This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

We’re diving headfirst into the chaos that is parental leave in the United States — and debunking the absurd notion that being a mom somehow makes you any less dedicated or productive at work.

Here today to help us navigate the murky waters of parental leave is Daphne Delvaux, Esq, also known as The Mamattorney — a legal badass who’s made it her mission to fight pregnancy and postpartum discrimination and help women understand their rights at work. She’s the founder of Delvaux Law, the only firm in the country dedicated exclusively to women’s rights in the workplace.

In this episode, Daphne breaks down what the law actually says, what your employer hopes you don’t know, and how to protect yourself — legally, financially, and emotionally — when you’re expecting (or recovering, or parenting, or just trying to stay employed while having a uterus).

We cover:

What to do if your HR department can’t (or won’t) help

How to prep for maternity leave without sacrificing your career

Legal protections you already have but probably haven’t been told about

The gender double standard of parental expectations at work

Why we need to stop treating parenthood like a liability

Because here's the truth: being a parent isn’t the problem. The systems that punish you for it are. And if we’re going to ask women to work like men, then it’s time men start parenting like women.

Connect with Daphne: 

Website: https://www.themamattorney.com/

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

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Feeling scattered, anxious, or like your brain’s been hijacked by push notifications and endless scrolling? You’re not alone. 

This week, we’re diving into the digital chaos with anxiety and OCD specialist Jennie Ketcham Crooks, founder of the West Coast Anxiety Clinic, who’s helping us understand what our devices are doing to our minds… and what we can do to reclaim our focus, peace, and power.

Jennie brings clinical expertise, research experience, and guest spots on everything from Oprah to The View — and offers a smart, practical path to digital detoxing that doesn’t involve tossing your phone in a lake or moving to a cabin in the woods.

We unpack:

How your phone is rewiring your brain (yes, really)

Signs it’s time for a digital reset — and how to actually do it

Why tech isn’t the enemy (but your habits might be)

What boundaries actually work — and what makes them stick

How to return to you — the you that exists offline

This isn’t about demonizing tech. It’s about creating space — space to think clearly, feel deeply, and live intentionally. And if that’s not woman’s work, then what is?

Connect with Jennie: 

Website: https://westcoastanxiety.com/

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

FB: https://www.facebook.com/jennie.ketcham

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How do you know if your truth is really yours?

In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, we’re diving into the murky waters of brainwashing, mind control, and hyper-persuasion—because your thoughts might not be as independent as you think. We're talking psychological manipulation, eerie government-funded experiments, and the sneaky, modern ways we’re influenced every damn day—by our feeds, our leaders, even our well-meaning friends.

Our guest is Harvard historian Rebecca Lemov, author of The Instability of Truth. She brings the receipts—tracing the roots of brainwashing, the science (and pseudoscience) behind behavioral control, and why we’re more persuadable than we’d like to admit. From Cold War experiments to TikTok trends, Rebecca helps us understand how easily truth can be distorted—and what to do about it.

Because if you’ve ever reposted without thinking, felt weirdly pressured to agree, or just wondered, “wait, is that true?”—this episode is for you.

Connect with Rebecca: 

Book: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324075264 

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

X: https://x.com/rlemov?lang=en 

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Maybe women aren’t bad at friendship — maybe we’ve just been handed a model that doesn’t actually work. One that expects perfection, constant connection, and a whole lot of emotional labor... without any room for evolution, conflict, or change.

In this episode, we’re questioning that model and taking a deeper look at how friendship has changed — historically, culturally, and personally — with cultural historian Tiffany Watt Smith. Together, we explore how women have been portrayed as bad friends (by the media and by society), and how we’ve quietly been redefining friendship on our own terms.

We talk about why friendship dips are normal, why disagreements aren’t deal-breakers, and why being a “bad friend” might actually be a sign that you’re showing up in a real, honest, human way.

Because the goal isn’t friendship that looks perfect from the outside. It’s friendship that can bend, stretch, shift, and still hold.

This conversation is part history lesson, part gut check, and all about rebuilding our relationships on something real.

Connect with Tiffany: 

Book: https://celadonbooks.com/book/bad-friend-tiffany-watt-smith/

Substack: https://thefuturefeeling.substack.com/

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

X: https://x.com/drtiffwattsmith?lang=en 

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Burnout isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the sneaky saboteur that turns high-achieving women into crispy, joy-depleted zombies. And yes, I’ve been there (ask 2022 me, she was a whole damn dumpster fire). Cait Donovan was the voice of reason I didn’t know I needed then—and she’s BACK.

Cait Donovan is one of the few voices in the burnout space who doesn’t just talk the talk—she’s done the deep work, and now helps others do the same. She blends biobehavioral sciences with the ancient wisdom of Chinese Medicine to address burnout at the root, not just slap a self-care bandaid on it. Cait is the host of FRIED. The Burnout Podcast, an in-demand keynote speaker, and the author of The Bouncebackability Factor, and she’s been helping high performers get honest with themselves for years.

Whether you’re on the edge, fully engulfed, or just tired of white-knuckling it through your calendar—this one’s for you.

Because you deserve to feel lit up... not burned out.

Connect with Cait: 

Website: https://caitdonovan.com

Podcast: https://friedtheburnoutpodcast.com

Freebie: https://caitdonovan.com/freebie-web

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If you’ve ever been told to “fake it till you make it” or to “good things come to those who wait” and felt an overwhelming urge to roll your eyes… this one’s for you. In this episode, we’re calling BS on the workplace mantras that sound empowering but actually keep women small, silent, and spinning their wheels.

Bonnie Hammer — Vice Chair of NBCUniversal, legendary executive behind hits like Suits and Mr. Robot, and author of 15 Lies Women Are Told At Work — joins us to break down the real cost of these so-called “truths.” From corporate clichés to career gaslighting, we talk about the lies that sound like wisdom, the advice that’s anything but helpful, and the power of rewriting the rules on your own terms.

Because the workplace wasn’t built with women in mind — which means following the rules will only take you so far. And sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is unlearn everything you’ve been told.

Connect with Bonnie: 

Website: www.bonnie-hammer.com

Book: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/15-Lies-Women-Are-Told-at-Work/Bonnie-Hammer/9781668027615

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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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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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