The Mental Offload Podcast

Executive Presence. Most leaders know it's a powerful ingredient for success. It's that bit of leadership sorcery that allows some to command a room, influence key decisions, and inspire confidence.

You might be able to get ahead without it, but I don't recommend trying!

But can you actually develop executive presence?

I've heard leaders describe it as, "you just know it when you see it."

That may be true. But it's spectacularly unhelpful.

Drawing on the latest research on Executive Presence, we'll decode the formula for this important leadership skill. And discuss how you can leverage it to rise at work.

What You'll Learn:

• Decoding Executive Presence: the 3 elements that matter most

• Bias and executive presence – is it a catch-22, or can it be neutralized?

• Why "fake it til you make it" isn't the best strategy

• How to develop your personal flavor of executive presence with your own, impactful "spice blend"

For more information, visit The Mental Offload.

The holidays are supposed to be magical.

But let's be honest – scrolling your picture-perfect instagram feed, you're feeling overwhelmed and under-prepared.

For working moms, the holidays often feel like a marathon of endless to-dos, "should-dos," and societal expectations.

What if you could actually come through the holiday season feeling relaxed, rather than burned out?

What if you could create holidays that feel meaningful, instead of overwhelming?

In this week's episode, we're tackling the mental load of holidays – and the stress it brings – head-on.

I'll share how re-designing the holidays in this way helped me let go of the perfectionism around the holidays (and let my husband wrap presents til 2am).

The holiday season throws a lot our way. But this episode will show you how to emerge relaxed and in control.

What You'll Learn:

• The key question that will change the way you approach the holidays

• A simple framework to spend less time and energy on what you "should" do around the holidays

• How to manage your capacity so you don't overextend yourself making "holiday magic"

For more information, visit The Mental Offload.

You're in a meeting. Half listening, half emailing.

Suddenly, you hear your name.

"What are your thoughts on the proposal?"

Cue panic.

If you've been caught multitasking, you know the sting. And if we're being honest, most of us do it.

At work, at home, everywhere in between.

Because it feels like the only way to keep up.

But here's the truth: multitasking doesn't work.

It rarely helps you keep up.

In fact, it often contributes to feeling more behind.

In this week's podcast, we dive into why.

Want to learn practical strategies to reclaim your focus and stay present for all of life (and work's) big moments?

Tune in to this episode.

What You'll Learn:

- The hidden costs of multitasking. (Hint: it's more than just feeling distracted.)

- Why smart, driven women are especially prone to fall into the trap.

- 2 skills to make you a champion uni-tasker

For more information, visit The Mental Offload.

You know the drill:

You're in the car after a long day of meetings, mentally cycling through your to-do list and meal plan…but secretly wishing you could teleport to an island resort where you could finally relax.

Sound familiar? You're not alone.

Nearly ⅔-rds of working parents say they're feeling burned out. Even the U.S. Surgeon General declaring that working parents are facing a breaking point.

But here's the thing about burnout:

It doesn't appear out of nowhere one day.

It sneaks in, masquerading as dedication, disguising itself as "just pushing through."

And far too often, we wait until we're completely depleted before we take it seriously.

In this week's essential episode, I'm sharing my proven Burnout Prevention Protocol – a practical, customizable set of practices designed specifically for high-achievers who don't want to be running on empty.

Think of it like physical fitness - you know regular exercise now is key to maintaining your health long term.

Your mental and emotional health need preventative maintenance, too.

Ready to stop the burnout before it starts? Listen to the full episode now.

What You'll Learn:

• Why stress needs to be "dealt with", not just pushed aside
• 4 evidence-based categories of burnout-busting activities that actually work
• How to create a doable, sustainable protocol that fits your real life, in as little as 2 minutes per day

To learn more, visit The Mental Offload.

I'll be honest, I had to unplug from the news this week.

For many of us - not just in the US but around the world - the US election results were a blow to the causes we believe in.

But I had to turn off the tv when the analysts started to weigh in on "what happened."

The sting of watching a powerful woman be dissected to see where she had "fallen short."

The inevitable pundits' roundtable asking: "do we think we're ready for a woman at the top?"

Maybe you felt it, too.

Because it's not just about one woman or one election.

It's about the insidious messages about women's leadership that we all absorb.

Yes, it's okay to feel hurt and tired and discouraged right now.

And, in moments like these we need to be extra attentive to the messages we receive - and what we take away from them.

Especially if the takeaway is that capable women can't get ahead.

Because more than ever, we need women who lead with purpose, who advocate for what's right, and who bring diverse voices to the decision-making table.

This episode is about re-centering. It's a call to reconnect with your purpose and your gifts.

Let's not wait for the world to be "ready" for us before we claim a seat at the table.

What You'll Learn:

• Why "we aren't ready for women in power" is the wrong takeaway from the US election

• What leadership really looks like - from bold to quiet

• A message of resilience and encouragement for all of us

For more information, visit The Mental Offload.

Picture this: a woman with multiple Ivy degrees, running a reproductive rights think tank in NYC, crushing it on paper... yet finding herself curled up under her desk, feeling like a failure.

This was Kara Loewentheil before she discovered the truth about why so many brilliant women feel like they're never quite "enough."

In this week's must-listen episode, I sit down with Kara Loewntheil, host of the wildly popular "Unfuck Your Brain" podcast (and one of my mentors) to dive into her NYT bestseller, "Take Back Your Brain."

Whether you're questioning your worth at work, feeling the weight of being excellent in all domains, or simply tired of your inner critic running the show, this episode offers practical tools for developing true confidence.

No "fake it til you make it" needed.

What You'll Learn:

• What's really behind the desire for external validation

• The trap of "conditional self-esteem" that keeps high-achieving women stuck in cycles of self-doubt

• How "over-responsibility" can keep women doing more than their fair share - at work and at home

We don't shy away from the tough topics, like how do we balance working on ourselves while acknowledging very real structural barriers?

Ready to transform how you think about your own brain? Listen to the full episode here.

Featured in This Episode:

Kara Loewentheil is the founder of The School of New Feminist Thought, the host of the internationally top-ranked podcast UnF*ck Your Brain: Feminist Self-Help for Everyone (50 million downloads and counting), and the creator of the Feminist Self-Help Society, a feminist mindset coaching community.

Her first book, the instant national bestseller Take Back Your Brain: How A Sexist Society Gets in Your Head – and How to Get It Out, was released in May 2024 and immediately landed on the New York Times, USA Today, Publisher's Weekly, C-Suite, Amazon and Barnes & Noble bestseller charts.

A graduate of Yale College and Harvard Law School, Kara did what every Ivy League lawyer should do: Quit a prestigious academic career to become a life coach! Eight years after she stepped down as director of a think tank at Columbia Law School, she has created a multiple-seven-figure business, taught millions of women how to identify the ways that sexist socialization impacts their brains, and helps women all over the world rewire their thought patterns to liberate themselves from the inside out.

Learn more about Kara here.

Menopause has long been a sort of taboo topic in the workplace. So it's rare to see open discussion of the real-life impact menopause can have on our work, our leadership, and our sense of self.

This is not just a conversation about hot flashes. Menopause and perimenopause—the years leading up to it—can disrupt sleep, focus, and mood, and even self-confidence. All of this can impact how we show up as leaders in the workplace.

For ambitious women at the height of their careers, menopause isn't merely a medical concern; it's a professional one.

We're diving into the workplace challenges, the executive presence impact, and the inner conflicts that arise when our bodies and society tell us conflicting stories about our value and influence.

At a time when we're reaching peak professional power and skill, how do we handle the changes that come with menopause—without feeling like we're losing control of our bodies or our minds?

Whether you're experiencing symptoms, anticipating them, or leading people who are in the thick of it, this episode is packed with eye-opening insights and practical strategies you need to know.

Leadership in (peri) menopause is not just about powering through symptoms. It's about refashioning your professional identity, without losing your confidence.

Tune in to this episode to learn how.

What You'll Learn:

• the executive presence impacts of (peri) menopause symptoms

• why you need a Preparedness Protocol

• navigating the professional identity shifts that menopause can trigger

To learn more, visit The Mental Offload.

Here's a scene that plays out in offices everywhere:

A talented woman sits down for her year-end career conversation. Her boss asks where she'd like to take her career next.

Despite her quiet ambitions, she's unsure how to respond. Eventually, she croaks out something like, "I'm open to a lot of different opportunities."

Which does zero to advance her career.

Sound familiar?

Many of us have been conditioned to be grateful for whatever opportunities come our way.

You worry that being too specific about what you want might make you seem demanding, or close doors.

Or worse, that if you talk about needing more balance, you'll get put onto the 'mommy track'.

So instead, you take a passive approach, hoping good things will come your way if you work hard and don't rock the boat.

But here's what I've learned after years of leading these conversations:

Being opportunistic rarely leads to the best opportunities.

In this week's episode of The Mental Offload Podcast, I'm breaking down exactly how to advocate for yourself in these crucial career conversations.

I'm sharing the exact scripts for handling those tricky moments, like when you're not sure what you want next, or when you're trying to maintain work-life balance without losing opportunities.

This episode is a must listen if you've ever felt like your career has been happening to you, rather than being shaped by you.

Ready to take control of your career conversations? Listen to the full episode.

What You'll Learn:

• The 3 career conversations that you need to have (and why the timing is important)

• Scripts for a winning conversation, even when you're ambivalent about what you want next

• How to balance being strategic while staying open to unexpected opportunities

• A mindset shift that takes career conversations from passive to active

To learn more, visit The Mental Offload.

We tend to think "getting rest" means simply getting more sleep, but what if there's more to it?

Most working moms know they should rest, but here's the problem: we're taught that rest only happens when everything else is done.

The truth? That to-do list will never get down to the point where you feel entitled to rest. And putting off your need to rest leads to burnout.

So, what can you do?

This week, I sit down with Marissa McKool, public health leader and self-care coach, to explore a new approach to rest that will transform how you think about self-care.

Marissa introduces us to four types of rest—beyond just sleep—that are essential for busy women. (Interesting tidbit: zoning out with Netflix and a glass of wine might actually be undermining your rest.)

This episode is packed with real, actionable steps to start creating the rest you need, even if you think you don't have time for it.

Let's dismantle the hustle culture myth that encourages us to rest "after everything is done." The truth is, rest is the key to sustainable productivity.

What You'll Learn:

• The 4 types of rest you need (it's not just sleep!)

• Why zoning out on the couch might not be the rest you need

• Simple ways to start creating space for rest, even if your calendar feels impossible

• How taking rest can actually make you more productive and creative

To learn more about Marissa's work, visit her website here or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Female leaders often walk a tightrope.

You're expected to be strong and decisive—but not so strong you're seen as a bitch.

You're asked to be nice — but not too nice, or people might think you're not tough enough to be a leader.

Oh, and please wear some makeup so you look polished – but not so much that you seem overdone.

It's maddening, right?

The so-called "leadership tightrope" is something most women have had to grapple with. And, you've probably seen women in the public eye come in for harsh criticism of what they say, how they lead, and what they wear.

But current US Vice President (and Presidential candidate) Kamala Harris balances this tightrope exceptionally well.

She commands respect while remaining authentic and warm, proving that women can be both strong and likable without losing their edge.

In today's episode, we'll dive into a case study in executive presence for women, and what you can learn from it.

Ready to learn from one of the most powerful women in leadership today?

What You'll Learn:

• The 3 elements of executive presence - and how female leaders need to combine them differently

• 9 Lessons in executive presence from Kamala Harris

• How to be assertive, without worrying about being "too much."

• The power of relationships – and a key relationship-building tweak that you need to make as you rise

To learn more, visit The Mental Offload.