This Is Woman's Work with Nicole Kalil

Most of us aren’t running billion-dollar corporations… we’re just trying to survive our inbox. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: whether we like it or not, we are all participants in corporate systems — where we work, what we buy, and who we support.

In this episode, Nicole Kalil sits down with Sarah Federman, author of Corporate Reckoning, to unpack what happens when companies are forced to confront their past — from ties to slavery and genocide to modern-day scandals and ethical failures. Spoiler: ignoring it doesn’t make it go away.

This conversation dives into the real work of accountability — not the PR-polished version, but the messy, necessary kind that actually builds trust, integrity, and long-term impact.

Because reckoning isn’t about guilt. It’s about responsibility. And whether you're leading a company, part of one, or just spending your hard-earned money with one… you have more power than you think.

In this episode, they cover:

What “corporate reckoning” actually means (and why it matters now more than ever)

Why “leave the past in the past” is a convenient lie

How companies benefit from confronting — not hiding — their history

The 5-step framework for meaningful accountability (and why most companies screw it up)

The role women play in driving corporate change through spending power and how to use your voice, your dollars, and your decisions to influence change

This isn’t about cancel culture. It’s about conscious participation. Because the question isn’t “Was this my fault?” — it’s “Now that I know… what am I going to do about it?”

Thank you to our sponsors!

Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TIWW, and get three months free when you run your first payroll.

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Connect with Sarah:

Website: https://sarahfederman.com/

Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/814363/corporate-reckoning-by-sarah-federman/

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-federman-phd/

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Grief is not neat, linear, inspiring, or cured by a casserole dish and a “take your time” platitude. In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil sits down with author, podcaster, and storyteller Liz Deacle—author of You Won’t Just Cry When They Die—for an honest conversation about grief, loss, healing, identity, and the brutal reality of what happens when someone you love dies.

Liz shares what losing both of her parents taught her about the physical and emotional reality of grief—experiences she writes about in You Won’t Just Cry When They Die—including how it can dismantle identity, disrupt the body, and leave a person wondering who they even are now. 

Together, they unpack why grief does not follow a timeline, why healing is not about getting back to who someone used to be, and why being “strong” often has a whole lot less to do with holding it together and a whole lot more to do with telling the truth.

They also explore the complicated overlap between grief and midlife, especially for women navigating perimenopause, parenting, caregiving, work, and all the other crap life keeps throwing on the pile. Liz offers deeply human insight into what it means to be held, heard, and supported through loss, and why sometimes the most powerful thing anyone can say is simply, “I’m here.”

This episode is for anyone grieving, anyone loving someone through grief, or anyone who needs the reminder that there is no right way to fall apart and no clean, polished way to stitch yourself back together.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TIWW, and get three months free when you run your first payroll.

Refresh your spring wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/TIWW for free shipping and 365-day returns!

Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww 

Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free!

Connect with Liz:

Website/Book:https://elizabethdeacle.com

Free Meditation: https://elizabethdeacle.com/justforyou

Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/its-a-drama-podcast/id1448200711

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ItsaDrama

How Is Your Spiritual Health? with Dr. Lisa Miller | 287

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In this unfiltered and unhinged solo episode, Nicole Kalil shares a story she is absolutely still not over: The Great Sequin Debacle of 2016.

What started as a simple request — “what’s the dress code?” — turned into a full-blown miscommunication, a gold sequin gown moment, and a night she’d very much like to erase from public memory… except now it’s a podcast episode.

Because what seems obvious to you might not be obvious to someone else. And when you’re building a life, a relationship, or even just packing for a trip, assumptions can lead to some very uncomfortable (and very sparkly) consequences.

But beyond the story, this episode gets into something way more important: why miscommunication happens in relationships — and how to fix it.

This episode is equal parts relatable, hilarious, and actually useful! Nicole shares the simple tool she and her husband now use to actually get on the same page: Family Forecasting.

Nicole breaks down how to:

Stop relying on assumptions in your relationship

Get aligned on schedules, priorities, and decisions (and dress codes)

Use family forecasting to avoid unnecessary conflict

Strengthen connection through intentional conversations

Because the goal isn’t to avoid every misunderstanding — it’s to stop creating the ones you could have prevented. And if you can avoid a sequin-level crisis in the process? Even better.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww 

Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TIWW, and get three months free when you run your first payroll.

Refresh your spring wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/TIWW for free shipping and 365-day returns!

Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free!

Connect with Nicole:

Subscribe to Nicole’s Substack: https://nicolekalil.substack.com/ 

Join the Inner Circle: https://nicolekalil.myflodesk.com/newsletter 

Download the Family Forecasting Agenda: https://nicolekalil.com/resources 

If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

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Leadership gets glorified a lot and understood very little—and in this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil cuts straight to the part no one wants to talk about: leader mental health.

She’s joined by Melissa Doman, organizational psychologist, former clinical mental health therapist, founder of the Workplace Mental Health Method, and author of Yes, You Can Talk About Mental Health at Work and Cornered Office. Melissa works with global companies like Google, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Estée Lauder, helping leaders and organizations have honest, practical conversations about mental health—especially at the top.

Together, they unpack the outdated leadership norms that reward burnout and punish humanity, the real mental health toll of constant pressure and scrutiny, and what it actually looks like to lead in a way that’s both effective and human. Because if leadership becomes miserable enough, the good ones won’t stay—and that should scare all of us.

In this episode, Nicole and Melissa explore:

Why leadership mental health is still the elephant in the corner office

How outdated ideas about power, stoicism, and authority hurt leaders

Common mental health struggles leaders face, including anxiety, worry, negativity, and helplessness

Why communicating capacity is a leadership skill, not a weakness

How followers can better support leaders 

What companies can do right now to make leadership more sustainable

At the end of the day, this conversation makes one thing clear: if we want better workplaces, stronger teams, and sustainable success, we have to start treating leaders like humans—not machines.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TIWW, and get three months free when you run your first payroll.

Refresh your spring wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/TIWW for free shipping and 365-day returns!

Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww 

Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free!

Connect with Melissa:

Website:https://www.melissadoman.com/

Book:https://www.amazon.com/Cornered-Office-Leadership-Mental-Health/dp/139435035X 

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

LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissadoman1/

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Let’s get one thing straight: mindset is not about slapping a positive quote on your anxiety and calling it growth.

In this episode, Nicole Kalil calls out the fluff and gets real about what mindset actually is - and it’s not just vision boards or pretending everything is fine while your brain is running a full-blown disaster simulation.

Joined by Diana Pagano - bestselling author, mindset coach, and expert in breaking mental limits - this conversation dives into what’s actually happening when your brain spirals… and more importantly, what to do about it.

This episode unpacks how to interrupt the spiral, regulate your nervous system, and take grounded, imperfect action anyway. No toxic positivity. No BS. Just real tools that actually work.

Why mindset has been oversimplified (and how that’s keeping you stuck)

The truth about overthinking, fear spirals, and “what if” thinking

How to interrupt negative thought patterns in real time

You don’t need another pep talk. You don’t need to “just think positive.”

You need tools to break the loop - and the willingness to take action even while your brain is still arguing with you. Because confidence, momentum, and growth? They don’t come after the fear disappears. They come when you move anyway.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww 

Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TIWW, and get three months free when you run your first payroll.

Refresh your spring wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/TIWW for free shipping and 365-day returns!

Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free!

Connect with Diana:

Website: https://dianapagano.com/ 

Book:https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-more-mindset-diana-pagano/1147998644 

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

If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

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In this episode, Nicole Kalil sits down with Faith Roberson, certified life coach, professional organizer, and founder of Organize With Faith, to rip the lid off everything we’ve been told about homemaking, clutter, and what it means to “keep a home.”

Because spoiler alert: it’s not about the damn bins.

Faith introduces a powerful reframe — that organizing isn’t about perfection, aesthetics, or even productivity. It’s about soul work. It’s about identity, values, boundaries, and the emotional baggage (yes, literally and figuratively) we carry into our spaces.

Together, they unpack:

The “Snow White Effect” and how society conditioned women to do domestic labor alone (and smile about it)

Why clutter isn’t a discipline problem — it’s an emotional processing problem

How organizing from the inside out changes everything

The truth about invisible labor, gender roles, and why you don’t have to do it all

How to set boundaries in your home without losing your mind or your relationship

The 3-step framework: Acknowledgement, Action, Alignment to create a home that actually reflects your values

This conversation isn’t about having a perfect home - it’s about creating a life that feels like yours.

Because what stays and what goes… isn’t just about your closet.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww 

Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TIWW, and get three months free when you run your first payroll.

Refresh your spring wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/TIWW for free shipping and 365-day returns!

Visit Upwork.com right now and post your job for free!

Connect with Faith:

Website: https://organizewithfaith.com/ 

Book:https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/What-Stays-and-What-Goes/Faith-Roberson/9781668011744  

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

Related Podcast Episodes

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Let’s be clear: the idea of a “perfect family” is outdated, unrealistic, and holding onto it often causes more harm than good.

In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil sits down with family lawyer, author, and co-parenting advocate Gabriella Pomare to dismantle the myth that staying together is always best for the kids—and to redefine what healthy, modern families can actually look like. A partner at a leading law firm in Sydney, Gabriella brings over a decade of experience navigating complex family dynamics, from high-conflict separations to international custody cases.

Because divorce isn’t the end of a family. It’s the restructuring of one.

Gabriella brings both professional expertise and lived experience to the table, sharing how parents can move from conflict to collaboration—even when emotions are high, communication is broken, and resentment is lingering just beneath the surface.

This conversation is honest, practical, and refreshingly real about what it actually takes to co-parent with intention instead of ego.

In this episode, they cover:

Why the “stay together for the kids” narrative is often more harmful than helpful

The #1 skill that can make or break your co-parenting relationship: communication

Gabriella’s 4-step communication framework

How to set boundaries with a high-conflict or difficult ex (without losing your sanity)

Tools like co-parenting apps that reduce drama and keep things child-focused

How to handle holidays, schedules, and special occasions without turning them into battlegrounds

Why kids don’t need the details—they need stability, safety, and reassurance

Navigating dating, step-parent dynamics, and blended families 

Because at the end of the day, it isn’t about being right. It’s about raising humans who feel safe, loved, and supported—no matter what their family structure looks like.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww 

Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. It’s all-in-one, remote-friendly, and incredibly easy to use—so you can pay, hire, onboard, and support your team from anywhere! Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TIWW, and get three months free when you run your first payroll.

Refresh your spring wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/TIWW for free shipping and 365-day returns!

Connect with Gabriella:

Website: https://thecollaborativeco-parent.com.au 

Book:https://www.amazon.com/Collaborative-Parent-Co-Parenting-dignified-collaborative/dp/1636987036/ 

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

If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

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In this unfiltered and unhinged solo episode, Nicole Kalil gets brutally honest about something every high-achieving woman hates to admit: she’s been dropping balls. A lot of them.

From missed appointments to forgotten commitments, Nicole pulls back the curtain on what happens when even the most organized, detail-loving, color-coded-calendar kind of woman hits a breaking point. And instead of spiraling into shame (okay, maybe a little), she revisits a powerful mindset shift that changes everything.

Enter: glass balls vs. rubber balls.

Because not everything that gets dropped is a disaster — and treating it like one is exactly what’s burning women out.

This episode is a reality check and a permission slip:

Not all mistakes are catastrophic

Not everything deserves your guilt

And no, you’re not “losing it”… you’re human

Nicole breaks down how to:

Identify what actually matters (your glass balls)

Stop overreacting to the things that don’t (your rubber balls)

Give yourself grace without lowering your standards

Protect your energy, your priorities, and your sanity

Because the goal isn’t to juggle everything perfectly — it’s to know what’s worth catching.

And if a few balls bounce? Let them.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww 

Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. It’s all-in-one, remote-friendly, and incredibly easy to use—so you can pay, hire, onboard, and support your team from anywhere! Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TIWW, and get three months free when you run your first payroll.

Refresh your spring wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/TIWW for free shipping and 365-day returns!

Connect with Nicole:

Subscribe to Nicole’s Substack: https://nicolekalil.substack.com/ 

Join the Inner Circle: https://nicolekalil.myflodesk.com/newsletter 

If you found this episode insightful, please share it with a friend, tag us on social media, and leave a review on your favorite podcast platform!

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Let’s get one thing straight: this is not a fan girl episode. It’s a masterclass in women’s economic power, using one of the most undeniable case studies of our time — Taylor Swift.

In this episode of This Is Woman’s Work, Nicole Kalil sits down with economist and researcher Misty Heggeness, author of Swiftynomics, to break down what happens when women stop playing small and start reshaping entire industries.

Because whether people like Taylor Swift or not? Irrelevant. What she’s done for ownership, influence, and economic impact? Undeniable.

This conversation dives into the data behind the headlines — exposing how women have always been driving the economy… just without the credit.

In this episode, they explore:

What “Swiftynomics” actually means (and why it’s bigger than Taylor Swift)

Why traditional economic metrics undervalue women (and always have)

How women drive over 80% of consumer spending — and what that means for power

The rise of female-led content, companies, and cultural influence

Why backlash against powerful women is predictable… and irrelevant

The economic shift happening when women support women — and stop supporting what doesn’t support them

Why equity in the workplace and at home benefits everyone (yes, even men)

This isn’t about celebrity. It’s about who holds power, who gets recognized for it, and who’s done waiting for permission.

This episode reframes Taylor Swift as more than a pop icon — she’s proof of what happens when women own their work, their voice, and their value, and in doing so, redefine the entire economic landscape.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww 

Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. It’s all-in-one, remote-friendly, and incredibly easy to use—so you can pay, hire, onboard, and support your team from anywhere! Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TIWW, and get three months free when you run your first payroll.

Refresh your spring wardrobe with Quince. Go to Quince.com/TIWW for free shipping and 365-day returns!

Connect with Misty:

Website: https://www.mistyheggeness.com/ 

Book: https://www.instagram.com/swiftynomics/ 

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/swiftynomics.bsky.social 

X: https://bsky.app/profile/swiftynomics.bsky.social 

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Romantic relationships are not supposed to stay frozen in the honeymoon phase forever. In this episode, Nicole Kalil sits down with attachment theory expert Thais Gibson—bestselling author, PhD, and founder of The Personal Development School—to break down the six stages of relationships, why the power struggle stage is where so many couples get stuck, and what it really takes to build healthy, lasting love.

Because, contrary to everything rom-coms, bad advice, and old conditioning taught women, a strong relationship is not about never changing. It is about learning how to grow, communicate, repair, and keep choosing each other when life gets messy, inconvenient, and very unsexy.

In this episode, Nicole and Thais discuss:

The 6 stages of relationships, from dating to everlasting love

Why the power struggle stage is normal, not proof something is broken

Why vulnerability is the price of deeper connection

The communication mistake couples make on repeat

Why women often overfocus on being chosen instead of doing the choosing

Why people date potential and how that blows up later

What it takes to move from stability into devotion and lasting partnership

This conversation gets into the real stuff: dating red flags, codependency, conflict resolution, self-abandonment, subconscious patterns, and the truth about what it takes to create a healthy relationship that evolves with you instead of trapping you.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Shopify has everything all in one place, making your life easier and your business operations smoother. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial today at shopify.com/tiww 

Gusto is online payroll and benefits software built for small businesses. It’s all-in-one, remote-friendly, and incredibly easy to use—so you can pay, hire, onboard, and support your team from anywhere! Try Gusto today at gusto.com/TIWW, and get three months free when you run your first payroll.

Connect with Thais:

Website: personaldevelopmentschool.com 

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThePersonalDevelopmentSchoolG: 

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

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