Shedding the Corporate Bitch

We'd love to hear from you. Send us fan mail!

What if being emotional, vulnerable, and transparent could actually be your greatest leadership advantage?

In this powerful episode, Kendra MacDonald, CEO of Canada's Ocean Supercluster, shatters the myth that effective leaders must separate their personal and professional lives. Leading a national innovation initiative with a majority-female team, Kendra shares raw, honest stories about adopting her daughter while climbing the corporate ladder, managing family health crises, and why scoring "high on emotion" as a CEO became her superpower—not her weakness.

You'll discover:

• Why transparency builds trust faster than perfection ever will
• The "24-hour rule" that prevents career-damaging emotional reactions
• How to reframe problems instead of falling in love with solutions
• Why purpose-driven leadership naturally creates emotional investment
• How to create truly inclusive policies (starting with your language)
• The truth about work-life "blend" vs. "balance"—and why it matters
• Why there's never a "perfect time" to step into leadership

The Challenge: This week, examine one area where you're hiding your authentic self at work. What would it look like to bring more transparency to that situation? Share your insights with your team or a trusted colleague.

Key Timestamps: 

[00:01:00] - Introduction: Can you lead effectively without sacrificing your personal life? 

[00:03:00] - The power of women in tech and innovation 

[00:05:00] - Why diversity of thought solves complex challenges 

[00:07:00] - The evolution from "private life stays private" to authentic leadership 

[00:08:00] - Kendra's adoption journey: When transparency transformed her career 

[00:11:00] - Remote work as a strategic talent advantage 

[00:14:00] - Why men need work-life blend too (and the "babysitting" problem) 

[00:15:00] - Language matters: From "maternity leave" to "parental leave" 

[00:18:00] - Being an "emotional CEO": Liability or superpower? 

[00:19:00] - Purpose creates emotion, emotion creates power 

[00:24:00] - The 24-hour rule: Sleep on it before you send it

 [00:25:00] - Focus on purpose, not path: Your North Star in chaos 

[00:26:00] - "Are you trying to be pregnant or be a mom?" Reframing the problem 

[00:27:00] - We need leaders in the mess—there's no perfect time 

[00:28:00] - Setting personal boundaries in an age of transparency

Connect with Kendra MacDonald: Canada's Ocean Supercluster

Call to Action: Ready to transform your leadership approach? Subscribe to Shedding the Corporate Bitch Podcast for weekly episodes that challenge conventional corporate wisdom. Share this episode with a leader who needs permission to show up as their whole self.

Rate & Review: If this episode resonated with you, please leave a 5-star review and share what you learned. Your reviews help us reach more leaders ready to embrace authentic, purpose-driven leadership.

Next Steps:

1. Subscribe so you never miss an episode
2. Share this with your leadership team or HR department
3. Join the conversation on LinkedIn and Instagram @SheddingTheCorporateBitch

#AuthenticLeadership #EmotionalIntelligence #WorkLifeBlend #PurposeDrivenLeadership #WomenInTech #HRLeadership #ModernWorkplace #LeadershipDevelopment

Support the show

We'd love to hear from you. Send us fan mail!

aWhat happens when your best employees become your worst managers? Across corporate America, we're facing what experts call the "Accidental Manager Crisis." A staggering 60-80% of new managers receive ZERO formal leadership training before being thrown into people management roles.

The result? Burned-out managers, disengaged teams, and cultures quietly crumbling from the inside. Your top performer just got promoted—but technical excellence doesn't equal leadership ability. Without the right training, support, and mindset shift, you're setting them up to fail.

This isn't just an HR problem. It's a business crisis that costs organizations millions in turnover, lost productivity, and damaged culture.

🎯 KEY TAKEAWAYS: In this episode, executive coach and leadership expert Bernadette Boas breaks down:

✅ The Real Cost of Unprepared Leaders 

✅ How Accidental Managers Are Created 

✅ 5 Actionable Steps to Transform Accidental Managers into Intentional Leaders:

✅ The Bonus Step 

✅ The Power of Vulnerability 

⏱️ TOP TIMESTAMPS

[00:00] Introduction: The Accidental Manager Crisis Defined

[03:00] How Accidental Managers Are Created (And Why It's Dangerous)

[06:30] The Team Impact: Micromanaging, Neglect & Broken Trust

[07:30] The Business Impact: Low Engagement, High Turnover & Toxic Culture

[13:00] STEP 1: Redefine How You Promote (Readiness Assessments & Critical Questions)

[15:30] STEP 2: Build a Leadership Onboarding Program (Structure, Mentorship & Training)

[18:00] STEP 3: Redefine Success Metrics (Team Outcomes vs. Personal Outcomes)

[21:00] STEP 4: Create Systems & Peer Support Networks

[23:00] STEP 5: Normalize the Human Side of Leadership (Vulnerability as Strength)

[26:00] Hold Leaders Accountable (Tie People Goals to Compensation)

[29:00] BONUS: Get Creative with Career Paths (Not Everyone Should Manage People)

[30:30] Call to Action & Next Episode Preview

📚 RESOURCES MENTIONED

• Leadership Assessment Tools (360 Assessments, DISC)
• Ball of Fire Coaching: ballfirecoaching.com
• Free Discovery Call: coachmebernadette.com/discoverycall
• Podcast Website: ballfirecoaching.com/podcast

🔥 COMING NEXT

Next Episode: Vulnerability as a Superpower in Leadership with Kendra MacDonald, CEO of Canada's Ocean Supercluster. You won't want to miss this powerful conversation!

🎙️ ABOUT THE SHOW

Shedding the Corporate Bitch transforms today's managers into tomorrow's powerhouse leaders. Hosted by Bernadette Boas—executive coach, author, and leadership expert—this podcast tackles the real challenges corporate professionals face and provides actionable strategies for leadership excellence, team performance, and career growth.

📱 WATCH & SUBSCRIBE

YouTube: Shedding the Corporate Bitch Channel Apple Podcasts: Shedding the Corporate Bitch Spotify: Shedding the Corporate Bitch Website: ballfirecoaching.com/podcast

Support the show

We'd love to hear from you. Send us fan mail!

Your team is showing up. But are they really working?

In this game-changing episode, host Bernadette Boas sat down over the summer with Rebecca Reed, global Workplace Well-being Specialist and creator of the Mental Flex Method, to expose the silent productivity killer costing organizations 10 times more than sick days: presenteeism.

When employees are physically present but mentally checked out, it's not just a morale problem—it's a financial crisis. In the UK, presenteeism accounts for £24 billion of the £51 billion annual cost of poor mental health. In the US, that's $1,500 per employee per year compared to just $150 for absenteeism.

This isn't another "add a wellness program" conversation. This is about recognizing trauma responses disguised as productivity, fixing broken systems instead of blaming people, and creating psychological safety that actually works.

If you're an HR leader, C-suite executive, manager, or anyone responsible for team performance, this episode will fundamentally change how you approach workplace wellbeing.

What You'll Learn

✅ The shocking cost difference between presenteeism and absenteeism (and why you should care)

✅ How to identify when hyper-productivity is actually a fear response, not ambition

✅ The real reason your wellness initiatives fail (hint: it's not the program itself)

✅ How "accidental managers" are contributing to team disengagement

✅ The hidden influencers in your workplace who can drive culture change without C-suite buy-in

✅ Nervous system regulation techniques that actually work for high performers

✅ Practical strategies to create psychological safety where people feel safe to challenge, struggle, and be human

Key Timestamps:

[00:00:00] Introduction: The silent productivity killer destroying your business

[00:01:00] Meet Rebecca Reed: From personal wellbeing journey to global workplace specialist

[00:03:00] What is presenteeism? Understanding "bums on seats, but nobody's home"

[00:04:00] The shocking cost: Why presenteeism is 10x more expensive than absenteeism

[00:06:00] The "accidental manager" problem: Why promotional ladders create unprepared leaders

[00:12:00] The hyper-productivity trap: How fight response disguises itself as high performance

[00:14:00] Creating safety: The foundation of everything in workplace wellbeing

[00:22:00] The HR burnout crisis: Why the people caring for everyone are drowning

[00:24:00] The Influentials: How 1/10 of people drive what the other 9/10 think and do

[00:32:00] Leadership strategies: Four ways to support your team's wellbeing right now

[00:36:00] Final takeaways and resources

Featured Guest

Rebecca Reed Global Workplace Wellbeing Specialist | Founder of Siendo | Creator of the Mental Flex Method

Rebecca helps organizations transform their approach to workplace wellbeing through science-backed strategies that address root causes, not just symptoms. After her own profound wellbeing journey, she's dedicated to helping leaders understand the real drivers of burnout, disengagement, and presenteeism.

🌐 Learn more: siendo.co.uk

Resources Mentioned

📖 "Finding Inner Safety" by Dr. Nerina Ramlakhan - Essential reading on nervous system regulation and creating internal safety

📖

Support the show

We'd love to hear from you. Send us fan mail!

Are you working harder than ever but still getting passed over for promotions? Your problem isn't effort—it's visibility and strategy.

In this episode, Bernadette Boas reveals why 78% of professionals believe their manager has no influence on their career advancement—and how understanding managing up creates a massive competitive advantage for those who get it right.

Most professionals think managing up means being a "yes person" or playing politics. They're wrong. Managing up is strategic leadership that makes you indispensable while advancing your career and supporting your team.

What You'll Learn: 8 actionable strategies to effectively manage up starting this week • How to bring solutions instead of complaints (and why this matters) • The visibility framework that gets you noticed for the right reasons • Why leaders actually want you to challenge them (and how to do it respectfully) • Communication mistakes that make your boss tune you out • The self-advocacy approach that doesn't feel like bragging • How to anticipate needs before they're voiced • Why emotional intelligence is your career currency • The alignment conversation that changes everything

Timestamps

[00:00] Introduction: What is managing up really about?

[03:00] The foundational principle: Leave people and places better than you found them

[09:00] What managing up is (and what it isn't)

[14:00] Myth #1: Hard work and long hours will get you ahead

[16:00] Myth #2: Managing up means being a yes person

[18:00] Myth #3: You can't push back or create healthy tension

[20:00] Mistake #1: Bringing complaints without solutions

[22:00] Mistake #2: Overloading your boss with problems you could solve

[23:00] Mistake #3: Failing to adapt to your boss's communication style

[26:00] Mistake #4: Assuming your boss understands your workload and impact

[28:00] Mistake #5: Inconsistent follow-through destroys trust

[30:00] Mistake #6: Not seeking visibility for your contributions

[32:00 - 46:00] 8 Strategies 

[48:00] Summary: Managing up is about managing your impact

[50:00] Your challenge: Pick one strategy for the next 7 days

[52:00] Final thoughts and next episode preview

Connect with Bernadette Boas

Website: https://balloffirecoaching.com

Book a Discovery Call: coachmebernadette.com/discovery-call 

LinkedIn: @BernadetteBoas 

Podcast Website: balloffirecoaching.com/podcast

Next Episode

Presenteeism: The Silent Culture Killer with Rebecca Reed Discover how showing up without being present is destroying your culture—and what to do about it.

Support the show

We'd love to hear from you. Send us fan mail!

Are you constantly saying "sorry" for the smallest thing? Smoothing over tensions? Fixing everyone else's problems while your own leadership presence suffers? You're not alone - and it's costing you more than you think.

In this game-changing episode, powerhouse coach Kelly Travis reveals the hidden toll of over-apologizing and people-pleasing among high-achieving professionals. Discover how internalized roles like "the fixer," "the good girl," and "the perfectionist" are unconsciously driving your leadership decisions and holding you back from your true potential.

🎯 What You'll Learn:

• The childhood programming that's sabotaging your adult leadership
• Why your team feels insecure when you constantly apologize
• How to identify if you're "the helper," "the achiever," or "the good girl"
• A powerful exercise to transform your inner dialogue
• Simple language swaps that instantly boost your executive presence

💪 Ready to lead with clarity, confidence, and real self-trust? This episode is your wake-up call to stop operating on autopilot and start making deeply aligned leadership decisions.

Timestamps

[00:02:00] - Meet Kelly Travis: Competitive Athlete, Coach & Mom

 [00:03:00] - Competition Lessons: Why Women Apologize for Success

[00:06:00] - The Breakthrough Moment: Why Kelly Focuses on Apologizing

[00:09:00] - Childhood Programming: Who You Had to Be vs. Who You Are Now

[00:11:00] - The Comfort Zone Trap: Why We Stay in Familiar Patterns

[00:13:00] - Simple Email Fix: "Thanks for Your Patience" vs. "Sorry I'm Late"

[00:14:00] - The Four Types: Perfectionist, Helper, Achiever, Peacemaker

[00:17:00] - When These Roles Become Toxic in Leadership

[00:19:00] - The Self-Awareness Continuum: From Autopilot to Integration

 [00:22:00] - Red Flag Warning Signs You're Stuck in Old Patterns

 [00:31:00] - What Others Really Think When You Over-Apologize

📝 TAKE ACTION:

• Count your apologies for one week - you might be shocked!
• Replace one "sorry" email with "thanks for understanding" this week
• Ask yourself "Is this thought useful?" when you catch negative self-talk

YOUR GUEST:

Kelly Travis is a powerhouse coach, team dynamics expert, and certified Enneagram practitioner who specializes in helping high-achieving women break free from outdated patterns that sabotage their leadership. As a competitive athlete and single mom, Kelly brings a unique perspective on performance, resilience, and authentic leadership.

Connect with Kelly:

• Website: KellyTravis.net
• Podcast: Ready When You Are
• Instagram: @WithKellyTravis

YOUR HOST:

Bernadette Boas is an executive coach, author, and host of Shedding the Corporate Bitch podcast. She transforms today's managers into tomorrow's powerhouse leaders through her no-nonsense approach to leadership development.

• Website:

🎧 LOVED THIS EPISODE? Subscribe and leave a 5-star review to help other leaders find this show!

📱 FOLLOW US:

• Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app
• YouTube: Shedding The Bitch TV Channel
• Website: BallOfFireCoaching.com/podcast

🚀 READY FOR MORE? If you or your team need help

Support the show

We'd love to hear from you. Send us fan mail!

Do you have a “good guy, but…” on your team? They’re smart, hardworking, maybe even a top producer—but they gossip, interrupt, or stir up conflict. You know it. Your team knows it. And yet, you hesitate to act.

In this episode of Shedding the Corporate Bitch, Bernadette Boas exposes the hidden cost of excusing a good guy, but..., even when it comes from your most likable or high-performing team members.

You’ll learn:

• Why the “good guy, but…” mentality sabotages trust, culture, and results
• The personal fears and biases that keep leaders from acting
• How one person’s bad behavior spreads like wildfire across a team
• Six practical steps to spot, address, and resolve these issues early
• How to redefine accountability so it feels like courage—not cruelty

If you’re serious about building high-performing teams and protecting your credibility as a leader, this episode is a must-listen.

Listen + Subscribe:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify| 

DOWNLOAD our free Powerhouse Communication Assessment to begin your journey to shift away from the good-guy syndrome. 

Support the show

We'd love to hear from you. Send us fan mail!

Are you resilient—or just surviving? In this episode of Shedding the Corporate Bitch, I sit down with Russell Harvey, “The Resilience Coach,” to challenge how leaders and HR managers think about resilience. Together, we unpack why resilience isn’t about “bouncing back” but about springing forward with learning.

If you’re a leader navigating burnout, constant change, and underperforming teams, this episode will show you how to shift from coping to thriving and build a team that’s unstoppable.

⏱ Episode Timestamps

• [00:02] What a truly resilient leader looks like
• [00:06] The 3 things leaders are actually responsible for
• [00:12] Why delegating brilliantly fuels succession planning
• [00:16] The resilience wheel: 7 dimensions every leader must know
• [00:22] How social connection—not happy hours—builds stronger teams
• [00:27] Why your “top five” people shape your leadership style
• [00:31] Reflection practice: What behaviors serve you vs. hold you back
• [00:38] Why resilience is proactive, not reactive

💡 What You’ll Learn

• The difference between coping, surviving, and thriving as a leader
• How to simplify leadership down to three core responsibilities
• The power of delegation for growth and succession planning
• Practical ways to remove blockages and clear the path for your team
• How to use the Resilience Wheel to strengthen yourself and your team
• Why resilience is about choice, not crisis

Resources & Links

• Connect with Russell Harvey at theresiliencecoach.co.uk
• Follow me, Bernadette Boas, on LinkedIn for bold leadership insights
• Subscribe to Shedding the Corporate Bitch wherever you listen to podcasts

Call to Action

If this episode sparked insight, share it with your colleagues and HR leaders who need to hear it. Leave us a rating and review to help more leaders find the show. And don’t just listen—take action: choose one way this week to build resilience into your leadership.

Support the show

We'd love to hear from you. Send us fan mail!

Time is the one resource you can’t get back — and if you don’t take control of it, it will control you. In this episode of Shedding the Corporate Bitch, Bernadette Boas reveals why so many leaders struggle with time management, the hidden costs of poor productivity, and actionable strategies to reclaim your focus, sanity, and performance.

Packed with tools like time blocking, the Eisenhower Matrix, SMART goals, and boundary-setting, this episode gives you a proven roadmap to beat burnout, boost productivity, and lead with clarity.

If you’re tired of feeling overwhelmed by your calendar, buried under endless to-do lists, or stuck in the trap of “busyness,” this episode is your blueprint to take back your time — before it masters you.

⏱️ Chapters & Timestamps:

• [00:00] The Real Cost of Poor Time Management
• [02:15] Stress, Burnout, and the Leadership Crisis
• [05:30] Self-Inflicted Time Traps Leaders Create
• [07:45] Why Multitasking Is a Myth
• [09:20] Your Calendar Is Too Full — Here’s How to Fix It
• [11:40] Distractions and Mental Fatigue in Leadership
• [14:00] The Hidden Impact of Overwhelm on Teams & Business
• [20:00] Master Time with Proven Tools & Frameworks
  • SMART Goals
  • The Pareto Principle
  • Eisenhower Matrix (Do, Delegate, Delete, Delay)
  • Time Blocking
  • Two-Minute Rule
• [27:00] Setting Boundaries That Stick
• [31:00] Reflection and Progress Tracking for Lasting Change
• [34:00] Final Leadership Takeaways & Next Steps

🔑 Key Takeaways:

• Why busyness is not a badge of honor — it’s a burnout trigger.
• How to cut through the noise of multitasking and focus on what matters.
• The Eisenhower Matrix framework to prioritize with clarity.
• Why time blocking is the #1 productivity game-changer for leaders.
• The power of saying “no” and setting boundaries without guilt.
• How reflection accelerates leadership growth and team success.

📢 Call to Action:

If you’re ready to stop playing catch-up and start leading with intention, hit subscribe to Shedding the Corporate Bitch on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen.

👉 Share this episode with a colleague or leader who needs to hear it.
 👉 Want personalized coaching to master your time and leadership? Visit BallOfFireCoaching.com to learn more.

Stay bold, stay focused, and keep shedding the corporate challenges holding you back!

Support the show

We'd love to hear from you. Send us fan mail!

Connection isn’t a “nice to have”—it’s a business driver every leader needs to put front and center if they want to achieve their goals and succeed. 

When employees feel seen, heard, and included, performance skyrockets. Yet, many leaders still struggle with creating cultures of belonging. Why is that?

In this powerful episode of Shedding the Corporate Bitch, I sit down with Greg Morley, global leader, author of Bond: Belonging and the Keys to Inclusion and Connection, and champion of inclusive leadership. With over 25 years of HR experience at companies like Disney, Hasbro, and LVMH, Greg shares hard-earned lessons and practical tools to help leaders and HR professionals turn inclusion into impact.

🔑 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why inclusion is not just a moral imperative—it’s a business imperative
• How risk-taking connects directly to inclusive leadership
• The micro-actions leaders take daily that shape culture
• Why the quietest voice in the room often carries the best ideas
• How to measure and sustain belonging with real-world tools

⏱️ Episode Timestamps:

• 00:02:00 – Greg’s global journey and what inspired his book Bond
• 00:08:30 – Why belonging is the foundation of high-performing teams
• 00:11:00 – The role of risk-taking in driving inclusion
• 00:15:00 – The “10 scoops of vanilla” analogy: finding uniqueness in similarity
• 00:18:00 – Why inclusion is a proven driver of business results
• 00:23:00 – How to move inclusion beyond “politically correct” language
• 00:26:00 – Practical techniques to ensure every voice is heard in meetings
• 00:31:00 – Trust: the #1 element of lasting culture change
• 00:35:00 – Building collaboration through strengths and weaknesses
• 00:39:00 – Greg’s #1 step leaders can take today to foster belonging

🚀 Call to Action:

✅ Learn more about Greg at www.gregmorley.com

✅ Pick up his book: https://www.gregmorley.com/books

 ✅ Follow the show and reach out to Bernadette: BallofFireCoaching.com/podcast

Support the show

We'd love to hear from you. Send us fan mail!

Your highest performers haven’t quit—yet. But they’re not fully present either. They’re quietly cracking under the weight of stress, burnout, AI-driven changes, and poor leadership. And the cost? A staggering $438 billion in lost productivity.

In this episode of Shedding the Corporate Bitch, Bernadette Boas unpacks:

• What “Quiet Cracking” really is and how it’s different from Quiet Quitting
• The hidden warning signs leaders miss in their best people
• The real business costs of burnout and disengagement
• A proactive action plan to stop Quiet Cracking before it destroys your culture

If you’re an HR leader, manager, or executive who wants to protect performance, retain talent, and lead with confidence—this episode is a must-listen.

🕒 Episode Breakdown with Timestamps

• 00:00 – 01:00 | The crisis you don’t see: Why your top people are quietly cracking
• 01:00 – 02:30 | Quiet Cracking vs Quiet Quitting: What leaders need to know
• 05:00 – 10:00 | 7 warning signs your people are cracking under the pressure
• 06:30 – 07:30 | The shocking stats: $438B lost productivity, 67% burnout rates
• 15:00 – 22:00 | The leadership action plan: Conversations, pulse checks, redesigning workloads
• 27:00 – 28:30 | Why Quiet Cracking isn’t a character flaw—it’s a leadership signal
• 30:00 – 31:30 | How to reset your team’s wellbeing + free assessment
• 31:30 – 32:00 | Next episode preview: Belonging & Connection with Greg Morley

✅ Resources & Call-to-Actions

• 📥 Download Your Free Tool: Powerhouse Communication Assessment - balloffirecoaching.com/opt-in
• 🎯 Book a Reset Workshop: 45-Minute Workload & Wellbeing Reset - coachmebernadette.com/discoverycall
• 🎧 Catch All Episodes and Expert Interviews: Shedding the Corporate Bitch Podcast -balloffirecoaching.com/podcast

Support the show