We’ve been conditioned to believe that “selfish” is a dirty word—especially if you’re a woman. But what if selfishness isn’t the problem… what if it’s the prescription?

In this episode, Nicole is joined by Naketa Ren Thigpen—Balance and Relationship Advisor, psychotherapist, and author of Selfish: Permission to Pause—to unpack the radical (and necessary) idea that choosing yourself isn’t a betrayal of others… it’s a reclamation of you. Naketa brings her signature truth-telling fire as the two discuss boundaries, burnout, guilt, and why being full of yourself might just be the most generous thing you can do.

We’re flipping the narrative from self-less to self-fulfilled. If you’ve ever felt like you’re drowning in expectations or trying to pour from an empty cup, this episode is the wake-up call you didn’t know you needed.

Connect with Naketa: 

Website: www.thigpro.com

Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/balance-and-relationships/id6475793180

Book: https://www.amazon.com/Selfish-Permission-Pause-Live-Laugh/dp/1732983801 

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Let’s be honest — teamwork is hard. Especially when people have different communication styles, priorities, and let’s just say it... egos. But emotionally intelligent teams don’t just magically fall into place — they’re intentionally built, brick by sweaty brick.

Dr. Vanessa Druskat joins us to break it all down. She’s a globally recognized expert on team performance and emotional intelligence, and her new book, The Emotionally Intelligent Team, is basically the manual we all should’ve been handed before our first group project… or leadership role.

Vanessa explains why individual emotional intelligence isn’t enough — and why it’s the team’s collective practices that matter most. We talk about what high-performing, collaborative teams actually do differently, how to create group norms that drive trust and accountability, and why "getting along" is way less important than knowing how to navigate conflict.

No more crossing fingers and hoping for chemistry. Want a team that performs and actually likes working together? This one’s for you.

Connect with Vanessa: 

Website: Vanessadruskat.com   

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-druskat-aa7822/

Book: https://www.vanessadruskat.com/books-1

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196 / Energizing Your Team Through Radical Empathy with Erin Diehl

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Let’s talk about the three things women are told not to do: negotiate, network unapologetically, and say no like we mean it. 

Most of us have been programmed to default to yes—to the point that we feel guilty saying no, even when it’s the most obvious answer. And when we do say no? We often soften it, explain it away, and sugarcoat it so much that it barely sounds like a no at all.

Kathryn Valentine—CEO of Worthmore Strategies and corporate badass helping companies retain and promote female talent—is here to flip that script. With experience advising Fortune 100s and dropping knowledge in places like HBR and Fast Company, Kathryn knows exactly how women can claim their worth, own their voice, and not feel bad about it.

From salary talks to schedule shifts, from asking for more to turning down what doesn’t serve you, this episode is your reminder: your power doesn't come from being liked. It comes from knowing what matters and having the guts to go after it. Kathryn even drops her epic list of 76 things you can negotiate (yes, SEVENTY-SIX). So if you've ever softened your no or stayed silent in a meeting, this one’s for you.

Connect with Kathryn: 

Website: www.worthmorestrategies.com

76 Things You Can Negotiate:www.76things.com

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If you’re tired of spending a small fortune on skincare that might work, or overwhelmed by 12-step routines that leave you more stressed than glowing, this episode is your skincare reset.

Licensed Master Esthetician and spa owner Lindsey Holder joins us to break down exactly how to care for your skin—without Botox, fillers, or Hollywood-level budgets. With over a decade in the beauty industry (including working with celebs in LA), Lindsey is now focused on helping everyday women achieve radiant, healthy skin at home.

We get into:

Skincare myths (and what’s actually worth your money)

Affordable skincare tools and treatments you can do yourself

Free ways to support your skin (yes, free!)

How to build a routine that works for your skin and your life

We also talk about something no serum can give you: confidence. Because skincare should be about taking care of yourself—not chasing perfection or feeding a fear-based industry.

If you’re ready for healthy, glowing skin—without the pressure, the guilt, or the injectables—this episode is for you.

Connect with Lindsey: 

Website: www.lindseyholder.com/guide (free daily skincare guide)

Download Lindsey’s FREE skincare app called Lapree Beauty in both IOS or Google Play that gives you skincare tutorial and product review videos!

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139 / Well-Rested with Jolene Hart

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Let’s talk about the most essential job that no one wants to call a job: the work done inside the home.

Parenting. Caregiving. Running a household. It’s all real work — valuable, skilled, and foundational. And yet, it’s often dismissed, devalued, and definitely unpaid. This week, we’re going all in on the fight to change that narrative.

Nicole is joined by historian and professor Emily Callaci, whose latest book Wages for Housework: The Feminist Fight Against Unpaid Labor uncovers the radical movement that dared to ask: what if we paid people for domestic labor? What if the backbone of our economy — caregiving and home-making — was finally treated like the work it actually is?

We unpack the historical, political, and economic forces that keep unpaid labor invisible, and what it means to truly value the labor that happens in homes across the world. This episode is fiery, informed, and long overdue.

Because here’s the truth: without unpaid labor, nothing else works.

Connect with Emily: 

Book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/emily-callaci/wages-for-housework/9781541603523/?lens=seal-press

Audio Book: https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/m0027t58

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Holding It Together: Women As America's Safety Net with Jessica Calarco | 215

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Addiction doesn’t look the same for everyone — and for women, it often comes with an extra helping of shame, silence, and stigma. In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, we’re unpacking how addiction and recovery show up differently for women, why the traditional recovery narrative often falls short, and what it actually takes to reclaim your life in a way that feels true, honest, and yours.

I’m joined by Patti Clark—award-winning author, speaker, and middle-aged woman in long-term recovery—who knows this road from both the inside and out. In her newest book, Recovery Road Trip: Finding Purpose and Connection on the Journey Home, Patti shares stories and tools that help women not just survive addiction, but heal, grow, and reconnect with themselves.

We talk about purpose, connection, creative healing, and why recovery is about so much more than sobriety—it’s about coming home to yourself. Whether you’re on this road or know someone who is, this episode is packed with truth, tenderness, and the reminder that there’s always hope.

Connect with Patti: 

Website: https://www.patticlark.org/

Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Recovery-Road-Trip/Patti-Clark/9781647427740

FB: https://www.facebook.com/PattiClarkAuthor

IG: https://www.instagram.com/patticlarkauthor/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@recoveringwoman

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/PattiKClark

Substack: https://patticlarkwriter.substack.com/

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Some patterns are inherited. Some are learned. And some are just plain outdated. So how do you figure out which is which—and what the hell to do about it?

In this episode, we’re diving deep into how to identify and rewire the invisible patterns that are no longer serving you with the help of Judy Wilkins-Smith. Judy is a world-renowned expert in systemic work and constellations, the author of Decoding Your Emotional Blueprint, and a coach to high-performers and legacy leaders alike. She uses tools like epigenetics and genealogy to help people understand what they’ve inherited—emotionally, behaviorally, and even spiritually—and how to transform it into something that actually works for them.

Because newsflash: just because it runs in the family doesn’t mean it gets to run your life.

Whether you’re feeling stuck in self-doubt, repeating relationship drama, or carrying old money stories like hand-me-down jeans from the 90s, this episode will help you ask the right questions, uncover the real source, and start rewriting the script.

Connect with Judi: 

Website: https://judywilkins-smith.com/ 

IG: https://www.instagram.com/judywilkinssmith/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/judywilkinssmith 

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/judywilkinssmith/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2deofVCmw7Fxdq866SpJbQ 

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What does it really mean to live a meaningful life—and how do you know if you're doing it?

In this episode, we're cutting through the noise, pressure, and Pinterest-perfection to get to the heart of it. Because purpose doesn’t have to be loud to be life-changing. It doesn’t have to trend to be true. Meaning is found in the relationships we build, the values we live, and the courage it takes to make choices that align with who we actually are—not who the world told us to be.

So let’s talk about how we build a life that, at the end of it—whenever that may be—we know it mattered.

Our guest today is Marni Battista—entrepreneur, author, and transformational coach who helps women, especially in midlife, stop chasing the “have it all” myth and start living with radical alignment. Her new book, Your Radical Living Challenge: 7 Questions for a Meaningful Life, offers a framework to help you stop performing and start mattering, on your own terms.

Whether your life’s impact is massive or modest, visible or quiet, it still counts. And it’s never too late to ask better questions—and start living more meaningful answers.

Connect with Marni: 

Website: marnibattista.com 

Book:  radicallivingchallenge.com 

Quiz: decodeyourdestinyquiz.com 

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How To Have A Good Death with Suzanne B. O’Brien, RN | 292

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We live in a world that talks over people instead of listening to them. Debate has replaced understanding. Volume gets rewarded over vulnerability. And somehow, we’ve confused interrupting with intelligence.

In this episode, we’re flipping the script. Because deep listening—the kind that transforms relationships, diffuses conflict, and actually builds connection—isn’t soft. It’s a power skill. A leadership skill. A humanity-saving skill.

And there’s no one better to guide us through the how than today’s guest…

Our guide today is Emily Kasriel, award-winning journalist, former BBC executive, and creator of the Deep Listening approach. With two decades of media experience, a role as Senior Visiting Research Fellow at King’s College London, and a new book (Deep Listening: Transform Your Relationships with Family, Friends and Foes), Emily is here to show us how to stop talking... and actually hear each other.

Listening—truly listening—isn’t passive. It’s active, intentional, and strong as hell. And in a culture that values being loud over being present, choosing to listen might just be the most rebellious, relationship-healing thing we can do.

Connect with Emily: 

Website: https://www.emilykasriel.com/ 

Book: https://harpercollins.co.uk/products/deep-listening-transform-your-relationships-with-family-friends-and-foes-emily-kasriel?variant=41459770884174

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilykasriel/

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Let’s talk about women in sports—and not just the headline-makers or the occasional viral moment. We're talking about the Olympians, the Paralympians, and the elite athletes around the world who are changing the game… even if you’ve never heard their names.

In this first (but definitely not last) episode on the topic, we’re shining a spotlight on the stories that deserve more air time. Because representation in sports matters—and so does who’s telling the story.

Jamie Mittelman is our guest today, and she’s made it her mission to elevate women athletes on a global stage. She’s the founder and host of Flame Bearers, the first international media platform dedicated to women Olympians and Paralympians. With a background in media, a Master’s from the Harvard Kennedy School, and experience managing a $30M portfolio for Yahoo, Jamie is using her superpowers to amplify diverse, overlooked voices in elite women’s sports.

Because every time we tell these stories, we challenge outdated norms, push representation forward, and create a ripple effect for the next generation of athletes. And if you’ve been sleeping on women’s sports… consider this your wake-up call.

As the saying goes: Everyone watches women’s sports. And everyone should.

Connect with Jamie: 

Website: https://flamebearers.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/flamebearers/?hl=en 

FB: https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=flamebearerspodcast 

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/flame-bearers 

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flame_bearers 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVnEbCOeOvNlK6Bocw9ZSdA/featured 

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