Surfing Corporate

We dive into the riveting journey of Peggy Northrop, a true publishing powerhouse, as she unravels the invaluable lessons acquired over 30 years in the corporate arena. From navigating the cut-throat publishing landscape in the 90s to earning her "Corporate Ph.D." under the mentorship of Vogue Magazine's Editor-in-Chief, Anna Wintour, Peggy swiftly ascended to the coveted role of Editor-in-Chief at prestigious publications like Reader’s Digest, More Magazine, and Sunset.

In the face of unprecedented challenges, including the digital transformation of print media and the economic upheaval of 2008, Peggy not only weathered the storms but emerged stronger. Her entrepreneurial spirit led her to establish her independent publishing company, a feat achieved while balancing a demanding full-time corporate role. Now, as a seasoned consultant, trusted advisor, board member, and investor in female-driven enterprises, Peggy reflects on her three-decade journey, sharing insights that transcend the pages of her illustrious career.

Highlights:

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If you like Surfing Corporate and would like us to make more episodes, you can donate by clicking on this link: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/surfingcorporate

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CREDITS

Co-hosts: Aileen Merciel and Glenda Pacanins

Production, editing and sound design: Aileen Merciel

Intern: Stephany Gil de Sucher

Original theme song: Chaliwa Music

Other music if by BlueDot Sessions

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A recent study at a major company found that women there were 14% LESS likely to be promoted than their male counterparts every year. Researchers found that a major factor was the fact that women were consistently judged as having lower leadership potential than men. But why and more importantly, is that finding widespread across industries?

During this episode, we dive into this topic and learn more about why this happens, and how we can all do better.Po

SOURCES:

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As more and more companies are mandating return-to-office policies to their employees (many of whom deem those mandates as unnecessary and counterproductive), workplace culture takes on more importance for employees and management alike. So, how can you balance the needs of both employees and employers?

If you ask @Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at Vayner Media, employers need to step up their game and create work cultures that employees actually want to be a part of. She’s determined that, at Vayner Media, employees will find it both appealing AND beneficial to work in-person with their colleagues and superiors.

In this episode, Claude shares her philosophy on work and what it actually means to be a Chief Heart Officer (trust us, it makes a lot of sense). She also talks about the tactics that lead their employees to be excited about work and event in-person meetings (yes, it is possible). Spoiler alert: it’s not about ping-pong tables and free Kombucha!

If you like Surfing Corporate and would like us to make more episodes, you can donate by clicking on this link: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/surfingcorporate

Follow SurfingCorporate on Intagram and LinkedIn.

Original theme song: Chaliwa Music

Other music if by BlueDot Sessions

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https://bmc.link/surfingcorporate Aileen and Glenda catch up on their summer vacation adventures, share updates on season 4, and somehow end up discussing the Barbie movie.

Support Surfing Corporate!

"Friendly reminder" that our pod is completely self-funded (and it takes A LOT of work). If you like what we do, please consider making a donation by clicking here. It would mean SO MUCH to us to be able to keep making this show.

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We look back at the best moments of the season and also discuss hot new topics, like the current female-driven movement on social media that is making the case for women to write emails more like men (more assertive, less apologetic). We also unpack the new corporate buzzword that is giving us hives: ProcrastiWorking.

FRIENDLY REMINDER! Surfing Corporate is completely self-funded, and it takes a lot of work! If you like what we do, please consider making a donation here.  It would mean SO MUCH to us :)

Sign up for our newsletter at SurfingCorporate.com so we can stay in touch over our Summer hiatus!

This episode of Surfing Corporate was produced, edited and co-hosted by Aileen Merciel.

Co-host is Glenda Pacanins, queen of corporate decks and corporate lingo.

Our fabulous intern is Stephany Gil de Sucher.

Our original theme song is by the amazing folks of Chaliwa Music & Sound.

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According to the Better Business Bureau, approximately 14 million people encounter job scams annually in the U.S. alone! 😱😱In 2022, CNBC reported that Americans lost $68 million to this deceitful practice. With the rise of remote job opportunities, scammers have unlocked a whole new level of potential victims.

In this episode, we tackle the very current issue of job scams, and we talk about "ghost posts" (positions that companies post on major online professional platforms, but they have no real intention of filling) and why that’s actually a thing.

We also interview Callie Heim, a marketing professional who was scammed via LinkedIn's Easy Apply feature, and we connect with recruiting expert Daniel Space (@danfromhr) who shares advice on how to avoid this from happening to you.

FRIENDLY REMINDER! Surfing Corporate is completely self-funded, and it takes a lot of work! If you like what we do, please consider making a donation here. It would mean SO MUCH to us :)

EPISODE SOURCES:

CREDITS:

Check out surfingcorporate.com and follow us on Instagram and LinkedIn

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For this week’s episode, we have a treat for our Spanish-speaking fans, since Aileen and Glenda interview our fan favorite guest, Susana Sala Bosch, but this time, 100% in her native Spanish. She’s as insightful, honest and funny as ever, and now, en español!

Estamos felices de compartir nuestro primer episodio especial de Surfing Corporate. En este episodio, conversamos con Susana Sala Bosch, una ejecutiva senior con una amplia experiencia navegando exitosamente las aguas (a veces turbulentas) de “Corporate America”.

Con su trayectoria como líder de recursos humanos, operaciones y planificación estratégica en las industrias del entretenimiento, bebidas alcohólicas y producción de alimentos, Susana ofrece una perspectiva única sobre cómo los profesionales extranjeros pueden tener éxito en el mundo corporativo americano. Descubrirás cómo se adaptó a las diferencias culturales, cómo lideró equipos en un entorno multicultural y cómo aprendió rapidito a decir “F*ck” en vez de “Joder”.

Si eres extranjero y trabajas en Estados Unidos o si quieres entender mejor acerca de diferencias culturales en el ámbito laboral, este episodio es para ti.

 Surfing Corporate is financiado enteramente por nosotras y lleva un MONTON de trabajo. Si te gusta lo que hacemos, por fa consideren donar con tan solo hacer clink en este link.  Significaría mucho!

Créditos:

- Producción Ejecutiva: Aileen Merciel y Glenda Pacanins

- Pasante de producción (intern): Stephany Gil de Sucher

- Música original de Surfing Corporate: Chaliwa Music

- Música de librería: BlueDot Sessions

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We all know that Executive Assistants perform key administrative tasks, but the scope of their role goes WAY beyond what appears on their job description. They are psychologists, secret service agents, strategists, magicians, cheerleaders and general advisors. They also have a special “chaos radar” that allows them to detect and get ahead of any potential issue before it becomes a massive mess.

Their duties vary from buying multi-million dollar homes for their bosses to influencing top-level corporate decisions, handling highly confidential information and also, sometimes even picking up dog sh*t if needed.This job promises one thing: it will never be boring.

For this episode, we talk with two Executive Assistants who share their insider’s POV of a role that keeps so many of the corporate players – and pieces – in place, and all this without most people even knowing it.

FRIENDLY REMINDER: Surfing Corporate is completely self-funded, and it takes A LOT of work. Please consider making a donation by clicking on this link. This would mean so much to us. 

EPISODE SOURCES:

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In movies and TV shows, women in the workplace are often pitted against each other to ramp up the drama and tension among characters. Think Meryl Streep’s fabulous “Miranda Priestley” in The Devil Wears Prada. But does is this kind of “Queen Bee” behavior true in real life? Or more of an exaggeration? And f it is true, why would women sabotage other women in the workplace?

During this episode, Aileen and Glenda delve into the controversial topic of workplace “Queen Bees”, discussing research on the topic that can be both enlightening and infuriating. We also share highlights from our fascinating conversation with Andie Kramer, who is an accomplished attorney, a nationally recognized authority on gender equality, a best-selling author on the subject and someone who’s worked tirelessly to increase women’s leadership opportunities.

Andie and her husband and co-author Al Harris have written three award-winning books: Beyond Bias: The PATH to Ending Gender Inequality at Work; Breaking Through Bias: Communication Techniques for Women to Succeed at Work; and It’s Not You, It’s the Workplace: Women’s Conflict at Work and the Bias That Built It. They are contributing writers to Harvard Business Review’s On Women and Leadership, and Andie is a contributing writer on gender issues in the workplace for Forbes.com. They are also the authors of hundreds of articles on diversity and overcoming gender stereotypes that have been featured in a wide variety of national media outlets including HBR.org, The HuffPost, The New York Times, NBC News, The Chicago Tribune, and Fast Company.

FRIENDLY REMINDER: Surfing Corporate is completely self-funded, and it takes A LOT of work. Please consider making a donation by clicking on this link. This would mean so much to us. 

EPISODE SOURCES

Books

- Beyond Bias: The PATH to Ending Gender Inequality at Work, by Andie S. Kramer and Alton B. Harris

[- It’s Not You, It’s the Workplace: Women’s Conflict at Work and the Bias That Built It, by Andie S. Kramer and Alton B. Harris](its not you its the workplace)

- Breaking Through Bias: Communication Techniques for Women to Succeed at Work, by Andie S. Kramer and Alton B. Harris

- The Stiletto in Your Back: The Good Girl's Guide to Backstabbers, Bullies, Gossips and Queen Bees at Work, by Michelle Villalobos

-Mean Girls, Meaner Women: Understanding Why Women Backstab, Betray and Trash-Talk Each Other and How to Heal, by Erika Holiday and Joan I. Rosenberg

- Tripping the Prom Queen: The Truth About Women and Rivalry, by Susan Shapiro 

Articles:

Why Women Don't Always Support Other Women - Forbes.com

Sheryl Sandberg on the Myth of the Catty Woman - The New York Times

Why Do Women Bully Each Other at Work?

Queen Bee syndrome: Workplace inequality encourages women to sabotage one another

https://www.gailgoldenconsulting.com/insights/the-myth-of-the-bad-female-boss

Videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMBrR5YgfC0

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