leadership team well, and none of it moved the needle.

That was five years of my life as a director before I finally figured out what was actually missing, and it wasn't more hustle.

In this episode, I'm doing something a little different. Instead of a solo teaching episode, I'm sharing the conversation I had as a guest on my friend Anna Belyaeva's podcast, The Career Diet. She asked me the questions I get asked the most: what were the biggest mistakes I made trying to move from director to VP, and what would I tell a woman today who wants to make that move in the next six months.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Why grinding harder actually works against you once you're aiming for VP, and the two-part audit (calendar and task) I use to reclaim real strategic thinking time
• The exact language shift that turns "what do you think?" into "here's my recommendation, any concerns?", and why the second version gets you promoted
• Why confidence gets read as competence whether you like it or not, and the Harvard Business Review research behind it
• How to build a real stakeholder map instead of relying on people who just "like" you
• The three moves I'd make this week if I were trying to go from director to VP in the next six months

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• The Career Diet podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/the-career-diet-podcast/id1759430848
• Own Your Seat at the Table - fall cohort (one week left to enroll): https://insightstoactioncc.com/signup
• Connect with Katy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katy-mcfee-3880b4a 
• Weekly newsletter: morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter 

Curious what it’s like to work together? Send me a message on LinkedIn or Instagram (Katy McFee) and tell me what you are working toward, and we can take it from there.

Join me live in Ottawa, Canada, on October 23rd. Save your seat at owntheroomsummit.com.

Not sure if you're ready for VP? Take the free assessment and find out at morewomenpromoted.com/quiz

Remember, there's room for all of us at the table.

You have a personal brand at work whether you're intentional about it or not. The question is whether it's working for you. Steal the playbook from brand marketing: three concepts that drive market share and apply them to your career. morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter 

Most women I know are heads-down doing good work and assuming that's enough. It's not. The women who get promoted to VP and beyond aren't just talented. They've built a career brand, and they've done it intentionally.

In this episode, I sit down with Shea Cole, CMO at Field Effect and former VP at FullScript, to break down the three brand marketing fundamentals that drive market share and show you exactly how they apply to your career. If you want to be the name that comes up when a big opportunity opens, this episode is your playbook.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Why your personal brand is just your reputation and how to start building it intentionally, even if you have zero social media presence
• How differentiation works in your career: what makes you different doesn't have to be what you're best at today; it just has to be authentic and sustainable
• The two-part framework for "meaning," including the part about making people want you in the room (and what happens when strong opinions get mislabeled as difficult)
• What top-of-mind awareness actually means in a workplace context and why a single standout project isn't enough to get you on the succession plan
• The one habit Shea's former boss swore by: "merchandise your work" and why doing it benefits your boss as much as it benefits you

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Shea Cole on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/sheacole 
• Shea's brand strategy course through Electives: electives.io 
• Connect with Katy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katy-mcfee-3880b4a 
• Weekly newsletter: morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter 
• Lewis Howes School of Greatness podcast: lewishowes.com/school-of-greatness 
• More Women Promoted Podcast S3 Ep2: Why Your Boss Can't Promote You (Even If They Want To)

Curious what it’s like to work together? Send me a message on LinkedIn or Instagram (Katy McFee) and tell me what you are working toward, and we can take it from there.

Join me live in Ottawa, Canada, on October 23rd. Save your seat at owntheroomsummit.com.

Not sure if you're ready for VP? Take the free assessment and find out at morewomenpromoted.com/quiz

Remember, there's room for all of us at the table.

I spent years trying to figure out leadership on my own, then more years asking the wrong people for help. Here's what changed everything, and how you can start building your own circle: morewomenpromoted.com/masterclass 

Have you ever gotten advice that was completely wrong for your situation, from someone who genuinely wanted to help? That disconnect isn't random. It usually means you asked the right person the wrong question, or the wrong person entirely.

I used to believe that once I made it to director, I was supposed to have all the answers. So when I got stuck, I either tried to solve it alone, or I asked whoever happened to be successful, whether or not their life looked anything like mine. Both mistakes kept me spinning my wheels for years.

In this episode, I break down the two advice mistakes that quietly stall careers, and the exact process I now use to find people who can actually help.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Why asking for help gets harder the higher you climb, and what it's actually costing you
• The difference between getting bad advice and getting no advice at all (and why bad advice can set you back further)
• How to spot when you're asking someone who simply doesn't share your context, even if they're smart and successful
• The 3-step process I use to find the right people before I even need them
• What the research says about why women with strong peer networks are more likely to reach senior leadership

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Free Masterclass: morewomenpromoted.com/masterclass 
• Connect with Katy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katy-mcfee-3880b4a 
• Weekly newsletter: morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter 

Curious what it’s like to work together? Send me a message on LinkedIn or Instagram (Katy McFee) and tell me what you are working toward, and we can take it from there.

Join me live in Ottawa, Canada, on October 23rd. Save your seat at owntheroomsummit.com.

Not sure if you're ready for VP? Take the free assessment and find out at morewomenpromoted.com/quiz

Remember, there's room for all of us at the table.

I was stuck as a director for five years. And the whole time, I was already doing the VP job.

Reporting to the CEO, running the function, on the senior leadership team, no VP above me. I kept waiting for the title to follow. It never did. If you're in that waiting place, here's what I wish someone had told me sooner: it's not because you're not good enough, not because you're not working hard enough, and not because you need another certification. It's a perception problem, not a talent problem. And the good news is that perception is fixable once you can see it. Want help spotting which gap is yours? I'm running a free masterclass on September 8th: morewomenpromoted.com/masterclass

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Why being stuck at director is almost always a perception problem, not a talent or qualifications one
• The most common gap I see: doing strategic work but only communicating execution, and how to flip it
• Why flawless execution can quietly typecast you as "she handles things" instead of "she's our next VP"
• How VP promotions actually get decided, and why your manager's advocacy alone leaves you exposed
• The stakeholder-mapping move that gets the right leaders talking about you in rooms you're not in

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Free masterclass, September 8th: the 3 things keeping you stuck from VP and how to fix them - morewomenpromoted.com/masterclass
• More Women Promoted Podcast S3 Ep2: Why Your Boss Can't Promote You (Even If They Want To)
• Connect with Katy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katy-mcfee-3880b4a 
• Weekly newsletter: morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter 

Curious what it’s like to work together? Send me a message on LinkedIn or Instagram (Katy McFee) and tell me what you are working toward, and we can take it from there.

Join me live in Ottawa, Canada, on October 23rd. Save your seat at owntheroomsummit.com.

Not sure if you're ready for VP? Take the free assessment and find out at morewomenpromoted.com/quiz

Remember, there's room for all of us at the table.

My corporate career looks great on paper. VP, then EVP. But the road to get there was so much messier than it needed to be.

Here's the part that still gets me. The skills were already there. My strategic thinking, my expertise, my talent, none of that changed when I finally broke through. What changed was how I was showing up. Today I'm not teaching a framework. I'm telling you the truth about the four things I'd do differently if I were starting my VP push today, knowing what I know now. And if you want help spotting which one is holding you back, I'm running a free masterclass on September 8: morewomenpromoted.com/masterclass 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Why slowing down, as in doing less, is what actually accelerated my leadership career
• The simple weekly habit that turns your manager into your best advocate in the promotion room
• How the way you treat yourself as a human shows up in whether you're seen as VP-ready
• The kind of value I left on the table for years by staying quiet in the room, and how to stop
• Why the skills that keep you stuck at director are rarely the real problem

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Free masterclass, September 8: the 3 things keeping you stuck from VP and how to fix them - morewomenpromoted.com/masterclass 
• Connect with Katy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katy-mcfee-3880b4a 
• Weekly newsletter: morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter 

Curious what it’s like to work together? Send me a message on LinkedIn or Instagram (Katy McFee) and tell me what you are working toward, and we can take it from there.

Join me live in Ottawa, Canada, on October 23rd. Save your seat at owntheroomsummit.com.

Not sure if you're ready for VP? Take the free assessment and find out at morewomenpromoted.com/quiz

Remember, there's room for all of us at the table.

Your boss loving your work is not enough to get you promoted. Not at the senior level.

Most of us believe that if we impress our manager and make ourselves indispensable, the promotion will follow. But once you're being considered for director, VP, and beyond, your boss is rarely the only person deciding. Promotions at that level are made by committee. And if the leaders in that room don't know you, your boss is fighting an uphill battle on your behalf. Ready to get in the room? Get VP-ready in my free masterclass: morewomenpromoted.com/masterclass 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

How senior-level promotions actually get decided, and why it's almost never a one-person call

• Why "my boss loves me" can be the exact thing keeping you stuck at director
• The three things that make it easy for your boss to win the room when your name comes up
• How to build real visibility with leaders outside your function without feeling braggy or political
• The single mindset shift that separates the women who get promoted from the ones who stay stuck

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Get VP-ready: free masterclass - morewomenpromoted.com/masterclass 
• Connect with Katy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katy-mcfee-3880b4a 
• Weekly newsletter: morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter 

Curious what it’s like to work together? Send me a message on LinkedIn or Instagram (Katy McFee) and tell me what you are working toward, and we can take it from there.

Join me live in Ottawa, Canada, on October 23rd. Save your seat at owntheroomsummit.com.

Not sure if you're ready for VP? Take the free assessment and find out at morewomenpromoted.com/quiz

Remember, there's room for all of us at the table.

If you're waiting for your company to invest in your growth, send you to leadership training, or map out your path to VP, you're going to be waiting a long time. The lessons I've learned in four years of entrepreneurship would have made me a better executive a decade ago, and you can use them without leaving your job.

Since becoming an entrepreneur, I've grown more in four years than I did in the previous fifteen. And what's wild is realizing how many of the things that have helped me build a successful business are the exact same things that would have helped me get promoted faster, lead better, and be way less stressed in my corporate roles.

The best part is you don't need to start a business to use them. They're available to you right now, wherever you are in your career. I just gave you the cheat code.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Why being intentional about your career is the same skill as running a business, and how to start treating yourself as the CEO of your own path
• The investment in yourself I avoided for years (and the actual number I now spend annually because the ROI is undeniable)
• What "find your people" really means at the senior leadership level, and the kind of room that gave me permission to take bigger swings
• The mindset shift that costs nothing and changes everything, plus how to tell when your brain is lying to you about whether you belong at the table
• The flywheel: how intentionality, the right people, and mindset reinforce each other to change the trajectory of your career

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Connect with Katy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katy-mcfee-3880b4a
• Weekly newsletter: morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter

Curious what it’s like to work together? Send me a message on LinkedIn or Instagram (Katy McFee) and tell me what you are working toward, and we can take it from there.

Join me live in Ottawa, Canada, on October 23rd. Save your seat at owntheroomsummit.com.

Not sure if you're ready for VP? Take the free assessment and find out at morewomenpromoted.com/quiz

Remember, there's room for all of us at the table.

The strategies that got you your last few roles will not get you your next one if it's at the VP level. Career strategist Anna Belyaeva joins me to reframe senior job search as closing a seven-figure deal, not submitting an application. Sign up for my newsletter to keep getting weekly insights like this: morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter 

Have you been told the job market is brutal? That you should just keep applying and shoot more shots? Today's guest is going to flip that script.

Anna Belyaeva is a career strategist and founder of The Career Diet. She works with high-achieving mid-to-senior professionals landing $150K to $300K+ roles. She's been on every side of the table: navigating senior job search herself, pivoting industries, and leading recruitment for some of the top employers in Canada. We've been in the same mastermind for years, and I trust her insight on this market completely.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Why your senior job search should be treated like closing a seven-figure deal, not customizing a PDF
• The "target company" framework that builds your pipeline 6 months before the role is posted
• How to send a cold LinkedIn message at the VP level that actually books the meeting
• Why "fake jobs" aren't actually fake (they're posted because of policy, but the candidate is already chosen) and what that means for your strategy
• The two non-negotiable priorities that should be on your calendar every week if you're job searching, with Anna's recurring time block rule

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Anna Belyaeva on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/annabelyaeva
• Anna on Instagram: @thecareerdiet
• The Career Diet Podcast: Episode 54 - How much time should you really dedicate to interview prep | Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts
• Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi 
• Connect with Katy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katy-mcfee-3880b4a
• Weekly newsletter: morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter
  
  

MOST LOVED EPISODES 

• S1 E1: Why 'Working Harder' Is Keeping You Stuck in Middle Management |  Apple | Spotify
• S1 E5: My Morning Routine (And Why It Changed Everything) | Apple | Spotify
• S1 E6: Should You Stay or Should You Go? 3 Signs It's Time to Leave Your Job | Apple | Spotify
• S1 E8: How to Ask for More Money: The Negotiation Episode Every Woman Needs to Hear | Apple | Spotify
• S1 E9: How to Be Assertive Without Being Labeled "Aggressive" | Apple | Spotify
• S1 E10: Ask Like an Executive: The 3 Cs Framework for Business Requests That Get Approved | Apple | Spotify
• S2 E25: Stop Worrying About Your Non Traditional Background - Here's How to Frame It | Apple | Spotify
• S2 E28: What Your Boss' Feedback Really Means | Apple | Spotify
• S2 E29: Are You Actually VP Ready? | Apple | Spotify
• S2 E30: You're Visible, But for the Wrong Things! | Apple | Spotify
  
  

Curious what it’s like to work together? Send me a message on LinkedIn or Instagram (Katy McFee) and tell me what you are working toward, and we can take it from there.

Join me live in Ottawa, Canada, on October 23rd. Save your seat at owntheroomsummit.com.

Not sure if you're ready for VP? Take the free assessment and find out at morewomenpromoted.com/quiz

Remember, there's room for all of us at the table.

You're growing and feeling distance from the people around you - friends, your partner, your family. The advice online says cut them off. The real answer is more nuanced. Join me on June 23rd for my Visibility & Recognition Workshop morewomenpromoted.com/workshop.

Have you been told to "level up and leave them behind"? Or to "find your tribe" and let the rest go? That advice is everywhere online, and it's a little too black-and-white for me. I share the three truths to hold at once when you're changing faster than the people you love.

Here's the truth most growth content gets wrong: when you're growing faster than the people around you, the answer isn't "cut them off" or "pretend nothing has changed." It's three things at once, and they're easier to hold than you'd think.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• Why expecting one person (especially your partner) to serve every purpose in your life is the recipe for resentment nobody warns you about
• The reframe that turns frustration with your partner's lack of growth into deep gratitude (and how this changed how I think about my marriage)
• Why the friendships with the deepest roots are worth protecting even when they can't relate to every part of your current life
• How to know when a friendship is actually pulling you backward (and the Mel Robbins quote that gave me permission to let one go)
• Where to actively find women on the same growth path as you, and why proximity is the key

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Connect with Katy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katy-mcfee-3880b4a
• Weekly newsletter: morewomenpromoted.com/newsletter

Curious what it’s like to work together? Send me a message on LinkedIn or Instagram (Katy McFee) and tell me what you are working toward, and we can take it from there.

Join me live in Ottawa, Canada, on October 23rd. Save your seat at owntheroomsummit.com.

Not sure if you're ready for VP? Take the free assessment and find out at morewomenpromoted.com/quiz

Remember, there's room for all of us at the table.

Being visible isn't the same as being visible for the right things. If your name comes up but you're known as "so reliable" or "the fixer," you have a visibility problem. Join my strategic visibility workshop on June 23: morewomenpromoted.com/workshop

Have you been told you're "so reliable"? Or that "we couldn't do this without you"? Those compliments feel great, but they may be exactly what's keeping you stuck at director.

Here's the truth about visibility most leaders won't tell you: you can be very visible and still not get promoted. The leadership team can know your name, your kids' names, your hobbies, and still not picture you at the next level. Because visibility without strategic positioning just means they know you as a person. It doesn't mean they're thinking of you for what's next.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

• The 3 visibility traps that quietly keep smart, high-performing women stuck at director level
• Why being the most reliable executor on the team is a ceiling, not a ladder
• What strategic visibility actually looks like, and the 4 specific moves to start making this month
• How to shift your visibility from being known for your doing to being known for your thinking
• The reframe that takes you from "great team manager" to "business leader" in how leadership perceives you

RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Visibility Workshop, June 23: morewomenpromoted.com/workshop
• Connect with Katy on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/katy-mcfee-3880b4a
• Weekly newsletter: insightstoactioncc.com/newsletter 

Curious what it’s like to work together? Send me a message on LinkedIn or Instagram (Katy McFee) and tell me what you are working toward, and we can take it from there.

Join me live in Ottawa, Canada, on October 23rd. Save your seat at owntheroomsummit.com.

Not sure if you're ready for VP? Take the free assessment and find out at morewomenpromoted.com/quiz

Remember, there's room for all of us at the table.